All aboard the choo-choo train

For the last few weeks I have been trying to get our little family up to North Carolina to enjoy the fall weather and foliage. The first two attempts had to be aborted due to rain on the last two Thursdays. Finally, yesterday we were able to make our trip. We got ready to go first thing yesterday morning and took a 2.5 hour drive to Bryson City, NC to ride the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. It was a little chilly in the morning, but with a light jacket and a big bright sky, it was just right.
As we were walking through town to the train depot, I couldn't help stopping to take a couple of cute little pictures. They didn't come out perfectly, but the kids are still cute.

The boys really enjoyed riding on the train and did amazingly well on the 1 1/4 hour ride each way. Nathanael actually sat still, which I could hardly believe. Ok, so maybe he fell off the bench a time or two and whacked his head on the floor, but it didn't leave any marks, so all is well. The train was mostly empty, which was nice, and, even though most of the leaves had already fallen, the scenery was still beautiful.

We had a lay-over in a sleepy little mountain town called Dillsboro. It was absolutely adorable. There were only a handful of eateries, so we chose Kostas Family Restaurant. It was delicious and we were all satisfied. As we were walking out of the restaurant, Nathanael hopped up on a straw bale and asked me to snap his picture. He's such a poser.
After lunch, we walked around the town a bit, stopping at a general store for a sample of fudge, and a chocolate store. Then it was time to board the train once more.

It was a wonderfully slow day spent with my three boys. I wish there could be more days such as that.