Field Trip: Arcadia Mill

I was inspired recently during my morning blog browsing by a homeschooling mom who schedules monthly field trips.  Now we do take the occasional trip away from home to various museums and such, but I don’t regularly schedule them in any way.  So I have compiled a list of places to visit in our area and a rough schedule as to which place to go each month.  This month a local archaeological site (which just so happens to be down the road from us) was having their annual open house so what better time to visit!

The boys weren’t too thrilled with getting up early on a weekend morning, but did so nonetheless.  ;)  We picked up some Subway for a picnic lunch and headed out.

The site was once home to various water powered mills that helped manufacture lumber, shingles, buckets, meal, flour and cloth.  There was even a railroad for shipping.  It was abandoned in 1855, rediscovered in 1964 and excavated and preserved in the 90’s.

Reese and I enjoying our picnic lunch.

There is an elevated boardwalk to observe the different areas…unfortunately the swinging bridge was underwater after all the rain we’ve had this week.

Here are some replicas of the mills and a cute little visitor posing ever so sweetly.  :)

The boys tried their hands at writing with real ink and feather quills.

  And ds4 made a candle!

Afterwards we enjoyed some dairy treats.  It was a fun morning and I am glad ds2 was able to join in on our first monthly field trip.  :)  He is already thinking ahead to next month (even though I told him it will probably happen during the week and he will be in school but I guess he is hoping I’ll take him out for the day lol.)