We got on the road to Valley Forge pretty early in order to make the first park ranger talk. It is usually a hike but with the heat everything outdoors was canceled for the day. We had to have a family meeting in the parking lot because of the tone and attitude the kids were giving each other as well as me. It seems we have reached the years where arguing is the first form of conflict resolution.
We walked in just as the talk was starting so the kids got an excellent introduction to the history and purpose of the park. We talked with another ranger afterward to get a map of the park as well as junior ranger books. A favorite at most visitors centers is the movie about the park and this one did not disappoint. It gave more background about the park especially detailing the struggles of the soldiers residing in the encampment.
When the movie was finished the kids got to work on their junior ranger books. The excitement of completing all the activities is stressful for me as the only helper but the kids have learned a little bit of patience and a lot of teamwork can go a long way. They learned a lot about the life of the soldiers as well as the reasons why George Washington made the decisions he did.
They all were excited to see actual "pieces of eight" from several of the field trips we'd been on. Many of the colonists used these coins for currency before the country had established its own monetary system.
Once the kids completed the activities related to the displays we got on the road to the sites on the driving tour to learn a bunch more. Laney was my navigator once Brayden became completely oblivious to where we were. Not only did she do a fabulous job, she also read us the history about each stop!
The brigade huts were our first stop. These were reproductions of the original huts built in mere days on this same sight. Apparently, George Washington had offered a reward for the fastest hut built to standard when they arrived in December 1777. These huts housed up to 12 men through the entire winter. The kids couldn't even imagine living in that small space with just the four of us!
Not only were the living conditions very close, the encampment was rampant with disease and had serious problems with supply. Many of the soldiers were inadequately clothed and most were lacking sufficient nutrition. Even with all that, they marched out of Valley Forge in June and ended up occupying Philadelphia again and marching on to Yorktown.
Our next big stop was the National Memorial Arch to honoring then General Washington's arrival at Valley Forge. It was completed 100 years ago and is enormous! See my little people down there?
Our last and longest stop was George Washington's headquarters. A train station had been converted into a museum with great displays on the history of the headquarters since it was built in 1773. We were able to walk through the stable and the house to see replicas of the furnishings of the time period. The kids all agreed it was pretty cool to walk around the same house and up the same stairs that George Washington did more than 200 years ago.
We finished up our trip by stopping back by the visitor's center to turn in junior ranger books and take the pledge they almost have memorized!
We jumped in the pool when we got home to cool off. The kids have been inspired by Michael Phelps to race each night. It's been so nice not to have to settle for tidbits and highlights this year!
