Sundays In My City: Chihuly At Fairchild, A Garden Of Glass
Friday Fragments: Episode 4.24.15

Trips Afield: Gold Coast Railroad Museum

DSC_0368

Wednesday, like every April 22nd for the past ... well, that's up for debate, but read this story if you want to know more ... was Earth Day. We had big earthy, environmentalist plans, but those fell through. Fortunately, we had backup plans! We visited Miami's Gold Coast Railroad Museum, next do the Zoo, instead. Wow, did this trip come along with lots of history lessons!

Disclosure: We were given free passes to visit the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are, as always, 100% my own.

I kinda wanted to steal the "NO SNORING" sign from the museum's gift shop wall. Cute and funny!

DSC_0369

We all had to test out the Morse Code telegraph machine. It was loud and, yes, obnoxious. God bless the twin girls working in the shop, because they must have to put up with that nonsense a lot.

DSC_0370

And with that, we were outta the gate and into an immense, old railroad yard with all manner of antique and old-fashioned trains to explore. What fun! This was definitely right up Jack's alley.

DSC_0371

DSC_0372

DSC_0373

I sort of have a fetish for antique suitcases. I love them. They bespeak so many adventures, I think. I would love to collect them, but I never find them, so...

DSC_0374

Chloë thought this old wheelchair was pretty cool. I don't know whether it was kosher for her to sit on it, but she already was and there was no "keep off" sign, so I snapped the pic. I could say that about a lot of these pictures...

DSC_0375

When Rob rang this bell, it was so loud and unexpected, I wanted to ring his bell!

DSC_0376

DSC_0377

DSC_0378

Maybe you can tell from Jack's stance, but he was freaked out by the wax figure of a porter up there ahead, on the left. So I did what I do: laughed and took a photo.

DSC_0379

Have a seat!

DSC_0381

Sophe pretending to wash hands in the sink on the train... a rare sight, since I still have to tell her to do it for real now!

DSC_0382

Very cool.

DSC_0383

We were told that if the train was open, we could go ahead and go in and explore. We found lots of open trains to visit! This one... wasn't.

DSC_0384

DSC_0385

Proof that I was actually there, experiencing this, too. I gotta remember to take more pictures of me. Y'know, for posterity.

DSC_0386

I guess they use the trains for after-school programs. Pretty cool place to go, if you ask me.

DSC_0387

Silly Sophie, pretending to eat at the table. I love that she still has such fun imagining at ten.

DSC_0388

DSC_0389

DSC_0390

DSC_0391

DSC_0392

This is Sophia trying to get up into the luggage cart. No, she didn't, but if I had looked away... she'd have been up there in a New York minute! ;)

DSC_0393

Jack was pretty much in seventh heaven out here.

DSC_0394

DSC_0395

NASA, the early days

DSC_0396

Rob checkin' out the innards

DSC_0397

Hey, you gotta go, you gotta go. The train bathrooms remind me of the ones on the Piedmont airplanes back in the 80s.

DSC_0398

Again, we weren't invited on one of the beds in the sleepers, but we weren't chastised or warned off them, either...

DSC_0400

Sophia looking so cute with her little bandanna.... love it!

DSC_0401

DSC_0402

DSC_0403

The kids loved the idea of transcontinental train travel. We vowed to do it sometime before they're grown.

DSC_0404

This does not look even remotely comfortable!

DSC_0406

Well, hello, Rufus.

DSC_0407

DSC_0408

Yeah, that might not be good.

DSC_0409

DSC_0410

At this point, I was having a total Stand By Me moment.

DSC_0412

DSC_0413

Rob, being a sweety... but I made him leave them there. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, after all.

DSC_0414

Why, hello up there!

DSC_0415

Twinsies

DSC_0416

DSC_0417

DSC_0418

DSC_0419

DSC_0420

This is the part where Sophie pretends to be a hobo, hopping on and off cargo trains and going joy-riding!

DSC_0421

Girl versus the machine?

DSC_0422

DSC_0424

DSC_0425

DSC_0428

Switch operator, Chloë

DSC_0429

Speaking of Stand By Me...

DSC_0431

Chugga-chugga-woo-woo! Hey, we're tweens and teens, but a train is a train, man.

DSC_0433

DSC_0434

DSC_0435

Because Thomas.

DSC_0437

DSC_0438

Sophie in her babushka

DSC_0439

The trainy equivalent of Air Force One. Pretty cool.

DSC_0440

DSC_0441

DSC_0442

Hilariously, Sophie was pretending to be interrogated and pleading for her freedom. She cracks me up.

DSC_0443

Jack was giggling because men used fancy China and drank tea. Silly boy!

DSC_0444

The girls were terribly excited to find this very old, dusty book amongst the artifacts on one train. The books, we like them.

DSC_0445

DSC_0446

DSC_0447

DSC_0448

Now this one, I coveted. Badly.

DSC_0449

America's Playground, Florida's East Coast, you say? I must go to there.

DSC_0450

Yeah. I can't remember what she was doing here. Basking in the glory?

DSC_0451

DSC_0452

Uh, not a good angle for him!

DSC_0453

Tiniest President ever.

DSC_0454

My fellow Americans...!

DSC_0455

DSC_0456

Yay!

DSC_0457

DSC_0458

DSC_0459

Jack accidentally honked the horn, and it was LOUD. We all jumped. It was pretty hysterical. Eh, you had to be there.

DSC_0461

What about wheelchairs?

DSC_0462

DSC_0463

DSC_0464

We learned about blimps our first year of homeschooling, way back in 2010, so we kind of have an affinity for all things hydrofoil.

DSC_0465

Dirigible

DSC_0466

In honor of Daddy, the girls insisted I take their picture with the US Navy flag.

DSC_0468

We totally confused the "We Can Do It" poster with "Rosie the Riveter" and talked all about the Normal Rockwell piece as if this was it. Uhhh.... ooops. Now we know better, though, and knowing is half the battle.

(RIP to the real "Rosie.)

DSC_0469

True facts.

DSC_0470

Yes, but do you know the way to San José?

We learned a lot of history on this field trip, and quite a lot about the history of race relations in this country. The kids all agreed by the end that racism pretty much sucks. Phew! I'm glad that was the attitude learned. 

Thanks to the GCRM for having us, and thank you for stopping by!

Fin.

Comments