Vacation at Massanutten–Days 2 and 3

So the kids and I were vacationing by ourselves (Bethany would join us on Wednesday night) and the previous day hadn’t worked out too well for us.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we hung out at the house.  We watched some movies, ate and napped back on schedule (which was the best investment we could make for later in the week) and had a good time.  By having such a low-key schedule, the kids were able to get adjusted and rest up better.

On Wednesday, we drove an hour from McGaheysville, VA to Culpepper, VA to pick Bethany up at the train station there.  We left with plenty of time to get there so the kids could see the train arrive.  It turns out her train was also delayed for a bit in DC and so we were way ahead of schedule.

We stopped at a grocery store (instead of doing those errands after picking Beth up) to get muffins, bread, and a couple other little things.  We still got to Culpepper about 45 minutes ahead of her train.  The kids were being great and I was looking for a snack so we got a Frostee at Wendy’s to share and help pass the time.

About 15 minutes before her train was due, we got bundled up and went to wait by the track.  Now don’t think this was a “train station” like Chicago’s Union Station or Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.  This was a piece of track and a sidewalk.  There was an old station building from “days gone by” that is now used as offices for the town Chamber of Commerce and some other local businesses.

I don’t know how cold it was that night but if I did know, you would say “Wow, you must have been cold!”  I had dressed the kids in their thermal underwear, several layers, and each had a hat.  Despite that, Lilly ended up wrapped in one of my sweatshirts too.  While we were sitting there (10 feet from the track) a long freight train went by and the kids were amazed.  After the freight train had disappeared into the distance, an Amtrak employee showed up and told the kids that the train would be coming around the corner in just a few minutes.

Sure enough, we saw the grade crossing barriers go down (and could hear the dinging and see the lights) at the street crossing nearby.  A minute or two later, you could see the locomotive’s light and hear its horn.  As excited as the kids were for the train (remember they wanted to wait outside in the literally below-freezing cold to watch the train), they were more excited for Bethany to step out of the door.  As she came out, so did their squeals and cheers.  Each had bright glow sticks and were holding them up so Bethany would be able to find them (she was one of two passengers to get off at this stop which made it a bit funny).  Reunited with Mommy, we all headed back to the car to warm up and head back to the house.

The whole trip (the WHOLE trip) back, the kids told Beth every story from “uhcation” (Lilly’s pronunciation of “vacation”).  They told her about the caves, the Luray Caverns’ Pipe Organ (that strikes stalactites of varying sizes to play music), how they didn’t get to go to the old car museum or the garden maze (at Luray Caverns) because they were tired, how we have to be quiet when we come in the house because our neighbors might be sleeping, how we went to the grocery store, and many others.

We got home around 10 and the kids were happy to have Beth get them tucked into bed.