Day Out With Thomas & Our Northern Woods Adventure

August 09, 2015

Day Out With Thomas & Our Northern Woods Adventure

Create memories.

That little phrase has been my mantra for 2015. I've realized life is all about experiences and creating those memories with the ones you love. At 3 1/2 I'm already amazed how much Harper remembers. She'll bring up memories from over a year ago and re-tell the tale like it was yesterday. It's fascinating and always brings a smile to my face. Childhood memories are ones you treasure, so this weekend we did our best to add more to the memory bank.

Harper has always loved Thomas the Train and even Emmett has shown a little interest in the cheeky little engine. When we found out Thomas the Train was stopping in Duluth again this year we decided make a weekend out of it.

We drove up late Friday night and arrived at the Radisson just in time to go to bed. Our train ride was scheduled bright and early Saturday morning at 9am. Since they recommended we arrive an hour early, staying over Friday night seemed like the better option rather than leaving Maple Grove at 6am Saturday morning. (Plus, us Helleen's don't do early mornings well.)

Our alarm woke us up Saturday morning and Harper's giddiness was in full force. We managed to get everyone dressed and ready on-time and walked over to the Depot ready for our Day Out With Thomas. The line was already backed up to the street waiting for the gates to open. You could tell the kiddos in line were anxious to get a glimpse of the REAL Thomas. From a distance we heard the "Peep Peep" of his whistle. It was adorable to see so many eyes light up and to hear screeches and screams of excitement. Memories were certainly being made.

We boarded the train and the wheels started turning right at 9am. Harper stared out the window most of the trip and waved to the patrons watching. Emmett enjoyed window gazing for a little bit too, but since we were right in the middle of his usual morning nap time he was a little restless. He spent most of the 20 minute ride sucking his thumb and snuggling his snuggle buddy. As our train ride came to an end, Harper and Emmett received their "Jr. Engineer Certificate." Harper was very proud of that green piece of paper that was even signed by Sir Topham Hatt! ;)

After the train ride Emmett immediately fell asleep in the stroller. While he snoozed, we enjoyed the other fun activities they had planned. Harper colored and played with the train tables at the Imagination Station. She met Sir Topham Hatt, got a couple tattoos, a cupcake painted on her cheek and bounced her little heart out in the inflatables. After 4+ hours at Thomas, we wrapped things up since we had other adventures planned.

Before Harper was born, we received a book from one of Deb's co-workers called "The Northern Woods Adventure." It was written and illustrated by a local author and has become one of Harper's go-to books. The story follows the main character, Bart as he travels to northern Minnesota with his family and friends. When we bought our Thomas tickets this year, we decided to extend our trip and make it a full weekend so we could have our very own northern woods adventure.

In the book they talk about Split Rock Lighthouse which is only an hour North of Duluth. After Thomas we jumped in the car ready for our site seeing adventure. We were eager to see what Split Rock Lighthouse State Park had to offer. It was foggy and the weather was cool, but the scenery was incredible. Lake Superior's landscape is stunning and something I hope to see more of after this trip.

We climbed the lighthouse and wandered around the visitor center. Since we had a stroller in tow, we decided to stay off the trails. Off-roading didn't seem like a good idea. Although we only saw a small section of the park, it was still fun and something to cross off our bucket list.

Another place Bart visits in the book is Gooseberry Falls. Its been nearly 20 years since I've been to the falls. It's a childhood memory I've tucked away, visiting the falls with my parents and grandparents. It seemed extra special to create brand new memories at the very same location with Mitch, Harper and Emmett.

As we were walking the trails we gave Harper the run-down - no getting in the water. Within 5 minutes of being there, we had stripped off her socks and tennies and was wading in the water. We're here to make memories right, so why not! She slipped a few times, causing her once dry clothes to become soaked. The pure joy on her face made it all worth it.

Emmett was in the carrier on my back. He just wanted to sit and watch the falls, I think the sound was putting him to sleep. We explored the lower falls and the upper falls. Just like they say in the book, it really is gorgeous. Once we convinced Harper to leave the water, we decided our Northern Woods Adventure had come to an end. For 9 hours we created new memories and shared fun and exciting experiences together.