Ammon:
Started the drive again and stopped to go see a park that was 1600 century theme. I really liked crushing the corn. We started driving AGAIN (can you believe it) we then stopped to sleep for the night.
LaReita:
I wanted to plan a historical educational place to take Ammon in Virginia. Plenty abound! I asked Grok.com “What historical sites in Virginia would an 11 year old boy enjoy?” I got about 6 answers, one of them being a historical place in Chester, VA – Henricus Historical State Park. It’s a full-time village from the early 1600’s that has been recreated with period accuracy. Buildings were built with period tools by history buffs who are also the guides/actors/presenters who get to have this awesome daily 9-5 job. Henricus recreates how the Powhatan people lived (Pochantas’s people) and interacted with the English soldiers of the Virginia Company.
Incredibly (but not surprising), the day we came happened to be Homeschool Day! Live interactive exhibits: grinding corn with rocks, scraping out a tree with shells to make a canoe, experiencing their smokey wigwams/lodges, soldier’s defenses, wood-working, candle-making, etc. We ended up staying here for nearly 3 hours. Ammon wanted to go back to the corn-grinding station in the Powhatan village, but it was closed up – quitting time!
If you are ever near Chester, Virginia with kids (or not) I highly recommend it!
We finished our drive to Washington DC, our hotel near the Dulles airport (IAD) to check-in to our room, drop off our bags, and return the rental car.