Lunch: our dear friends actually treated us to lunch at Chilli's although we said it'd be our treat! Anyway it was a great and delicious meal. I also got to know much more about Russia, after having a nice chat with them.
We set off for this city called Golden after an ice cream, also a treat from our kind hosts. Golden is where the "A Day with Thomas" Carnival is held. It's held for the whole day actually.
Besides that, there were life-size Lego Thomas tank engines too, for the kids to clamber on (above left shows ds1 on it). Very popular was the petting zoo, where a enclosure held many different farm animals for the kids to play and pet and watch them feeding (see below).
For us, the adults, it was good the place was normally a railroad museum, so we learnt a lot looking at all the old trains and engines, and it was interesting to see all the things associated with trains, and station masters, like the watch on a chain that the station master always checks. Below shows the Rio Grande on the left and us on board a very old train of the past on the right.
There were also films on the entire history of USA's railroad, and ds2 actually sat there watching for a long time (below right), cos of all the steam engines shown. He loves engines that emit steam...
Above left: ds1 "operating" the machinery at the rail, with 3 girls looking on adoringly, haha.
Above: ds2 chose a Thomas tattoo that a lady staff put on for him, free. And guess what, everyday, during bath or shower time, he'd cover that tattoo with his hand and refuse to let me scrub or wash that part. So the tattoo actually lingered for about 3 weeks. Finally I persuaded him to have it taken off, cos I was just thinking if there were any ill effects of having the tattoo on for so long!
Then came the highlight of the visit, the actual Thomas the Tank Engine ride! We saved that for the last, so we queued dutifully and hopped on board Annie or Clarabel, can't remember. The 2nd carriage. Someone took a family pic for us (below left).
And then we set off! The ride was surprisingly long, it went around the whole museum 3 times and took about 30min. Scenery included the mountains and peaks of Colorado, which was beautiful. Best of all, the boys loved looking at the steam that was constantly emitted from Thomas (below right). Dh says it's not a real steam engine we were sitting on, and that the steam was emitted on purpose, not because it was steam or coal driven. Anyway, as long as the kids are happy.
I think it was the 2nd round when the chug chugging motion made ds2 fall asleep. So funny, he missed the rest of the ride, slumping against ds1 (below).
We also saw the turn-table where the tank engines go on, to change directions, or U-turn. Very interesting for me, cos I'd never seen or pushed it in person. ds1 also tried pushing it around.
It was very educational and fun. We were glad we went to Colorado to catch this, cos it was not travelling to Utah at all. 
On the way back to Longmont, we stopped at Thornton to have a wonderful Chinese dinner, complete with seafood steamboat. Ahhhh... why don't I see this in Utah??
Actually dh took this very unflattering "aunty-looking" pic of me... but i decided to still post it cos the steamboat just makes my mouth water all over again.
