Big Locomotive Right on Time: Garden Railway at the U.S. Botanic Garden

If you live near D.C. and you haven't heard about the Botanic Garden's Garden Railway, you must be living under a rock.  Sometimes harder to get into than the currently hot Pearl Dive Oyster Palace (mom maintains she will get in one day), it's best to try and go during a week day right at 10 a.m.  Mom took our preschool on a field trip and we were super psyched to spot all our faves (Thomas, Percy, AND James) mixed in with whimsical fairy gardens and running in and out of mountains.  I would also suggest that you watch your step if you happen to take a tour through the desert room on the way to the restrooms -- you will in fact get cactus needles in your hiney if you fall on one (the movies don't lie).  I know.  Mom spent several minutes picking needles out of my tush.  Ouch.

the offending cactus