"Zug!"
Choosing a surprise gift is always risky. This is especially true if it's for a family. But when it came into view and I heard Timo say, "Zug!" - German for "train" - I was pretty sure we had a winner.
Our "adopted" German son Tim, wife Meike, and sons Mats, almost 6, and Timo, 4, arrived June 6 for a two-week visit. Husband Art and I wondered what we might do together, but when we asked Tim for guidance, he sighed and said, "Sit on your couch and talk." They had been traveling for some time and "down time" was what they wanted most.
Still, after a few days to recharge, they would enjoy doing something special. A ride on the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad sounded like fun. Choosing a night with the 1919 Atchison-Topeka-and-Sante-Fe steam locomotive would multiply the effect. A website check revealed a Saturday-night excursion that included Brookville Hotel's famous fried-chicken dinners. A train ride, a steam engine, and good food - what more could a person ask for?