Fort Stanwix

I've been meaning to post pictures of our trip to Fort Stanwix but the pictures have been held hostage on my husband's computer and I just finally got around to transferring them. I've been to this fort more times than I could possibly count but each time I learn something new. I know, I may be the biggest dork around, but even after years and years of coming here, I look forward to it every year. This year, my older two were over it but my younger girls and I spent several hours learning and exploring late 18th century military life.

 First stop was the museum where we learned the history of the fort and its significance and sat to build some forts of our own.

 

 Then we went inside......

 Again, I'm a total dork, but what was particularly thrilling for me, this year, was that I was reading The Whites And The Blues by Alexandre Dumas. It takes place at the end of the 18th century, during the French Revolution, and is largely about several historical military campaigns. So, it was a different continent and a few decades earlier but the military culture was still so similar that it felt like I had stepped inside my book. Yes, this is the kind of thing that excites me.  Really.  A lot.

practicing 18th century texting

snoozing on a bed of straw

Checking out the furs at the trading post.  We learned that beaver fur was the most valuable at the time because they used them to make fur hats that were very popular in Europe.

Musket training

Then up on the roof to fire on the enemy
(or the poor, unsuspecting Little Caesar's customers)

colonial girl

Continental soldier (with her breeches falling down)

We finished up just as a thunderstorm was rolling in and made it back to the car just as the first giant drops were falling. It was a fun, relaxing, informative day.