Conversation transcript (more or less verbatim)

Dad: Eleanor, tell mama what we did.
Mom: What did you do?
Eleanor: We go on the train chugga chugga choo choooo!
Mom: You went on the train?
Eleanor: Yeah. An' Cali. An' Celina. I go potty at the airport.
Dad: Yes. What did we do on the train?
Eleanor: Have a picnic!
Mom: Oh wow!
Eleanor: Yeah!

That sums things up quite succinctly don't you think? We had a picnic on the train and we went potty at the airport, now give us some freakin points!!
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Okay okay...

While lacking the BART, we Twin Citians do enjoy the pleasures of the LRT. The Hiawatha Light Rail line is pretty cool. The stations are attractive and clean, the cars are clean, the ride is smooth and safe, and the people watching is pretty good. We waited for a modestly-populated car and hung tight until two pairs of facing seats opened up. We rode into the heart of downtown from the Franklin Ave. station, waited a bit and allowed the train to take us out to the airport. After a short bathroom break we returned to Franklin and our car.

Also--though Celina documented a sign that announced any number of prohibited activities and items, including eating food--the authorities didn't show too much interest on this beautiful summer night as the four of us rolled out our colorful "towel blanket" and shared a light repast of hummus, bread, grapes, fruit leather, soy milk, chips, and licorice. Sitting in the back car on the northbound trip, we were a tad nervous when the conductor moved up to make us the front car at the Hennepin station. But she walked right past our spread on the way to her cabin and paid no mind whatsoever.

Jon offered grapes to a couple immigrant-sounding guys sitting across from us, but they declined. We amused ourselves with conversation about possible tasks which could be built along the LRT. Celina noted that the train posts a sign saying "this train serves these terminals" and pointed out how easily "terminals" could be made into "animals," and then animals could be added to the list. There's some kind of glove-based photo display near the government center in downtown. Jon speculated that, like the animal service, it might be fun to go to San Francisco and add a G to the L in the Please Love Back, once everyone's done that task. Please Glove Back sounds pretty funny when you say it out loud. As we passed the HHH Metrodome twice, Eleanor told an amusing story about baseball and "poor Joe" Mauer, who had received the shameful intentional walk treatment by the scaredy-cat Cleveland pitchers on the night she attended a game there.

All told, it was a delightful picnic. The food was very tasty and the company was unmatched for friendliness and mutual enjoyment.