Day Out With Thomas- 2011

Image Source: B&O Railroad Newsletter

The 2011 Day Out With Thomas event at the Baltimore B&O Railroad Museum runs from April 29th- May 8th this year, weekends only. Last year and the year before we got together a group of friends and family and had a blast- it was spectacular to say the least. If we're being honest, the first time around, I had a really, really, really hard time spending the money it cost (about $21/ticket, even for kids!!) to get all of us in, but once we got in and saw all of the activities that were included and the subsequent pure joy on my kids' faces to see Thomas and take a ride, it was well worth it. The following year, I had no problem parting with the funds knowing how great this event was the year before.

What I loved best: The staff is very well-prepared, organized and patient with the kids. They are perfect for working with kids, both the calm and the tantrum-ridden and I was truly impressed with how well they handled everyone. This part of it was priceless, really it was.

Interesting Fact: I first found out about this from watching Jon & Kate Plus *sniffle* Eight on TLC.

Some Tips:

• Pack some snacks, drinks and/or a reusable water bottle in your backpack for the kids
• Pack a good lunch and leave it in the car for a break midday. There are lots of activities to do and you could stay the better part of the day.
• Bring your stroller, even if your kids will most likely not ride in it. There are arts and crafts and other items you'll collect along the way that you might not want to carry around all day. The Museum and grounds are extremely stroller-friendly.
• Aim to arrive at least an hour EARLY for your train to allow time to get lost (it's easy to find, though), park and use the restroom before your trip.
• Parking is free, monitored, private, fenced in, close and pretty safe. As with any time you leave your car unattended, take care to put away valuables or anything that might draw attention to a passerby, including your GPS and suction cup.
• Pack extra batteries and memory card for your digital camera and be sure to empty it before you leave home so you have space for videos and pictures. They have on-site picture taking,which is pretty affordable, but you are allowed to take your own pictures in the event you opt not to buy the professional pictures. You can also order/re-order the professional pictures at any time and the shipping is very reasonable. I figure, it's a special day and a mini-splurge was totally worth the memory.
• Once you know you're going, be sure to buy your tickets right away, as the good time slots- you know the ones where you avoid running into nap time or afternoon tantrums- sell out lightning FAST.
• If your friends can't go at the time that works for you, buy your tickets anyway, and have them meet you somewhere in the museum either before or after your train ride and you can hang out the rest of the time to do the activities together, even if you can't ride the train together. The ride is only 20-30min and they are PROMPT, a well-oiled machine.

If you go, please comment back here at my blog or Follow me on Twitter and tweet about your experience in real-time. Have fun!