We're wrapping up our adventure at BEA 2015. The day was jam packed with fun, and we're looking forward to reading the new stories we picked up. 
It was fascinating to visit the exhibitor booths. They each showcased their own style, and there were plenty of diverse stories to satisfy any reader's appetite. We were impressed by the professional atmosphere and enjoyed listening to everyone taking about books
(of course we missed our 6PM train, as usual).
BUT, we had a back-up plan! No problem. The only hitch, we have to switch trains in South Norwalk. Easy.
Actually, not so much. It went something like this...
Stephanie: "Excuse me, sir. Would you please direct us to the train heading for Danbury?"
Train Conductor #1: "Why yes, Miss, you just get off in South Norwalk, wait ten minutes, and then get on the next train."
Fabulous. Twelve minutes later, voila! The train pulls up. We get on, smiling and chatting about our day.
Jess: "Bridgeport, Stephanie?"
Stephanie: "I'm pretty sure we're on the wrong train."
Jess: "Crap. What do we do now?"
Stephanie: "We should ask again."
A blustering flurry in a conductor's cap blew by our seats, and we grabbed his attention. Edward was his name, and he wasn't very happy with the passengers on the evening train home from NYC.
As politely as possible, we explained that they told us to get on this train.
Edward: "They, they, they," he said, exasperated- like how could we have made this terrible mistake?
We told him that he was our only hope, that we believed in him. He had to help us get home.
Taking pity on our tired souls, he shook his head and told us the truth about our dilemma...
Edward: "Get off here and get on the next train on the other side of the tracks- run, you only have a minute. Go back to South Norwalk, wait one hour, and then get on the train for Danbury. Do you need me to write it down?"
Jess & Stephanie: "Yes, yes we do, Edward. Thank you."
Edward saved the day, that's for sure. Four hours from NYC to Bethel, CT. Needless to say, we'll be brushing up on our train traveling skills!
The Caretakers Guide to Fablehaven
Brandon Mull
This guidebook to the Fablehaven magical preserve is filled with everything a new Caretaker might need to know in order to survive... read more!
Dino- Mike and the T.Rex Attack
Franco Aureliani
Dino-Mike is on the trail of a T. rex in this chapter book adventure! The son of a famous paleontologist, young Michael Evans travels the world...read more!
Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster
Matthew McMelligott
Enroll in Dr. Cosmic's class of clever monsters at the Mad Scientist Academy as they solve the greatest challenges in science, in this perfect blend of adventure... read more!
Check back to find out more about the books from BEA 2015. We'll be interviewing authors and hosting giveaways soon!
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What a fabulous, amazing experience. Glad that you did (finally) get home, and I am looking forward to reading more about the day.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child- It was quite the experience! It was wonderful to get home- though I was completely exhausted! ~Stephanie
DeleteOh my the train ride sounds frustrating... I was in Toronto for training some years ago... I had to take the subway... I had no idea where I was supposed to go... thankfully a kind soul heloed me, I only arrived late by an hour... I learned the travel quickly... it's nerve wracking ... :-)
ReplyDeleteThe books sound godd and it looks like you had an awesome trip, that is wonderful xox ♡
Launna- I am so happy you found a kind soul to help you. Train and subway travel can definitely be tricky for those who don't do it all the time. We had a wonderful time at the BEA though. :) ~Stephanie
DeleteIf ever I win the lottery this is one of the first events I'm going to go to.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to learning more about the books you feature. The Caretakers Guide to Fablehaven really appeals to me
Tracy- I hope you get to go to the BEA one day- so therefor I hope you win the lottery. :) I agree with you about The Caretakers Guide to Fablehaven! ~Stephanie
DeleteI'm seeing a Dinosaur theme with some of these books. The Caretakers Guide sounds intriguing too. It kinda reminds me of the Spiderwick Chronicles Field Guide, my kiddo loves both those series.
ReplyDeleteBrenda- I noticed that too about the dinosaur theme. I agree about the feel of The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven and the Spiderwick Chronicles Field Guide. I like both series too. :) ~Stephanie
DeleteOoo, that's really good about the mailing center. Sorry to hear you had train troubles!
ReplyDeleteCherie- The mailing center is genius. Thank goodness we weren't lugging books around from train to train! :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteSO much fun!! and omg that train story, ha, totally would have happened to me! I took the LIRR every day into the city when I interned and it still confuses me...I'm always terrified i'm getting on the wrong train.
ReplyDeleteBeth Ellen- The BEA was such fun! The train showed us we have a lot to learn about train travel. So easy to make a mistake! I give people a lot of credit who do it regularly and know what they are doing. I can imagine taking the LIRR to the city every day would be confusing for me too! ~Stephanie
DeleteSee, the mailing thing is expensive. Of course I stayed with my sister in NYC so I just went to the US Post office by her house and for a huge box weighing 50 pounds, it was only $25 to mail all my books.
ReplyDeleteLisa- That is awesome that you were able to go to a local US Post office to mail the books. It was expensive to mail from the center, but worth it because the year before we had to lug our books all over and they were HEAVY! With our train troubles the bags of books would have been too much. ~Stephanie
DeleteA day to remember for sure. And so many good books to read. Glad you finally found the right train. :)
ReplyDeleteBeverly- Definitely a day we won't forget and we will also be much more careful about train travel in the future. ~Jess and Stephanie
DeleteWhat fun! Fun even with the train mishap...too bad it's in Chicago next year now that you are pros! You will have new stuff to learn!
ReplyDeletePatty- I know! Now that we know how to do the train connections from NYC we won't be able to use our skills. The train was too funny. :) ~Stephanie
DeleteThose look like amazing titles. I love taking trains, but have to be mindful of maps.
ReplyDeleteMedeia- We are thrilled with all the books we got! Definitely have to pay close attention to the train stops. We didn't have a map- but needed one. :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteJohn Grisham...I've been dying to ask you since you posted that...what's the story with that? Was he signing books? Was there a line to meet him? It looks like he's working!
ReplyDeleteStephanie- John Grisham was signing books and there was a LONG line! He was working very hard. We didn't get to meet him because his line was so long we were afraid we wouldn't make it anywhere else. :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteStunning post :D It sounds like you you had an amazing time at BEA. <3 So jealous. Thank you for sharing about your amazing trip :)
ReplyDeleteCarina- Thanks! It was an amazing trip. :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteLooks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteBrandi- It was! :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteThe first year I traveled to BEA by train I had no idea what I was doing. Then they switched the tracks on us. Thankfully I asked which side of the tracks we needed to be on. A ton of people apparently didn't know about the track changed and missed the train. I felt horrible seeing their faces when the train showed up on the opposite side they were on because they isn't time to run under and around to the other side before the train leaves.
ReplyDeleteKelly- Before this experience we had no idea there was a way to cross over to the other side of the tracks- so that idea didn't even cross our minds. Glad you were able to ask the right questions and get to your destination with more ease than we did. :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteI need to check out your other BEA posts, but I'm glad you all finally got home. My sister is the navigator, otherwise I would be hopelessly lost in NYC. haha I used the mail room for all my books too!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Lauren- You are SO lucky to have your sister since she can navigate. What a huge help! The mail room was a life saver. :) ~Jess and Stephanie
DeleteI love the idea of a mailing center and you know what? It's really clever, especially if you might need help lugging all those books around! So glad you were able to go to BEA and enjoy your time there. As well as that, the train story is funny xD Trust me, I probably would've ended up in a similar predicament.
ReplyDeleteOlivia- Savannah- The mailing center made things SO much easier. Our train troubles would have been even worse with bags of books. We laugh every time we talk about our train troubles. :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteOh my goodness, your train story is funny, but I can totally imagine it was stressful at the time. And whoever thought to set up the book shipping service at BEA was a genius!
ReplyDeleteMeradeth- The train troubles were stressful and exhausting, but now they are super funny. Can't believe how long it took us to get home- but we definitely learned a few lessons. :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteWhat an adventure! I've lived in NY and Bridgeport and passed through Norwalk many times. I'm glad you made it home safe after all that. Thanks for sharing the great pics!!!
ReplyDeleteLexa- How fascinating that you lived in NY and Bridgeport- so close to us! :) Glad you enjoyed the post. ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteAmazing journey! Thanks for sharing all your fun and experiences!
ReplyDeleteNas- It was definitely amazing! :) ~Stephanie and Jess
DeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to stop by since, Jesse, stopped by a while back on my blog and I wanted to return the favor. BEA looked great and your (mis)adventures too. Sorry that had to happen. I know getting lost through public transportation must certainly be the worst. Never helps that most people are not all that helpful, so Edward sounded like a great man for helping.
Cassandra @ The Huge Anime Fan blog
Cassandra- Thanks for stopping by! The BEA was great and the train was an experience. Thank goodness for Edward. It is interesting that so many people do not give enough information to be helpful to people who are struggling with the train. We all need a helping hand at times. :) ~Jess
DeleteHeidi- We were able to send home a ton of books. Well worth the money to not have to cart the books around NYC and the train debacle home. :) BEA will be in Chicago next year- so who knows where it will be the year after that! Maybe the West Coast. ~Stephanie and Jess
ReplyDelete