US Botanic Garden Christmas Trains and Roadside Attractions

Yesterday on our morning walk we watched the Capitol Christmas Tree arrive from Montana. Because it was just 10 AM, we thought we would check out the Christmas trains at the US Botanic Garden before the lines started. All weekend the crowd wrapped at least several blocks long waiting to see the usually fun exhibit. This year's theme is roadside attractions. I think we were the first few to arrive and it was strange not to be behind a huge number of people. So we had a lot of time to meander about and take in the sights. We have seen all the states except Alaska and Hawaii, and I could not account for many of the featured places! I do remember the Rock City Barn in Tennessee and signs for the Corn Palace in South Dakota. We were on Route 66 last year, and we may have seen Paul Bunyan and Babe many years ago. My husband and I love road trips and all these images are nostalgic - whether we've seen them or not. I think we need to visit again and really scrutinize all the offerings. Of course the trains are always the showstoppers, and the tiny hidden places for the little people are so cute. We also need to explore the rest of the garden as a lot of the Christmas decorations weren't even up yet. This has to be one of our favorite places in our neighborhood. We are never disappointed when we visit.