Peep! Peep! Thomas the Tank Engine is set to roll into Blowing Rock for the Day Out With Thomas 2008: The Great Discovery Tour. The event, which takes place May 30 – June 8, 2008, will be hosted by Tweetsie Railroad, www.tweetsie.com, located in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains on US Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock and presented by HIT Entertainment and sponsored by the LEGO Group.
  For more than six decades, children have been captivated with the tales of Thomas the Tank Engine.  Pulling out of the station for its 13th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas 2008: The Great Discovery Tour will visit more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada. Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite #1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on activities. 
  Thomas the Tank Engine, star of Thomas & Friends™, on PBS KIDS® and PBS KIDS SproutSM will be kicking off his Day Out With Thomas 2008: The Great Discovery Tour in March and is expected to welcome more than 1 million passengers through December.  During the Day Out With Thomas 2008: The Great Discovery Tour, children will be provided with a “Great Discovery Tour Map,” that guides them through the various event activities.  At the last stop, each child will receive a free gift.  Activities include:
√ A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine
√ The opportunity to meet Sir Topham Hatt™, Controller of the Railway 
√ A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts and crafts activities and coloring sheets.
√ Storytelling, video viewing and live music
  The tour provides a unique, interactive family experience at every station, offering a variety of entertaining activities that reflect the local flavor of each stop.   Tweetsie Railroad activities will include amusement park rides for all ages, live entertainment at the Tweetsie Palace Saloon, Professor Peppercorn’s Magical Show, mascot characters Hopper and Porter’s™ popular children’s show and much more.
 The approximately 25-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine will depart every 30 minutes, rain or shine, between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays and between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on both Saturdays.  This event is expected to sell out, so advance purchase of tickets is recommended to ensure a choice of dates and times.  Tickets for the Day Out With Thomas are $30 for adults and $22 for children ages 3 - 12.  Children age 2 and under are free.
  Tickets are on sale now and available by calling toll-free 1.877.TWEETSIE (877.893.3874) or logging onto www.tweetsie.com.