Lines

Like all two year olds, Miss Pie is more than just a little in love with trains right now.

Most mornings begin with her watching an episode of Thomas and Friends. That in itself always seems like a bizarro start to the day because when the Faery was that age and equally enamoured, she also had to watch Thomas... but in Australia, the original (British) version is aired - narrated in beautiful Liverpudlian tones.

I have sweet memories of my youngest brother watching the show, riveted, way back in the 80s - when the stories were narrated by none other then Ringo Starr himself. I think it's why I've always had a soft spot for anyone with a Scouse accent. Here, the show has been dubbed into American accents, and the Fat Controller has been renamed Sir Topham (PC madness, if you ask me). It's... different.

Anyhow, I digress. Yesterday we took the girls to Travel Town - a place we discovered a few months back when we attended a birthday party there. Perched on the edge of Griffith Park, surrounded by hiking and horse trails (oh, and a freeway), it's an outdoor museum, showcasing old steam locomotives. Many of these can be climbed on to investigate. There's a miniature steam train ride, and a plethora of picnic tables with BBQ grills.

For a cheap outing with train-obsessed little ones, you can't go wrong - there's nothing like hearing a little voice repeatedly exclaiming "Wow!". We'll be back.