As I’ve mentioned in 2008, 2009, and 2011, our family makes a trip to Pennsylvania every year for Dave’s family reunion in Lancaster County. I didn’t go in 2010 — Dave flew to PA with the boys while I did some reserve work — so I didn’t write about it. To be honest, I haven’t written much detail about the reunions themselves. I guess I just say “We’re going” and that’s about it. It’s mainly hanging out drinking some Yuengling, eating Hammond’s Pretzels, catching up with the others from Dave’s Dad’s side of the family. The folks are all wonderful and it’s especially fun to see how grown up the younger family members become year after year. This year, some of the youngest family members when I first went to a Vollmer reunion in 1994 are about to become seniors in college!!!! Wow!
We also pay a visit with several loved ones from Dave’s Mom’s side of the family. Some of them drive in from Philadelphia to Lancaster County to visit with Dave’s parents and our foursome and we’re always flattered and humbled by their efforts. Each year Jacob seems to top himself with how much he can eat: this year it was a foot-long chicken parmesan sub sandwich!
Enjoy some pictures from the first couple days of our adventures. We try to spend a day at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the Strasburg Railroad, and this year we even adjusted our travel time so we could keep a day ahead of the Strasburg Railroad’s “Day Out With Thomas” event that is always over Father’s Day weekend. It’s usually a nightmare of toddlers and preschoolers, with families coming from as far away as Connecticut and Massachusetts for the chance to ride behind a REAL engine made up to look like Thomas (and not non-operational Thomas that’s actually pushed by another locomotive, which is what we experienced in Nebraska in 2009 — don’t get me wrong, the Fremont, Nebraska experience is the best-ever Thomas ride we’d ever had out of 5 venues and about a dozen rides!)
The kids have officially outgrown Thomas <sniff sniff> and didn’t mind not riding with him this year. Some of my favorite memories of my little boys will always be with that useful engine….
We took a detour on the drive northward and took in some of Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Check out that stunning view! We only drove the southernmost 40 miles, from mileposts 105 to 65 or so.
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