Although it may be rooted in some early marketing activities, the model train around the Christmas tree is a treasured tradition in many families. In Steve’s family however the American Flyer layout was permanently installed on the underside of the ping pong table in the basement. Our kids remember our Lionel layout on two sheets of plywood during their growing up years. Then there was the great HO layout that Steve and a friend built upstairs in our Woodlawn house after our sons left for college. These days there’s not room here at the house for a permanent setup so bringing out the American Flyer is a treat and a fresh locally grown Fraser fir trimmed with our potpourri of Christmas ornaments is a perfect excuse to set up our circa 1948 set!
Over a long weekend we sampled some of the myriad things to do in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, unique among national parks for it’s environmental reclamation, historic preservation, and recreational opportunities adjacent to the populous cities of Cleveland and Akron in northeastern Ohio. Can’t wait to return and explore more.
Our journey from Portsmouth, England to our home in Ohio might have been accomplished in about sixteen hours but my avoiding air travel we were able to enjoy a fifteen day journey home via train, ship, Uber, train, as well as our own feet and finally our personal vehicle.
It’s been a fascinating two day visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. We managed to pack in tours of the HMS Warrior, the HMS Victory as well ast Victory Live: The
Big Repair, and finally the Mary Rose. All were incredibly informative and well presented.
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