Our night at the Train Station Inn

Hannah loves trains, so we thought it would be fun to take her to the Train Station Inn in Tatamagouche. The train station was built in 1887 and opened as an inn in 1989. Several cabooses were added over the years, all of them converted into accommodations that sit on a track next to the station.

We stopped for lunch at the Shillelagh House Restaurant in Truro on our way. The restaurant isn't much to look at, but the fish and chips are delicious. 

The inn has a dining car with a great reputation, but it didn't seem like the kind of place you bring a two year-old, so we opted for a family restaurant nearby. The food there was so-so, but Hannah could whine and accidentally drop rice everywhere, and still everyone was as nice as could be.

We spent the night in Boxcar "Jimmie", one of the first all steel boxcars built by the Canadian National Railway in 1937. Our room had a really cool mini-loft with a mattress - too high for Hannah, who slept in her pack and play, but perfect for an older kid.

I was worried about what Tropical Storm Arthur might mean for the weather, but it was sunny and so, so hot when we arrived. There's a really nice rail trail behind the inn, and Hannah and I may have walked around in the Waugh River for a bit to cool off.

Ice cream was also a must, although Hannah quickly abandoned her cup in favour of my cone.

We also picked up a couple growlers at the Tatamagouche Brewing Company so we could hang out drinking beer after Hannah went to sleep. There was a little sitting area right outside our door that we enjoyed until the mosquitoes got too bad.

We brought a bottle of pale ale back for my mom as a "thank you" for looking after our dog. They also brew a red - Butcher Block Red - and both are delicious.

It was really nice to get away for a night, and travelling locally is great when you have young kids (young kids being kind of a hassle to travel with). Can't wait to do it again when we head to Cape Breton later this month!