Last “weekend” (Thurs-Sat), we all headed up north — not quite as north as we usually go, but right around US Hwy 8, so totally acceptable to any Wisconsinite. The impetus for the trip was to take a ride on the Lumberjack Steam Train in Laona.
Davy is super into trains… and will tell you that it’s a LOCOMOTIVE, not an “engine.” He saw the coal car, the fire, heard the whistle plenty of times, rode in an open car on the way there, and in one of the antique closed cars on the way back.
The train goes back & forth between its “station” and Camp Five Museum from mid-June to mid-August. There’s the museum (forestry & the lumber industry), along with a blacksmith shop, petting zoo, nature center, a cute little general store, and more. I’ll bet we go again and, really, it could easily be a (long-ish) day trip.
I found a nice Airbnb in Athelstane, about 40 minutes from Laona, that had plenty of room for all of us, plus a small no-wake lake with kayaks, pedal boat, and rowboat… and swimming.
I took my new favorite picture of the boys on the dock there.
And just a couple others. The weather was OK, but the mosquitoes & woodticks were awful. We had protection, but still… ick.
It was nice to come back on Saturday and still have a full day at home before returning to work on Monday. This week is a short one, too (ha, all of my weeks are short, it just varies!).
Brian & Hazel arrived on Sunday, Annie & Addie returned yesterday and now the resettling begins for them. Addie’s graduation party is a week from Sunday already!
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Ryan was into trains when he was younger. We are lucky enough to have a train yard with 10 miles of us and we took a picnic lunch there at least once/week when the kids were little. They were restoring two steam locomotives at the time and the boys would sit and watch the hammering and welding and they even got permission to climb around and pretend to be engineers. That picture of the boys is wonderful!
What fun, Vicki! What a fantastic thing to be so “close” for you! (I realize closeness is relevant!) This is the kick off of a fantastic summer for you!
Oh, those boys!!! Junah is looking like a teenager these days. (I can’t believe it.) And, to me, there is nothing like a little train fan. My dad was (still is!) a model railroader, so I grew up with trains — real and miniature. I wish Davy was closer — because my dad has a miniature layout in his independent living apartment, and he loves to show it off! Many of his neighbors have their great grandkids up to visit his trains! Anyway. It sounds like your summer is off to a wonderful start . . . and it’s only bound to get BETTER. XO (And those damn mosquitos. . . )
What fun. Trains are so interesting to kids. And I love the idea of a no-wake lake. Paddling around in a kayak is my idea of boating. Your summer is off to a good start.
Oh my goodness, I knew Junah had grown but didn’t really have a sense of just how tall he is now! This sounds like a fun excursion and great sort-of staycation. You’re lucky to have a destination like this not too far away!
What handsome fellas … and love spying Maddie!
OMG the grandsons! So grown up looking ! I (for no good reason) got out of the blog habit and now I’m catching up a little. Love seeing your family, your projects and the Work Museum is especially fabulous.
That sounds like a fun getaway minus the bugs. Ticks are just THE worst and I hate them! I love that Davy loves trains, it’s such a little boy thing.