Our first stop was the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in Portland. My dad, Amber and Leo all came along for the ride. Henry is showing us his "secret" pirate signal here. I guess it works on trains too.
This train went to the end of the line and then just went in reverse back to the station. We all got out at the end to enjoy the beautiful view of the harbor and Gene snapped a picture of my sister and me with our three boys (all decked out in their lobster tees!) 
while my dad chatted with the conductor. 
After our stay in Castine, we stopped in Boothbay on our return to Portland. Two years ago, the Boothbay Railway Village was one of the highlights of the trip, so we thought we'd visit again this year. 
Henry was all set to ride the train!
Loving it. 
The engineer.
Happy Will telling me about crocodiles. 
The village has a model train room where volunteers have been working on a model train for five years. I loved the lighthouse but you can see the empty space in the background where there is lots and lots of work to be done. 
Henry wanted to fill up the gas tank on this beautiful classic car.
The museum even has a car museum (our second of the trip, after visiting the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Rockland). Henry especially liked climbing in this 1923 Ford Model T Depot Hack. 
I took this one for Gene. 
On the way out, we passed by some hungry goats. I had my quarter out and was all ready to buy some feed, but the feeder was empty. Sorry, goats! 
So even though pirates and rockets have surpassed trains for my little guys, we discovered that you're really never too old to enjoy a ride on an antique train in the heart of Maine.
Leo just grinned away. 
And then we saw three real bears! They were much more active than the bears at the Houston Zoo, so they boys loved them.
Once Leo saw his moose, he was ready to go home. We managed to keep him interested for a little while longer (there are so many animals at the park!), but pretty soon, we were down to just our family of four. 
And then we walked down to the fish hatchery. Can you see Will dragging a stick all along the road? Boys + sticks!
And then had to stop to smell, er, blow the dandelions. 
The boys gathered some rocks "for my collection." I told them I was not carrying a suitcase full of rocks back to Texas, so they gamely put those rocks in their pockets and ran up the road holding onto their pockets so those rocks wouldn't bruise their little legs!
The piggies were less nibbly. 
Down the road at a nearby sheep farm, we got to watch a farmer shear this lamb. She was not happy and baa-ed loudly the whole time. We did get to pet her at the end. You could feel the lanolin on your hands!
We also visited an alpaca farm before heading back to Portland. Aplacas don't have lanolin but their wool is still very soft.
And a few days later, when we stopped at L.L. Bean in Freeport, Will drew a bobcat 
and a moose on the big chalkboards at the store. 
Bobcats and moose and bears, oh my!
A highlight for the boys was this enormous pirate playground at the museum. We were the only ones out in the sweltering heat and even we didn't last too long. 
We ducked inside (an open building) to see lobster traps and lobster boats. 
Inside, with real air conditioning, Henry was obsessed with this mock tugboat. Do you think he thought he was at the helm of a real boat? 
And a few days later, Henry's dream of navigating came true when Pop took us out on a Maine Maritime Academy launch in Castine Harbor. Thanks, Pop, for an awesome boat tour!
and let the boys take the helm. 
Would you trust these boys to steer you right? They can't even see over the wheel!
I was hesitant to go on the boat because I can get so seasick, but I was fine the whole time.
More views from the boat: 
Will was a tired boy! 
We soared right by the State of Maine, the Academy's training ship. 
And the next day, we went on board for a tour! The boys' favorite parts were seeing the mess hall and the deck with these enormous ropes. 
Back in Portland, we got stuck going over the Casco Bay Bridge because this huge tanker had to pass through. 
