Theodore the Tugboat Visits Norfolk

When I heard that Theodore the Tugboat was going to be in Norfolk this weekend I was super excited. Theodore originates from Halifax, Nova Scotia, so it was like having a little piece of home right here in Virginia. For those not familiar with our tugboat friend, he is based on the Halifax based children's television program. He's basically our "Thomas the Tank Engine". He is also famous for his children's books, of which Tyler has in his own personal library here at the apartment.

 The plan for today was to actually surprise Tyler, however he kept asking where we were going to go with his friend, Yuki. Finally I gave in and said we were going to visit a type of boat that started with the letter "T". Well, he guessed "tugboat" right away. LOL So, then shortly after he started to think some more and then asked if it was the tugboat that has a face on it that Nanny gave us a book about. OK, I was pretty surprised he remembered about it because we only read the book once and it was last year. LOL We then got out the book and read it before going to see Theodore.

As soon as boarded Theodore, one of the crew picked Tyler up and brought him to the bridge and sat him right in the Captain's chair. He then placed the Captain's cap on him. Tyler was very proud to be sitting in such an important seat. Then it was Yuki's turn. We then toured the small tugboat. There was some Theodore merchandise for sale. Both Yuki and Tyler bought Theodore DVDs to watch at home. They've never seen the show before. We got to meet more of the crew which were based out of Halifax, so it was nice to talk to someone from home. They told us that Theodore sailed all the way down to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to get some work done. They made some stops along the way visiting different ports. Theodore's next stop is New York City where he is going to meet up with the Tall Ships and then together they will sail back home to Halifax. Another interesting note is that Norfolk is a Sister City to Halifax. Crazy, right? They both have a lot in common in that they are both Navy Cities.

In fact, Norfolk gave Halifax one its' mermaids as a gift. Norfolk and surrounding areas are known for their mermaid statues that are usually painted to match the theme of the particular area. If you have ever visited it, you will probably recall that they are just about located in every landmark here. They said the Halifax mermaid is located near the Dartmouth Ferry. I will definitely look for her then next time I'm in Halifax.
Anyway, we had a fabulous day and you can't help but smile when you see Theodore. I'm so glad that we finally got to see him in person. Here are some more photos of our visit with Theodore.