January 13, 2014

10 Pictures taken at Poppo Town

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Thoughts, Travel Monday Listicles, trains

The kids and me

In December last year we visited a Train Museum while on vacations in Japan. Poppo Town is located at Annaka City near the Nagano border. As we stayed in Karuizawa it only took about an hour’s drive to the museum. The place was old as compared to the other museum that we have been however the kids did had fun trying out the different rides and viewing the different steam engines.

Doggie boy in a Shinkansen

The kids playground area with the mini train rides were the main attraction in the museum for the kids. As we were there near to closing time the place was nearly deserted and there wasn’t any one manning the rides. The kids decided to take pictures of the trains instead.

Tiny Steam engine

This must be the tiniest steam engine which we saw that day. It ran on charcoal and you could even sit on it and go for a short ride around the track. We gave it a pass at 200 yen a person it would come up to quite a hefty sum if the kids and I rode on it.

A similar black steam engine

This black steam engine was one of those on display . It wasn’t open for viewing so we could only walk around and admire it from the sides.

A people mover train

There was a mini train which would take visitors around the area. However as the area wasn’t that big we decided to take a walk instead.

An orange steam engine

This steam engine which we spotted reminded me of the Thomas and Train engines which the boys loved playing with when they were much younger.

A light green steam engine

This steam engine had coaches and must have been used to transport passengers across towns back then when it was functioning.

Other passenger trains

We saw quite a few different colored passenger trains in the train yard. Some of them looked as it they were about 40-50 years old.

Monkey boy trying to work the levers

We managed to enter one of the cabins of the train and boys had fun pretending to be train drivers. There were many different switches and levers on the control panel of a train.

The boys having fun

The boys had fun on this ride. they had to pull the levers down to get the platform to move in the direction of their choice. It was certainly an unusual mode of transportation.

Have you been to a train museum lately?

December 16, 2013

10 signs to tell that you are in Disneyland

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Thoughts, Travel Japan, Monday Listicles, Travel

The Mickey shuttle bus

During our trip to Tokyo Disneyland we stayed at one of their Disney Official hotels in the resort. We opted to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay as they had family rooms and enough beds for all the kids.

You know that you are in Disneyland when you see Mickey and Minnie on almost everything around you.

1. The shuttle bus from the hotel to the the train station has Mickey on the front and even on the side door.

The handles inside the train

2. The handles for you to hold on too while the train is moving is Mickey shaped.

The windows of the train

3. The windows of the train are shaped like mickey instead of the traditional circle or rectangle.

Mickey shaped Christmas decorations

4.The decorations at the train station were also Mickey shaped. The one that we were standing in front off should be one that was representing Minnie mouse as it had a bow in it.

Mickey shaped streamers

5. The streamers that were decorating the halls at Disneyland also had a Mickey embellishment in the middle.

Doggie boy with his ice lolly

6. Ice lollies that were sold in the park also had Mickey imprinted on it. They were very huge and the boys had trouble finishing them. We had to share the lollies that they bought to eat even though it was seriously cold at around 5 degrees that day.