Fruit Blossom Train Excursion

For the last couple weeks, Grant could not stop talking about the ride we were going to take on the Fruit Blossom Train out of Hood River. Saturday was the day of the big ride and Grant said that it was a "Very Special Day and the air was fresh." We met my parents in Troutdale and headed to meet the 3:30 train out of Hood River to Parkdale, OR where there was to be an art and jazz festival.

Once on board the train, we were in for an hour and a half ride there and the same on the return trip. Grant did not tire of the ride for a minute. The train whistle was a little loud for him so he spent a lot of the time with his hands over his ears!

But for the most part he just rested his head on the window sill of the train and watched everything go by.......We were surprised to find that the art & jazz festival was two guys with guitars and 4 small booths selling tie-die shirts and dream catchers. Not really the "festival" I had envisioned, but after seeing the size of Parkdale, it was in scale. At the stop over in Parkdale, Grant needed to check out the engine to make sure everything was ok and was invited by the engineer into the main engine. A little boys dream!!!

On the ride home, Grant spent lots of time in the open air caboose...we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for a train ride.