ROAD TRIP {Part II}

Let's see... so the morning of July 7th we got up and tried to get going!  It didn't go too fast, though!  We made a trip to Walmart for some necessary road trip snacks, and ate Jack In the Box breakfast, cleaned up our mess at Kate's and headed out for Sacramento!  We only had plans to spend the day there, and then head to San Fransisco for the night!  Can I just say that there was still TOO MUCH SNOW up on the mountain passes??  Yes... there was!  We had to make only one stop for a potty break... where there was NOT a potty... of course!  And there wouldn't be one for many miles to come, so we pulled off onto a little hidden road, let Ella do her business, picked some pretty wild flowers, and then headed back on our way!

Our first order of business that morning upon arrival was the train museum!  Uncle John had suggested it, and since there weren't any baseball halls of fame or anything like that, we went here JUST for Braeden!  Not that the girls didn't enjoy it, because they totally did, but I find that often times I tend to plan more girlie stuff than stuff that would make Braeden just beam from ear to ear!  This did it, and I have to say... WOW!  It was amazing!  If you're ever in town there... it's totally on our list of recommendations!

And the kids got to see the working trains go by a couple of times, since the museum is built right next to the tracks!  Love it!  And it's in their "old town" so it was fun to wander around afterward, too!  We had quite an adventure!  We ate in a saloon, where peanut shells on the floor is totally OKAY, normal, and... eeewww!  Ella was the first to comment, saying, "UM!  Someone is vewy messy and they fowgot to clean the floow in here!!"  Haha!  She cracks me up!  They all do!  

The wax figures were totally creepy to Lexi, and they weren't just in the museum... nope.  They were in several of the stores, eateries, and even the saloon!  Haha!  

The museum has the most comprehensive toy train exhibit in the nation!  With the help and donations of a collector named Thomas Sefton who gave them all to the museum upon his death along with the money to create a display for them, they have an AMAZING display that was totally enjoyed by US!  He collected so many things over the course of 4 decades that they didn't have room to display all of them, despite the fact that he left millions of dollars to do just that.  I have to say that HAYDEN would LOOOOVE this place, even more than my kids did!  It really was fantastic and something to be appreciated!  Probably the best part (besides the toy train exhibit) was the sleeper car!  They have it set in the back so that the one side is totally dark.  They have flashing lights that zoom by and the car is rocking a little... to help you get the REAL FEEL for a ride!  Totally FUN!

Waiting in the cool air for Mommy to come in and stop taking pictures of the scenery!  Right next to a 1915 engine!

This was the start of my amazement.  I LOVED this museum!!  Loved it!

And so did my cute little guy!

They had the best ever displays!

WATCH OUT!!!  We are going to get run over!!  ;o)  A nice lady (who didn't know how to work a camera worth beans) finally got this okay shot of us!  Thank you!

Can you see all three of my kiddos??

Getting instruction on what all the levers and dials mean from one of the men who worked there.

And now he's ready to take the conductor's seat!!

I think that with Braeden driving, Ella might not want to hang out the window!  ;o)

This totally reminded me of a "Christmas" train... you know??  Just like the one we put up under the kids' tree each year!

The guy in the white shirt and vest was explaining how the mail car worked... how each slot was for a different area, how it got from one place to another... etc.  Totally confusing, but amazing, nonetheless!

All the mail bags!

Me investigating more slots!

A dining car.  They had each table set with a different array of china and serving sets.

The sleeper car!  The girls wanted to know just how you got up and down from the top bunk!  So funny!  I told them that the people had to pull a wire and wait for an attendant to come with a ladder to let them down!  The thought that was totally ridiculous!

Work on a train.  No WiFi needed!

One of the MANY train tables to play with.

THIS IS IT!  This is the part of the Thomas Sefton gallery that displays running, fully functional, toy train collectibles.

They would go for a while (like the blurry red one in the background) and then have to take a rest for a minute so the track and the wheels could cool down.  Then you could push the button and set them off again!

Something about trying to reach from something to something!  Still not working out for us!!  Haha!  Lexi, Braeden, Ella, and me!

All my sillies on a train in the yard!  Braeden, Ella, Lexi, and Damian!

This and the next several shots are sights of Old Sacramento.

Taking a breather.  It was rather hot this day!

Ella showed us exactly what kind of face she wanted us to make for this shot!  I think we all got about the same idea!  Lexi, Me, and Damian... (where is Braeden??  Not a trick question... I really don't know!)

Lexi may have been creeped out by the wax figures, but Ella wasn't!  She thought it was hilarious that she could touch this guys bum without him protesting!  Lovely.

Good to know there's a place for our horses AND our guns!  But sporting women are NOT allowed??  Hmmm...

A look at the icky mess beneath our feet that someone forgot to sweep up!  Just peanut shells... and don't worry... we TOTALLY ADDED to the mess with our own shells!  :o)

And after our time spent in Old Sacramento, we drove up the way a little and went past the capitol building.  It was pretty, but too bad what goes on inside is so ugly and out of hand.  Good thing we still have the weather going for us down here!  Otherwise... it would be absolutely NOTHING!  Haha!

And then we chuga-chuga-choo-chooed our caboose right out of there and on to San Fransisco and had some fun for the evening there!  BUT... that will have to wait for the next post!  Too many pictures, too little time to get them all on this post!  ;o)