All Aboard

 Saturday was a hot summer day especially for us in the Coulee. (pronounced Cool- i.e.) Ironically not so 'cool' temps  (low 90's) in spite of the previous night's thunderstorm which really did remove some of the humidity. 

But the heat didn't stop folks from checking out the Dragon Boat races and nearby Rail Fair in Copeland Park in La Crosse. 

Parking was at a premium with the two events coexisting (the police were busy writing out tickets for folks who chose to ignore the no parking signs) SO little ones did have to walk a ways. But the end result was worth it as families could enjoy visiting with train aficionados and retired rail road engineers along side the Mississippi. 

Adults had a $5 entrance fee but kids 12 and under were free. This admission charge helps towards maintenance and restoration of the La Crosse Short Line. 

The Rail Fair is said to be one of the Tri State's largest one day Railroad Hobby Sale, Model Railroad Flea Market & Swap Meet with vendors from 6 states and where attendees could learn about the area's rail heritage. There was even a set up for folks to experience sending telegraph messages to and from the Grand Crossing Depot. Very cool.

Grand Crossing Depot

I wasn't super keen about spending time shopping for any rail road paraphernalia so I just took a couple of photos in the pavilion area. Here, vendors gladly visited with interested parties. There was a lot to look at on some 250 + tables of train

merchandise. All scales of miniature trains could literally be seen moving in the pavilion.

Kids's eyes lit up seeing the trains and hearing the train whistles. Grown up kids were having a pretty great time themselves.


In High School I worked in a hobby store and we had a nice train section. I learned a bit about different gauges and die hard train guys who would come in weekly to talk about and add to their collections and models. 

Some interests become life long hobbies and the pavilion certainly was filled with a lot of train enthusiasts on Saturday. It's always fun to be around folks who are passionate about their hobbies and these train guys are a very special breed. It's difficult for their enthusiasm to not be contagious. All aboard.