Cheekwood Trains

I'm not certain how many times I've read puff puff, choo choo, but my bet would be it runs in the high hundreds. Jack is quite fascinated by trains. I think his delight in locomotives began when John took him to the train store where he was able to watch the model trains whiz through tunnels and over bridges. Now he knows where all the train tracks are between our house and Nashville, Franklin, and Murfreesboro. It's definitely his hope that he'll see a train each time he gets in the car. 

Knowing Jack's love of locomotives I wanted to get him to Cheekwood, a botanical garden in Nashville, to see the current train exhibit. Since John had the day off yesterday, we jumped at the chance to go. Boy am I glad we did. Our entire family enjoyed the day. 

With the exception of the actual trains and tracks, the entire garden is wood, water, and plants. The bridges and trestles, made of tree limbs, are especially neat. Overall, it is absolutely stunning. Jack easily spent two hours watching the seven trains and following them through the garden. I tried to pull him away to cool off at the train story hour. He politely listened for a few minutes before graciously dismissing himself and running at full speed back to the trains. 

I enjoyed the Tennessee landmark replicas, like this one of Union Station, that are included in the exhibit. It's difficult to tell, but these are actually made from organic materials! I only included one on the blog, but there are many more on the slide show if you'd like to see. The time and talent that went into each of these landmarks is apparent. 

Our next stop is a ride one a real train, a day trip we have planned for the fall. Our little train enthusiast is sure to be excited!