We have quite a few traditions in our family, my favorite being our “Daddy and Son” trip to LM&M Railroad. Every year my son looks forward to going on the Easter Bunny Express in Lebanon. It started off as a fun thing for just him and me to do together, but it has morphed into a yearly event. He gets very excited when Easter comes around so we can go on the train.
When we get there he always has to play with the Thomas train set in the office while I get the tickets. He hasn’t played with trains in a couple of years, but once he sees that train set I can’t tear him away from it. When I finally peel him away he likes to look at the big train and see all of the staff who are dressed up in their official train uniforms. He always looks for the back of the train so he can point and yell “I see the caboosie!” … which he learned from Goofy on Mickey Mouse Club House.
Once we get on the train the first question is always “Is the snack bar open yet?” My son loves to eat snacks and he looks forward to eating popcorn, chips and drinking water while we ride the train. He also likes to hand the ticket to the conductor to get it punched just like in Polar Express. As the train travels from Lebanon south towards Mason we point out the things we see and the animals that we pass by. As we cross streams he always tells me that crocodiles live down there and we have to be careful. The train stops at a junction near a golf course and we get out for an Easter egg hunt, to see the Easter Bunny, and to get a special present. The Easter egg hunt is in a wide enough area that kids aren’t bumping into each other and there are enough eggs for everyone to get their fair share. As we ride back to the Lebanon station my son likes to open all the eggs to see the “surprises” that he got. The eggs have candy, toys and stickers that he likes to sort and figure out which ones he will give to his little sister. Once we get back to the station he is already asking me when we’re going to again. The total ride takes about two hours but the time flies by.
There is one more weekend left to plan a trip on the Easter Bunny Express! Check the website for available tickets on March 25 – 26. Departure times are 10 am, 12:15 pm, 2:30 pm and 4:45 pm.
http://www.lebanonrr.com/easter.html