Summer Bucket List: Train Ride

The summer days are dwindling, and we actually had our first bit of cool weather this weekend, but that didn't stop us from squeezing in one more item off our summer bucket list: Ez and Declan's first train ride! I'm talking real trains, not the rides they have at zoos or Disneyland, which Ez has ridden before. 

Bay Area public transportation is so much more convenient than Southern California's and Joe actually takes the train to work now. So on Sunday we took the same train he normally takes every morning and grabbed some breakfast before walking around a wine and art festival. The whole main street was shut down and filled with booths selling jewelry, clothes, paintings, and photos, plus food and alcohol, of course! There was also live music playing, so if we want to really stretch things we can count this as our outdoor concert too, amIright? oh, and I can't forget Ez's favorite part of the festival - a fire truck that he could explore and his very own jr. firefighter badge. He held on tight to that for the rest of the day, and would take mini breaks to just stare at it in silence and awe. 

But back to the train ride. I think Ez's favorite part was the station where he actually got to see the train pulling up. As it got closer he had the biggest smile on his face, and was all tensed up with excitement, but when it stopped in front of us with a loud screeching sound he jumped back and looked ready to hide. So a healthy combo of excitement and fear when it comes to trains. On the ride there he stared out the window the whole time, completely transfixed, but on the way back he was apparently a seasoned pro and more interested in firefighter badges than the train. Declan pretty much had the same attitude toward trains that he has toward cars - it's all good as long as we're moving. As soon as the brakes go on the fussing begins. Impatient little guy.