Back in Time

It turned out that Old Sturbridge Village was a perfect place to spend the 4th of July. It felt right to be connected to the period when the Revolution occurred, and OSV provided many activities centered around the Revolution. Artillery demonstrations, a town parade (including a calf), an opportunity to purchase Independence Day Cake (it was not what you would think), and a reading of the Declaration of Independence supplemented the everyday exhibits provided at the museum.

We tried to hit some exhibits we didn't get to see on our last visit as well as some favorites. Much like our last visit, Duncan really enjoyed watching people make things. We had a nice talk with the tinsmith, who gave Duncan a biscuit cutter and assured me that the Revolution would not lead to a tin shortage because he would get it illegally from Canada, where it was cheaper anyway. The potter showed off his skills again (and I'm sure the picture I took of him this year is identical to the one I took two years ago). Duncan was mesmerized by the blacksmith. I suppose it was the fire; aren't we all drawn to it in some kind of primordial way? We thought with the dangers of blacksmithing that children wouldn't be involved, but we discovered that the blacksmith had an 11 year old apprentice, who was part of the OSV's summer program.

We took a horse drawn carriage ride (well, it wasn't a carriage, but I don't remember what it was called ; forgive me) and a boat ride across the pond and looked at the variety of ways the Colonists harnessed the river for transportation, carding wool, and sawing wood. It was difficult to drag Duncan away from the water pump; other than the boat ride, it probably had the longest line of anything at OSV as the children took turns splashing in the water and drinking it, to cries of parents who insisted "DON'T DRINK THAT!"

Of course, you can never predict what will and won't appeal to children. One of Duncan's favorite parts of the trip was our stay in the hotel. The novelty of the hotel, the pool, and the free continental breakfast (complete with waffles) enticed him like a trip to a 4 star resort. "Look, this hotel even has a safe!" I think he was sadder to leave the hotel than to leave the Village, but we all had a great time, and Jamie and I were reassured enough that we could survive a night in a hotel with Duncan that we feel brave enough to try it again!  Maybe with a historic trip to Mystic!

Just Own the Night Like the 4th of July

This year, we took Duncan to his first fireworks display. Because he's pretty sensitive to the effects of sleep deprivation, we haven't wanted to keep him out that late at night; however, this summer, he has shown a slightly improved ability to sleep in so we thought it would be worth a try. Our original plan was to stay overnight in Sturbridge, watch the fireworks display at Old Sturbridge Village on the 3rd, and then spend the 4th at Old Sturbridge Village, soaking in the history. At the last minute, the fireworks were canceled at Old Sturbridge because one of their possible launch sites was flooded from early July rains; the other had been destroyed in a tornado. Instead, we took Duncan to Lime Rock Park. We had a nice picnic and were entertained by the cast of Rent from Sharon Playhouse. There was a visiting group of hearing impaired children from a summer camp, and it was heartwarming to watch as their counselors jumped into signing the songs for the kids. One of the counselors stole the show; Jamie thought he was part of the cast at first. He knew the songs well and added so much emotion that he seemed like he had rehearsed with them. Actually, I was really impressed with those counselors. While they were waiting for the sun to go down, they quickly got the kids involved in races rolling down the hill, leapfrog, and, of course, singing Katy Perry's "Firework," on repeat.

Finally, the sun went down; it was a struggle for Duncan to stay awake, but he enjoyed the fireworks immensely.

Old Sturbridge Village

(Duncan takes in the sights at the Colonial outhouse).

Although we love to camp, the real purpose of our last camping trip was to visit Old Sturbridge Village. We weren't sure how Duncan would like it; before we went, we spent a lot of time talking about the "old days" and shared the OSV website with him. He spent hours watching videos on YouTube of everything from war reenactments to smithing and pottery. Our efforts were rewarded in his boundless enthusiasm on the day of our visit.

Duncan's favorite parts were the cobbler, the horse and carriage ride, and the potter. The cobbler makes shoes that are worn by OSV employees. He explained to us how shoes were made and that many shoes during the Colonial times were made with no discernible right or left foot. The leather was soft and conformed to the foot over time. The horses, Tom and Jerry, took us on a ride from the center of town around the mill pond. It was an old-fashioned form of public transportation that Duncan loved so much that he begged us to go again (alas, we didn't have time). The potter was his favorite, which is apropos since Duncan's father and grandfather have thrown more than their fair share of pots. Duncan watched with rapt attention as the potter threw several pieces, explaining how the Colonial potter would have had to schedule his pottery around the farm schedule. He would have hauled clay form a site near the river all the way back to town and would have spent a great deal of time preparing the clay. He would only have had time to finish a few pieces at a time and would fill his studio with nearly 800 pieces before beginning the several-day-long process of firing. I'm sure that when we return to OSV, the "pot man" will be Duncan's first stop.

I'm not sure what Jamie liked best, but he spent a lot of time under the mills, explaining to Duncan how the river water turned the gears to operate the grist mill, the carding mill (to prepare wool for spinning), and the saw mill. Actually, the saw mill may have been Jamie's favorite stop. Though there were no interpreters at the mill when we stopped by, he was fascinated by the scary saw and use of simple machines to roll logs into the the mill and finished planks out to the ground. He and Duncan also enjoyed watching several innings of a Colonial baseball game, where the rules seemed a little lax, the gloves lacking, and the bats primitive broom handles.

While Jamie and Duncan watched baseball, I watched hanks of yard dyed by hand in colors more beautiful, vibrant, and organic than anything produced synthetically. Once the wool was carded and then spun, the yarn was dyed in cauldrons over an open fire. It looked a little witchy. I don't remember what the dyes were made of, but natural ingredients like indigo and sage made delectable colors. I loved all things textile; the sheep, the carding, the spinning, the dyeing, and the looms. I was glad to wander those areas freely while the boys took the game.

When we first walked into OSV, we couldn't imagine needing two days there. Within hours, we understood why OSV issues a free return admission within 10 days of each paid admission. We had a very full day - several hours more than we anticipated would maintain Duncan's interest. After our return, Jamie noted that OSV offers a fantastic, period celebration for Independence Day. We just might spend America's NEXT birthday in the Colonial Era.