Homeschool Zoo Annex: History coming alive

Saturday, July 18, 2009

History coming alive

Friday, July 17, 2009

Since today turned out to be such a beautiful day, we decided to go to a nearby town for a picnic at a historic park there. This was a place that was instrumental to the Civil War in that there is a river that runs through it that is navigable. There are also a number of monuments and informational plaques that share with visitors the history and ultimate restoration of the courthouse and adjacent grounds.

From the earliest settlers on, the river was used to bring supplies to the area and to transport raw materials back down the river. This continued until recent times, when other forms of transportation came into being.

We've visited there before and it's always very nice. Today, though, was especially nice because it was cool and breezy - unusual for mid-July. We had eaten lunch at home but cut up some fresh, locally grown watermelon to take to the park and enjoy.

A walk along the river and around the courthouse sufficed for my own daily exercise. In fact, short trips like this are exactly like the ones my kids and I used to take when they were still in homeschool. We'd pack a light lunch on the spur of the moment and head out to some beautiful state park or local museum. Back then, the only one who needed weight loss supplements was probably me! After all, I was the Mommy teacher and I know I wasn't as active as I should have been.