Green Car's Big Adventure

Hi, my name is Green Car and I want to tell you about my big adventure in London and how it all came to be.  

I belong to a boy named Henry Stillerman.  Henry lives with his mother and daddy and sister Charlotte in a house on Alexander Street, in Statesville, NC.     

Henry likes cars.  He likes to play with them.  He likes to read about them.  He likes to collect them.  

Henry's parents and grandparents and sister and uncles and aunts and cousins and friends all know how much Henry likes cars.  They give him cars for his birthday and at Christmas and sometimes just to surprise him. 

Henry has many cars! I am one of Henry's cars.  Henry's favorite color is green. I am green and I am a car.  I guess that's why Henry likes me so much.  I guess that's why he let me go on the big adventure with his daddy. 

Henry's daddy was taking a trip to London.  He was going with Grandmommie to visit Uncle Bobby and to see all of the wonderful sights there. 

Henry's daddy was all packed and ready to go.  Before he left, he hugged and kissed Henry's mother and sister Charlotte, and Henry, and told them all that he would miss them so much and wished they could go along!  And then, he asked Henry:

"Can I take this little green car with me to remind me of you and keep me company?  I'll keep Green Car in my pocket, and everywhere we go, I'll take pictures with Green Car in them." 

"Okay, Daddy,"  Henry said.  "And you can take some more cars with you, too." 

Henry ran off to his room and got two more cars for his daddy.  Henry's daddy hugged Henry again and put all three of us cars in his pocket.  That's how the other green car and the white car got in the pictures that I will show you. 

Off I went on my big adventure, riding in Henry's daddy's pocket along with the other two cars, some change, and a set of keys. 

Let me tell you, it was a long trip.  It was pretty crowded in that pocket and it was dark too.  But when we finally got to London, Henry's daddy pulled me out and you would not believe the sights I saw!  

During the day, I would ride in his pocket from place to place where we would see all of the sights and take pictures of them. At night, I got to sit on top of the dresser beside the other two cars and a watch and a gold wedding ring. Every night, I would fall asleep to the sound of the cars and trucks and buses whizzing by outside, and the sound of Uncle Bobby and Henry's daddy snoring away in their beds.

Here are some of the pictures from my big adventure. 

This is the church where Uncle Bobby worked all summer.



Here we are at Trafalgar square.  You can see the big monument in the background.  On top is a Statue of Lord Nelson, a famous admiral in the Navy who won the important battle of Trafalgar. 

This is the fountain around the statue.  Many people like to come here to walk around and see the sights.  Can you see the big lion in the background?   He is one of 4 lions that guard the statue of Admiral Nelson.  He is so big that kids like to climb and play on him.  

We saw this restaurant called Henry's at Covent Square and just had to stop and get a picture. 

And another picture of Henry's Restaurant

Here I am on a bridge over the large river called the Thames.  Henry's daddy is holding me down so I won't blow away. 

And here we are on the Embankment of the river watching all of the boats go by. 

Here we are at the Tower of London.  It is down by the river.  The Tower of London is a very old building and has been used for many things:  A home for the queen, a place where the Queen's jewels are kept, and long ago it was a prison where people who did not agree with the king or queen were kept. 

A picture of my buddy, the other green car, with the Tower of London in the background

This is Buckingham Palace.  It is where the queen lives. It is surrounded by beautiful gates and protected at all times by the Queen's guards.  There are so many people walking around that it's hard to get a picture.  You can see the balcony where Prince William and Princess Kate came out with the royal family to wave at the crowd after they were married.  

This is the mall that leads from the Queen's house to a big arch.  Can you see all of the British flags that line the street?  The nick name for the British flag is "Union Jack."

This is the big arch called the Admiralty Arch.  It is on the other end of the Mall from Buckingham Palace.  When there is an important ceremony, the queen will ride in her golden carriage from her home at Buckingham Palace to the arch.  She will wave to the crowds along the way. 

This is Parliament, where the laws for England are made.  You can see the huge clock called "Big Ben."  It has been there for many years. 

This is a statue of Oliver Cromwell.  He was a famous leader who was liked by some and hated by others.  He did some good things for his country but was also very cruel. 

In this picture, we are on the train to Edinburgh. 

I'm at the top of Edinburgh Castle, looking out over the country below. 

A close up of me at Edinburgh Castle.  The roads here are made of cobblestone.  They are very bumpy.  With my new tires, I'd like to get out and take a spin.   

This picture was taken in a beautiful park at the bottom of the Royal Mile.  I'm parked on the ledge of a fountain, where lots of kids are wading.  I wish Henry were here.  He would love this place. 

Here I am up in the Highlands of Scotland, at a giant lake called Loch Ness.  It is cold and rainy, and they say there is a monster in the lake called "Nessie."  The water is so dark, I can't see a thing.  I'm kinda glad.  I'm not sure I want to see a monster in this place, so far away from home. 

I saved my favorite pictures until the end.  The grown ups went crazy over the buildings and statues, but I like things that can go, go, go. 

A red double decker bus  

A street sweeper, keeping the streets clean

On the last day, Henry's daddy packed the bags and put me back in his pocket for the long ride home.  I was so glad when we finally got back to Henry's house.  I was happy to see Henry and to get back to my home in the car case in Henry's room. I was glad to see all of the other cars, and the trains and the trucks and all of Henry's other toys. 

Henry's daddy was glad to be home too.  He was happy to see Henry's mother and Henry and little Charlotte.  He hugged and kissed them all and gave them presents he brought back from the trip. 

Henry's daddy showed Henry the pictures of my big adventure.  Henry said, "Daddy, why did you take my cars away?  I missed them." 

And Henry's daddy hugged him and answered, "I know, Henry.  Just like I missed Mama and Charlotte and YOU! It's always fun to go on a big adventure, but it's even better to get back home." 

And that is the story of my big adventure and of how it came to be.