Surprise, Surprise!

Well, after a rough start of my long Labor Day weekend where we had plans of heading to the Thousand Island, I felt like we had to exercise a branch plan that would give the family more time together. See, we were going to go to the Thousand Islands, and my misfortune mistake of running out of gas cost me about 6 hours on the next morning due to fatigue and timing to pickup the Airconditioner. I had planned to stop and get the AC, do the VAP and then get at least an hour on the road towards home before crashing... giving just 2 hours to do on Friday morning getting home around 8 or 9am... that was wishful thinking - I did not leave David's until 9am... so I wouldn't even get home until 2pm on Friday....so, talking with Zoe' we were planning on making the most of it and she would take our youngest to the doctor and I would go directly to the Thousand Islands... I called Frank and learned that he was heading for Knoebels Amusement Park in central Pennsylvania... at that time, I was in the Poconos and was stopping at the Tobyhanna commissary for food for the weekend. I talked to Zoe' and instead of doing the Thousand Islands, we decided to head for Knoebel's. We don't get alot of time together, and this would give us at least 6 hours more together for the weekend - so we went for it... and also - this would surprise Frank and his family a ton! The boys adore Ava and Beth and Zoe' get along great - so I knew it would be a making of a great weekend - and we've always wanted to do Knoebels. It was great. First thing when Zoe' and the boys arrived - was mini golf (my boys favorite) It was good to see my family and the boys were excited about Knoebels..but none of them knew the Yensan's were coming. I knew Frank wasn't coming until Saturday afternoon. So, on Saturday morning, we got up, made pancakes and sausage and some good coffee, and then we headed for Elysburg for a parade and Old Home Days... the flags were in the center square of the park. Then we headed for Ashland to the Pioneer Tunnel, an old Anthracite coal mine that gives tours...400 feet below the surface and 50 degrees (Brrrr in shorts)... and they have an old 1920s Steam locomotive there too. We did it all. On the way to Elysburg, we passed the Yensan's heading for the campground and Zoe' and the boys said I wonder where they were headed (they didn't recognize it was the Yensan's - my surprise was still in the bag until we got back to the CG)... around the time I knew the Yensan's were at the CG, I was smirking again. I knew Frank would be blown away! Zoe' asked, "Why are you smirking" and I had to make up something silly to tell her... it's hard for me to keep surprises. So, the coal mine was awesome and we traveled back to the CG via Centralia, Pa - the town no more due to the coal-fire underground forcing the residents to relocate. Fascanating. So, we then arrived back to the CG and there were the Yensan's surprised as all get out. Frank captures Zoe's surprise as well - Annalumanun link to the right... More pictures later today! The weekend was a picture perfect weekend that was a welcome from the rough start we had... Like Frank, I'll recap Knoebels later tonight...