Our latest destination

To where does a Thomas the Tank Engine obsession lead?

To a Thomas the Tank Engine outing, of course.

It is a powerful magnet for parents - a ride onboard your child's current great indulgence. Throw in a few other sources of entertainment (stories, music) and you've got yourself a must-do experience.

There were five of us that made the trip, boy, parents, paternal grandparents - making a trek to a park 1 1/2 hours from our house, all for a 30-minute train ride.

Honestly, the ride was quite boring for us adults. I'll spare you those details.

But to my son, it was absolutely magical. At the front of the train was a massive blue Thomas, with the biggest smile he had ever seen. Behind stood his reliable coaches, Annie and Clarabel. We got onto the first coach, so to this day, he remembers it as the day he rode Annie. He sat by the window, eagerly trying to see everything he could see. We passed an orange grove and houses with happy waving people and car traffic and majestic oaks with the hanging Spanish moss. It was like a dream come true.

And I guess, like in those MasterCard commercials, it was priceless.