A couple of weeks ago (or way more now!), I told you about the trip we took to Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY. While we really enjoyed seeing April the Giraffe, Oliver, and Tajiri, and the other animals, the main vacation destination was Steamtown in Scranton, PA. I may have mentioned a time or two that the punks [warning: understatement ahead] like trains. Dad planned the whole trip as a surprise. And happily, Xav is a fourth grader and Steamtown is managed by the National Park Service. That means we all received FREE admission through the Every Kid in a Park program. Truthfully, admission isn't that high anyway. The entrance fee was, surprisingly, only $7 per person for ages 16+. Extra charges applied only to the Scranton Limited train ride which was $5 each, ages 6+.
Today, I'm just sharing the basics for this destination. There was FAR too much to cover in one post.
First, we drove to Scranton on the 4th of July. It was not as terrible as you might imagine and that was probably due to the fact it was a Tuesday. We stayed at a hotel with a pool and that is basically enough to keep the boys happy. HOWEVER, we were able to see multiple firework shows throughout the town from both the pool and our room.
The punks didn't actually know in advance where we would be going. We told them before bed that night and, let's just say the response left a lot to be desired. They were so "meh" about the whole thing. All I did was hope they would be way more excited when they actually got it. Merrick also got a little surprise that night. He got a cute little indoor tent in which to spend the night. Three boys in a queen size bed is a no go. Two in the same bed leads to plenty of kicking, pushing, and growling until sleep is finally reached.
In the morning, we had breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts just down the road, then we headed straight to Steamtown. I wish I had a video of the punks' reactions! My preteen boys, literally, squee-ed when they got the first glimpse in the parking lot. "It's the Big Boy, the Union Pacific Big Boy!" Sadly, I thought the Big Boy was in pretty rough shape. The boys thought it was the most incredible thing they'd ever seen. Maybe it was... so far!
We didn't stay outside for long, though. We had a train to catch! Xav got his official "every kid in a park" card, we paid for our train tickets and headed inside. We didn't have long to wait for our train ride and since that was almost the first thing we did there, I'm including it here. Everything else we did will be in next week's Steamtown Part 2 post.
First, let me tell you, I was *shocked* to learn that, until the 1980s, Steamtown was located in Vermont! Then the funniest thing happened. Our guide turned out to be from Vermont and, until a few years ago, worked for the same company Daddy did. Small world.
This is what happens when you wait too long to write up your post, you forget details. I could research these details, but since I'm not finding them quickly, I'm just going to have to let them go. *tries not to sing* You can thank me later. Anyway, we learned about the family who ran the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. This was one of the earliest rail lines in northeastern Pennsylvania.
This Ramada Inn used to be the Train Station. We didn't go inside, but did see some pictures online. The family certainly believed in doing things up lavish-like.
We need a Part 2 post because I took so many pictures of our day, it wasn't even funny, but I knew I'd need them for the Train class at our co-op. *justifies*
Homeschool Discount -Discount for 4th graders and their families, but not for homeschoolers specifically. Reasonably priced, either way.
Educational - History, Science, Technology, Art, Math (in the gift shop!)
Family Oriented - Yes.
Duration of Visit - 6 hours+.
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