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When my kids and I were discussing potential activities for a trip to Boone and Blowing Rock, half serious, half teasing, I threw out the idea that we revisit Tweetsie Railroad.

They surprised me by wanting to add it to our list.

The kids reasoned that they wanted to go this time as older teens since neither remembered much more than what we had told them as we shared photos from visits in 1993 and 1999.

I thought it would be fun to visit again as an adult, unhindered by having to keep track of young children. I knew it also would be fun to do some comparing/contrasting to the times when I went as a child with my own family in the 1960s and 1970s.

On the appointed day, we entered the gates at 11 a.m. We walked straight to the train that was loading for one of its hourly trips around the park. We took a seat in the last car at the back. As the train whistled and the conductor yelled “All Aboard,” we were taken back to the 1800s and the Wild Wild West.

The train, powered by coal and steam, slowly gained speed as we rounded the first bend into the woods surrounding the park. We were given a brief history of the train engine and alerted to keep our eyes open because you never know what might happen.

The train slowed to a stop at the Frontier Outpost. The cowboys and sheriff jumped off the train and began to act out their skit, interacting with an Indian who had ridden up on horseback.

In this day and age, I kept thinking how unique and refreshing it was that this part of Tweetsie remained untouched by “political correctness” as everyone acted their parts according to the Wild West folklore.

We traveled on, later stopping at “Fort Boone,” where a fight broke out between the cowboys and the Indians.

When I was growing up, the cowboys and Indians would first run through the train before settling their differences with a fight outside the train. It was kind of scary as a kid, but watching from the perspective of an adult — an adult not consumed by what my kids might be going through — I enjoyed the jokes and the skits completely. I was also glad no one runs through the train anymore.

After the train ride, I took a few photos of the kids on the horses that line the main street of Tweetsie Railroad. I wondered if these were the same horses that I sat on as a kid, or if they had been replaced from time to time.

We made our way up to the Tweetsie Palace Saloon to look at the map and get a soft drink. We were just in time for the Diamond Lil’s Can-Can Revue, a fun saloon show featuring period songs and dances. Topaz and Ruby danced and sang with Diamond Lil as they entertained the crowd of about 20 or so also taking a break from the sun and heat.

After our visit to the saloon, we momentarily jumped back into the 21st century to take a bus to the Miner’s Mountain. We spent a few moments walking around for a few minutes before the kids took off to ride a few rides, including the Mouse Mine Train Station.

I became the official photographer once more, capturing their expressions as they revisited rides they had been on many years before.

Arriving back to the bottom of the hill again, by bus, we walked over to the Country Fair on another hill within Tweetsie Railroad.

The kids began to enjoy ride after ride. They enjoyed driving the Turnpike Cruiser cars from the perspective as real drivers now and enjoyed spinning in circles on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

At another part of the Country Fair, with rides for older kids, they proceeded to rotate among the Tornado, The Free Fall and the Round-Up.

We started feeling rain drops, which offered a cool relief from the midday sun. Deciding this would be a good time to eat lunch, we found reasonably priced food at the Feed and Seed on-site restaurant. A cool, refreshing breeze kicked up while we sat under the picnic shelter waiting out the rain.

Rested and ready to begin again, the kids decided to ride the chair lift up to the top and back down again before going back to ride more rides.

As we made our way back down to Main Street again, we were just in time to ride the train one more time. We jumped onto the first car this time and enjoyed the trip around the park again.

We were happily surprised to discover that the cowboys and Indians performed a different skit on this trip, fresh with new jokes and storyline.

Six hours after entering the park, we reluctantly decided we had seen all we wanted to see. We left the park, tired, but glad we had taken the opportunity to go to Tweetsie Railroad. It was a day to be remembered for the three of us long into the future because big kids can enjoy Tweetsie Railroad, too.

Linda Vestal is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend living in Gibsonville. Contact her with comments or story ideas at lindavestal@triad.rr.com.