All Aboard!

Monday was Civic Holiday here and Otto had the day off. So, we went for a ride on a steam engine train on the Alberta Prairie Railway! We left from the Stettler train station, and had about a 1.5 hour ride to Big Valley. We were enjoying our ride on the beautifully refurbished coach built in the 1920s,



when all of a sudden we came under attack by a band of train robbers!

Sam and Andy watching the dramatics unfold.

They boarded the train and demanded money from us!































Luckily this gentleman saved the day,



and shot 'em all dead!

These Canadians are a bunch of characters!


When we arrived in Big Valley, we were served a roast beef buffet lunch, and had a couple hours to walk around town. They also did a steam engine ride-by for us at full throttle.


Once back on the train, Papi treated Andy and Sam to their first too-large-for-their-own-good multi-colored lollipops.

But it didn't take long for that gentle back and forth sway of the train to rock Sam right to sleep...


and Otto, too!


This lovely lady came and sang some WWI/WWII era songs for us. Much to the amusement of everyone, she started her set by leaning over Otto and waking him up with song. (I so wish I had a picture of that!)
All in all, a good day! Oh, and the "bandits" raised about $250 for the children's hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton. :o)