Plimoth

Fortunately the sick bug left our house after that weekend. We then set out to fufill our Boston Bucket List. We had a few weeks left and wanted to try and get in as much as we could since we didn't know when we would make it back there again. We got the library passes to go to Plimoth Plantation which is basically a Pilgrim version of This is the Place Heritage Park. The kids loved it! We explored a Native American Village and all the types of lodging they would have had back then. Carder was particularly impressed with the animal skins adorning the interior seating areas. Then we experienced some of the arts and crafts of the day followed by a step back in time to a 17th century village. The setting was beautiful! And the kids loved getting to explore.

Jake and the kids took some time in the meditation circle...that lasted for about 2 seconds for a certain almost 2-year old. But the canoe carved out of a tree trunk did manage to capture her fancy for more than 2 seconds.

Carder wanted his picture taken by the black bear skin (middle right).

Brenn quite enjoyed her time at the weaving loom and the admission was worth its price alone in the joy that it brought Carder getting to watch the pottery being thrown and shaped. He could have watched that all day. He even told us that he wanted to do that for his job when he grows up. We literally had to coax him into leaving so that we could get the rest of the village in before it closed. We need to find a place that he can throw his own pottery. Everyplace that we have come across so far won't let them use the wheel until they are 8!

The kids loved climbing on the canons in the fortress and going in and out of all the little houses. They have people dressed up who are in complete character as if they were living in that village in the 17th century. They taught Carder along with some other children who were there some games that they would have played. He enjoyed the one where they would throw the ball on the roof call out some other childs name and that child would have to catch it.

Another big highlight was seeing all the real live animals. Brenn enjoyed pointing them all out and making their sounds. Carders favorite was the bull.

It was SUPER hot that day. We found relief from the heat in the visitors' center where the kids dressed in the period clothing, played kitchen and navigated a ship.

After we finished up with the Plantation, we drove across the way to where the Mayflower memorial etc. were. We had stopped by it before with my mom, but it was at night and Jake wasn't with us. In the day you could see the rock (which is all they have left of where the pilgrims had landed, I guess people have chipped away at it over the years so now this small boulder is housed down in a gated pit so that you can look at it).

Next, we stopped at a nearby beach.  Brenn finished her much needed nap (she was so beside herself at the end of our time at the Plimoth Plantation she was literally pulling her hair out), while Carder and Jake had a jolly good time playing in the surf. 

Carder was very proud of his rock collection. He called this orange one his sweet potato rock.