The Locks

My brother and I have been trying to put together a "playdate" since he finished school this past quarter. We finally got it together this past Friday. We decided that the Locks was a sure thing since it was Friday, and there would be plenty of boats heading into the water. And what kid doesn't like boats?!?!

It was an overcast day, which was perfect for the Locks. The gardens were blooming and beautiful! We met Dan's girlfriend, Claire, and the boy that she is a nanny for. And even Claire's sister & son joined us as well. So there was a nice little group of us to enjoy the afternoon.

The kids just ADORE their "Uncle Dan". As soon as he gets in the car when we picked him up, it was a contest to see who could rattle off the day's happenings the quickest! And once out of the car upon arrival at the Locks, Chloe wanted to be sure Uncle Dan saw just how fast she could run. "Watch me, Uncle Dan. I'm Super Fast!!".... and there she went...

The grounds are so beautiful there, that I had to try and get a few artistic shots in the midst of the corny one! The kids were really taken with watching all the boats load up into the locks... tying up, moving around, up, down, in, out. So much to watch!!

Here is a cute picture of Henry & Claire... and then Chloe & Dan.

Many of the boats we saw were the old, wooden kind - just gorgeous! If I were to have a boat, that would be the kind I would want - very solid, historic looking, and just made with such craftsmanship!

After watching one entire load of boats, we made our way across the bridges to the the salmon ladder. Clearly, there aren't any fish jumping just yet, but there were some good sized salmon in the ladder itself.

On the south side of the locks is a park with big, terraced lawn. So we parked it there and ate some lunch. The kids enjoyed running up and down (falling down) the terraces. And Uncle Dan makes a fantastic airplane launch and spinning ride!

Finally, here is (in my opinion) an ADORABLE picture of my brother and his girlfriend!

Once we all parted ways, we headed back to Dan's house to drop him off in Wallingford. The kids watched "Monsters" while I assisted him in putting together a little collage-gift for Claire.