Caution: Not for the Faint of Heights.

Today was the day to go to the Incline Railway! Besides the fact that trains are Ali’s favorite thing in the world, this is the steepest railroad in the world. Needless to say, someone was VERY excited.

Others were a BIT more sleepy about the whole thing.

However, a good ole’ train whistle always helps.

The train took a WHILE to get started, so we had plenty of time for family photo ops:

Gramamma and Pop with all of their (outside the womb) grandkids:

Ali getting dreamy about the train:

Here we go!!!!

And so we started going up. . .

up . . .

up. . .

up. . .

AND up.

Luckily, Ali definitely seems to have acquired my love for heights:
And, if you’re curious, the train doesn’t “chug” up a 72% incline. It is all on a pulley system that creaks and squeaks QUITE a bit:

When we got to the top, I had to get one of my favorite childhood candies from the gift shop:

However, it wasn’t nearly as good as it was when I was a kid, so I gave it to a kid so that it could be fully appreciated:

We went to Point Park while we were at the top:

Which truly IS a point. With amazingly no guardrails or walls.

After naptime, it was time to enjoy the lake. Ali had been BEGGING to get in the water, so she was quite excited to run down to the lake:

Not QUITE as excited to get eaten by a green floatie monster, but hey – it’s worth it to get in the lake.

Chris, being the wonderful Daddy he is, and normally liking a good cold swim, wasn’t QUITE prepared for HOW cold this swim was going to be. He squealed higher and louder than I’ve ever heard him do when he got in. It was, after all, after 5pm, and a cloudy day. By the time he got around to the dock, his face was literally purple:

Ali got in with him for all of 2.36 seconds. Long enough for me to snap one picture of how extremely cold she found it:

She was completely silent and still for longer than I’ve ever seen after she got out.

Lesson learned: cold water silences toddlers.

Layla and Shadow were still enjoying fetching things out of the lake. Layla, however, preferred to wait ’til Shadow got back to shore and then would try to steal it and take the glory of returning it.

Ali was much happier just sitting with her feet hanging off the edge, but safely OUT of the water.

Before filling up their kiddie pool, JC decided to use it as a float. Ali found it. . . interesting. . .

But Eli loved it.

Ali sat like a grumpy old man with Pop on the bench. . .

And didn’t appreciate Eli’s intrusion.

Eli, however, was quite thrilled with the pool.

Ali was happy to stay as far away from potentially cold water as possible.

However, the allure of pouring with cups finally got the best of her. We were trying to get her to pour water on Eli, and she considered it. . .
. . .but couldn’t bring herself to do it. I guess she didn’t get my prankster genes after all.

She was QUITE happy, however, when we suggested getting in the “warm pool”:

For dinner, JC and Lindsay made a low country boil on the porch:

After JC and Chris drained it. . .

And poured it on the traditional newspaper on the table,
We all enjoyed it IMMENSELY.

Ali and Eli enjoyed a little more porch time playing train,

When Ali finally begged “I want to go to bed now.”

That’s the sign of a good, full day of vacation.