Day Out with Thomas in Cumberland!!!

I am just catching my breath -- WHAT AN AMAZING WEEKEND I HAD IN CUMBERLAND MD with Ben and my ENTIRE FAMILY! When my friend, Kelly Moran, invited me to "celebrity host" Day Out with Thomas this past weekend, I knew I would have a fun time. BUT, I had no idea how incredibly generous, hospitable, and enchanting the town of Cumberland would be! I have so much to tell you that I almost don't know where to begin. I think I'll break it all down into multiple blog updates.

I boarded the actual Thomas the Tank Engine #1 promptly at 9am with my family to make the 25 minute round trip. As you pull away from the train station, Thomas' eyes actually move and his familiar "toot toot" puffs out of his engine. On the way back into the train station I was greeted with a "Welcome to Cumberland Kim Martucci" sign held by Kelly and Cumberland town manager, Ed Mullaney -- this guy knows everybody. When you walk down the street with Ed, he greets people by their first name. (You can see Zac hopped down off the train to jump into the picture, too.)

So many Channel 9 viewers stopped by the tent where I was signing autographs to say "hello" and have their pictures taken. It was so good to meet the folks who watch us during, what I imagine, is a rather "personal" part of their day (so many people tell me "Yeah, I watch your weather while I am brushing my teeth!") Families from as far away as southern MD made the trip to the western MD mountains to see Thomas. In the picture to the right, meet Kevin Felton and his family: son Phillip on my right, Kevin in the middle, daughters Kelli and Maya to his left, with Kelli's 5 year old son Kristian Tate proudly holding his Thomas the Tank Certificate. Thanks for saying "hello"!

I had the chance to read a Thomas story to the kids in the Reading Tent. They also had face painting, mini-golf, a petting zoo, live interactive performances, an "Imagination" station, and even a hay maze among other activities for the children. Some students from Frostburg State also came by to interview me. Kemi in the picture to the left hopes to get an internship at Channel 9 next year (good luck Kemi!)

My family, Ben, and I ate on Cumberland's Baltimore Street which is closed to traffic and makes for a wonderful way to get to know the historic downtown. I'll have to save the stories from our adventures downtown for another blog update -- there are too many! Just know that there is a lot more to do there after Thomas leaves -- the restaurants, shopping, history and the amazing railroad among the foliage will keep you busy. I plan on going back to ride the railroad up to Frostburg. Apparently, you can take the railroad up there and either ride it back, or take your bike and ride the bike trail some 14 miles back. Did you know that you can ride your bike from Georgetown to Cumberland along the C&O Tow path (182.5 mile trail)? Even better, now you can ride from Cumberland to Pittsburgh along the Great Allegheny Passage. Cumberland is the half way point where the two trails meet. It wasn't until 2006 when the Great Allegheny Passage became connected completely to Cumberland. So cyclists -- hit the trail!

Ben and I stayed at the Rocky Gap Resort at Rocky Gap State Park our first night. What a gem! There is a beautiful lake right next to the resort with nothing but mountains as the back drop. While I didn't have much time to explore, I did find out that there are several hiking trails around the area (and the lake) and there certainly was golf! From my hotel room I spotted a fire pit, too. Lots of adirondack chairs and lounges made the lake look so inviting. A special thanks to Dianna Howard & Lyn Locke for their hospitality.

Before I go, I'll leave you with a tease for where we stayed Saturday night -- An Alpaca Farm! I cannot WAIT to tell you all about it! You can get a sneak preview at www.barbsalpacas.com. Boodie and Bubbles -- want a new pet? See you tomorrow morning!