Category Field Trip

Field Trip – Kings Mountain NMP

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We made a stop at Kings Mountain National Military Park on this hot and humid day.

“Kings Mountain is a unique battle for several reasons. It was one of the few major battles of the war fought entirely between Americans: no British troops served here. In the South, many people were divided. When the war started, some fought for independence, others for loyalty to England.

Kings Mountain is also unique in that large numbers of riflemen fought here. Rifles were not used much by the armies. A rifle was a hunting weapon, used by families on the frontier. The American militia that fought here mainly used rifles; the Loyalist troops had mostly muskets.

The difference between a rifle and a musket is speed versus accuracy. A rifle is slow to load, but very accurate. Riflemen can hit a target at 200 or 300 yards. Yet the rifle can only be fired once a minute. A musket, with a smooth bore, is easy to load but inaccurate. Muskets have an accurate range of about 100 yards, but can be fired up to three times a minute.”

We hike the one mile hike. We were surprised Brother walked almost all of it on his own.

Field Trip – New River Gorge National River

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The New River Gorge National River was beautiful. The air was crisp but the sun was warm as we got to explore the area.

We got there later in the day but Sister was still able to work on and get her Junior Range Badge. She loved following the path they lead out for her. She was able to learn about the wildlife, history around the river and take a walk to see the expansion bridge.

Field Trip – Hopewell Cultural NHP

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We hit a few of our national parks on our trip too and from Charlotte, North Carolina. Our first stop was to the Hopewell Cultural National Historic Park.

We were able to learn all about the people that build the mounds and what the used the mounds for. Some of the mounds were ceremonial, for burial and some for living.

One of the rangers was nice and went through and showed us some of the things they made. An item to note was a piece of mica that had been recently found. She explained how there is not mice locally so it had to have been brought to the area, mostly likely by traders.

Sister even completed everything she needed to become a Junior Ranger. She was so proud!!!

The weather was perfect for us to go out and walk through the mounds. Even though some are replicas it gives you a feel for our vast the area was.

Field Trip – Fair Oaks Farm

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Fair Oaks Farm was the perfect field trip location for Cow week. Nanny and her mom took Sister and Brother there to tour the farm.

The farm has cows and pigs. First stop was the pigs. They got to see how they pigs are taken care of. Plus got to see the birthing area.

The cows were next. They got to see the cows and how they are milked. They then have a separate building for calves being birthed.

You can’t go to a dairy farm without trying some ice cream!!

Field Trip – Brookfield Zoo

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We ended up with a really nice sunny day! Late October in this area can be really cold, so we were excited for the great weather. There were a total of eight of us that went to Brookfield Zoo.

We went for the Boo at the Zoo event! There were a whole lot of people there. Sister dress up as Fancy Nancy. Brother dressed up as a pilot. Their cousin dressed up as a dinosaur.

First stop was the dolphin show. The instructors taught us how to identify the dolphins. Each dolphin is unique. They come in different sizes and shapes, they have different coloring and different shaped fins.

Then we went to check out the exhibits.

The kids had a lot of fun picking which animal they wanted to ride on the carousal. Sister picked a jaguar and Cousin M picked a penguin.

Dad and Sister fed the giraffes. It was amazing to see how long the giraffes tongues are in person.

Due to the size of the zoo there was a whole lot of walking, but we all had a great time. The weather was great so a lot of the animals were out.

Field Trip – Effigy Mounds National Monument & Pikes Peak State Park

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Today was the second day we were in Iowa because of Dad’s work. We decided to take a trip up to Effigy Mounds National Monument and to Pikes Peak State Park to check out the effigy mounds.

There were three mounds right outside the visitors center that we were able to see. In the visitors center we learned about the people that made them and why they were made. Some were created for ceremonial purposes, some were burial mounds and some were made in the shapes of animals.

Some of the more intricate mounds were along a path we couldn’t do down so we headed for the nature hike. Along the way we met a ranger that showed us some of the animal habitats in the area. She also informed us that we could see a bear effigy at Pikes Peak State Park. The part was right up the road and the effigy was in a location we could see it from the trail.

When we were done exploring Effigy Mounds NHS we headed to Pikes Peak State Park. The bear effigy was big and if someone hadn’t pointed it out we wouldn’t have realized what it was.

Pikes Peak State Park had a great view overlooking the Mississippi. Sister and Brother were more excited about the playground.

Field Trip – Herbert Hoover NHS

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Mom, Sister and Brother all got to go on a few educational field trips while Dad was sent to work in the area. First stop was the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. This location has a little more sentimental value to us due to his last name, though no family relation as far as we are aware.

This was the birthplace of Herbert Hoover. He lived here until he was nine years old and was orphaned. “His Quaker family had helped settle the town, and their principles of honesty, hard work, simplicity, and generosity guided Hoover throughout his life of service to the nation and the world.”

He is also currently buried here with his wife.

Sister completed the Junior Ranger requirements and earned her Junior Ranger badge. It took us on a great adventure down the history of Herbert Hoover and the area.

Field Trip – County Line Orchard

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It’s apple picking time in Northwest Indiana!! Sister LOVES getting to visit the apple orchard. They have a petting zoo, bee hive, hay mazes, soy bean mazes, corn mazes, pumpkin patch, sunflower field, kiddie tractor ride, trailer ride, fresh donuts and of course apple picking.

The kids went with Nanny and her family. The weather was perfect. They were able to spend a nice long day at the orchard checking everything out.

Even Little Brother was able to pick his first apple and taste make sure they are good.

This was the perfect field trip to explain how we get apples, pumpkins, and sunflower seeds.

Blog: Organizing My Father’s World God’s Creation A to Z
Blog: My Father’s World – God Creation A to Z
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Blog: L Leaf

Field Trip – Bailey Homestead at Indiana Dunes National Park

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The day was cloudy with a bit of rain but still ended up being a lot of fun. We learned about about the history of apples in the region and the history of this site.

They showed us ways how they used to make apple cider and apple sauce. We even got to check out the chickens and sing and dance. For children they had all kinds of instruments/noise makers that they could play along with while singing. This was probably Sisters favorite part of the day.

While riding the tractor trailer ride the ranger pointed out some of the native plants like the wild mind and wild onion. You could really smell the mind when the wheels of the trailer went over the top of it.

Blog: Organizing My Father’s World God’s Creation A to Z
Blog: My Father’s World – God Creation A to Z
Blog: S Sun
Blog: M Moon
Blog: L Leaf

Field Trip – George Rogers Clark NHS

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We headed down to southern Indiana for a friends wedding. So of course we had to plan a few fun and educational stops along the way. One of the main stops was at the George Rogers Clark National Historical Site in Vincennes, Indiana. ” The George Rogers Clark Memorial is the largest memorial on a battlefield in the United States. The grounds of George Rogers Clark NHP are filled with various statues and monuments that depict different aspects of the story. These stories and people were brought to life by a variety of sculptors. “

Each of the murals inside the monument show the bravery of the men fighting the British forces for our freedom. “The interior of the Clark Memorial features a bronze statue of George Rogers Clark and seven murals that depict the story and its aftermath.”

Plus you can’t have a family adventure without a family selfie!!!