Fun, Short Amtrak trip?

[Anonymous]

If the train goes to Raleigh, that might be a fun trip. It’s not as walkable as Philly though and might be four hours.

Charlottesville is great for small kids. They have an outdoor pedestrian mall with a:

Children’s museum
Merry go round (small size for kids!)
Wall you can write or draw in with chalk
Gelato
A toy store
Coffee / tea for parents

There’s a hotel at one end of this pedestrian mall too.

It’s NOT like an indoor shopping mall.

Miche Tavern (so??) is on the way to Jefferson’s house and has fantastic fried chicken in a real tavern from the 1700s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Philadelphia is under 3 hours from DC and 30th St Station is walkable to a lot. You’d need to catch a ride to the Please Touch Museum but the kids sound love it.

the please touch museum is super fun for that age range, but it's an absolute petri dish. germ central. Not saying don't go, just saying...prepare yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually for everyone to get super sick after visiting.

My toddler liked the Academy of Natural Sciences (easy walk from 30th street if you have a stroller). It's a very sedate (think dioramas of animals, some dinosaurs, with a little hands-on nature center on the top floor). It's not impressive at all compared to the smithsonians, but it really mesmerized my kid.

come to think of it, 30th street station in general might be really fun, they can go up to the septa regional rail platform and see lots of trains, and they can ride back and forth from 30th street to suburban to jefferson stations downtown...)

Wow, tell us your a SAHM/nanny germaphobe family without telling us. We’ve visited the please touch multiple times with my (hearty daycare attending) kids and no one has gotten sick.

Oh please. There is no correlation between the germaphobes and whether or not they send their kids to daycare. I know germaphobes who use daycare, but take their kids no where else indoors during the winter months, and some SAHMs who are equally insane about their kids getting sick. Both are illogical.

[Anonymous]

No, but, like others, I HIGHLY recommend the B & O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. If you want to do a weekend, I think the Baltimore Hotel Monaco used to belong to the B & O Railroad. Plus you’ve got the Science Center and the Aquarium.

Check to see if the B & O Museum has any trips scheduled — like a short run on an antique train, or a train ride with Santa , if something like this is of interest to you.

Also, research Baltimore Train Gardens — which are elaborate model train displays often sponsored by fire stations during the Christmas holiday season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Philadelphia is under 3 hours from DC and 30th St Station is walkable to a lot. You’d need to catch a ride to the Please Touch Museum but the kids sound love it.

the please touch museum is super fun for that age range, but it's an absolute petri dish. germ central. Not saying don't go, just saying...prepare yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually for everyone to get super sick after visiting.

My toddler liked the Academy of Natural Sciences (easy walk from 30th street if you have a stroller). It's a very sedate (think dioramas of animals, some dinosaurs, with a little hands-on nature center on the top floor). It's not impressive at all compared to the smithsonians, but it really mesmerized my kid.

come to think of it, 30th street station in general might be really fun, they can go up to the septa regional rail platform and see lots of trains, and they can ride back and forth from 30th street to suburban to jefferson stations downtown...)

Wow, tell us your a SAHM/nanny germaphobe family without telling us. We’ve visited the please touch multiple times with my (hearty daycare attending) kids and no one has gotten sick.

What a weird thing to say. I sent my kids to daycare, and they do get sick almost any time we go to a children’s museum. But then they also get sick almost any time we ride a train or do anything else, so…

[Anonymous]

Go to Strasburg and ride a steam engine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to Baltimore and visit the Train Museum. You could also do Richmond and the Science or Children's museum

This is the move. I did this with my toddler son many times, the Train museum in Baltimore is a dream.

[Anonymous]

I hate to be Nostalgia Mom, but this post made me long for the days when my now college-aged son's mind would be blown by a train trip. OP, I love that you want to maximize your sons' pleasure by planning this adventure. Enjoy these days.

[Anonymous]

If you’re looking for fun railroads there is the North Pole express in WVA and Jim Thorpe.