++Wanderlust++

Mark has wanderlust. He would take a road trip every weekend if we could. It wasn't quite so bad when we lived in Minnesota, perhaps that says something about life in Memphis. Last weekend we headed to Nashville. Neither one of us knew how far away it was but Mark said "about two hours" so I took his word. For the record...it's closer to three...and a half. Wyatt was a champ at everything but sleeping in the hotel (glad we made sure to get a suite when he didn't end up going to bed until we did anyway).

We started at the Adventure Science Center. It's mainly geared for big kids but it did slow my little one down, and his father fit right in!

Let's hope this is the most time he spends in the back of an ambulance...ever!

He climbed all the way up this thing by himself. His dad met him at the top and gave him a lesson on the finer points of spinal devices.

I waited at the bottom for them to come down this slide...it was like a swirly straw that was three stories high. Everyone, of all ages, came out giggling.

Next, we went to visit Opryland and the big mall that they have there. For some reason, Wyatt is always asking to go to the mall. The funny part is that we hardly go to malls because we don't have any close to our house here (I know, the horror) and he doesn't last very long for shopping so I tend to go without him. We went to the closest thing to the MOA that I have seen in a while. We ate at this tourist trap restaurant called The Aquarium. It was worth every over-priced penny. Wyatt loved the fish...and ate all his "rararoni and cheese" (which he ordered himself from the waiter).

They also have a Merry-go-round which is Wyatt's latest thing...after refusing to ride one for over a year. Too bad that neither one of his parents is all that keen about riding as the "holder".

The next day it was time for the main event that brought us to Nashville to begin with...A Day Out With Thomas. This was like Sturgis for the under-five crowd.

There was train-table play (when it's this serious, the hat goes backwards).

The real-live Thomas engine that pulled our train.

Finally, the super-exciting 5mph ride on a train. Wyatt made the Conductor lady say "All Aboard" to him and spend the rest of the trip wondering "where did "ductor" go?"

It was a really fun weekend. Our general analysis of the city: if you are considering a move to Tennessee...choose Nashville. There didn't seem to be quite as much barbed wire as there is in Memphis.