An afternoon up-island

My sister and I packed up the kids yesterday afternoon and headed up-island to Duncan. We met Cass and her boys at the BC Forest Discovery Centre, where they have a real, working steam train {that we rode several times in the three hours we were there}. It was a little boys' paradise. And the moms had fun, too!

 Engine 25, also known as Blackie

Waiting at the station for the train to arrive

 Amanda, slowly melting {it was in the high 30s in the valley today!}

 Old tractors to climb on

 Dylan can't resist a fireman's pole

 Kilian and Dylan, hard at work

 Taking a break for ice cream

 Going over Somenos Lake on the trestle {Amanda was freaked out!}

Walter, Henry, Dylan, Kilian, Sawyer {check out all those rosy cheeks!}

Cass and I at the end of a sweltering afternoon of riding the rails! If only we'd had time to stop at Starbucks for a cold drink after all that hard work :)

The Forest Museum is a childhood favourite of mine. I can remember my mom & dad taking us there on the way home from many a camping trip, and my dad buying us conductor's hats as souvenirs. I'm so glad it's still there for us to experience with our own kids. I hope their memories of it are as fond as mine are...