For one of our Utah adventures, we visited This is the Place Heritage Park. It is living history place where you can learn and experience how the pioneers lived. When we first got there, we got on a train that took us around the village. Rett looooves trains, so he was a happy camper.
James and Nolan were so happy to be out of the car and exploring, they didn't really know where they were headed, they just started running!
The first activity we did was to pan for gold in a small man-made stream. It was pretty easy to see the "gold" in the sand, so James decided panning was too much work and he started picking the gold out of the sand. We collected the gold to weigh it at the bank in the village.
James and Nolan loved these pioneer handcarts and took turns showing us how strong they are by lifting the handles. Nolan told us he can do it because of his "muscles". :)
We made it to the bank, but the banker was out so we didn't get to weigh our gold. James didn't mind because he wanted to keep his gold anyway.
Next door to the bank is the barber where you can get a pretend shave. James of course said no, but I thought I could try with Rett. He sat for a few seconds and then was done. Do you notice his hair? With no humidity his curls were much flatter while we were there and it made his hair look extra shaggy.
Nolan was willing to give it a try, so he sat with Happy while he let the man go through all the steps of an old fashioned shave. Such a cutie!
We got to visit an old fashioned school house where we got a lesson on discipline in the pioneer education system. James demonstrated a punishment for lesser offenses. First you have to stand on the stool of shame and put your nose against the wall.
Then you have to hold you hands out behind you. The teacher asked James if he was uncomfortable and he said, "no".
Then you have to hold books up behind you while you stand against the wall. She asked James if he was uncomfortable now and he still said no!
Next she demonstrated getting a paddling on Anthony. He made a great face!
Jared demonstrated the last punishment of wearing the dunce hat and having to sit in front of the class like that the entire day. His face says it all!
After the school house the boys got to ride some ponies.
Then we took a little break while they played in this awesome miniature town. Some of the houses even had stairs so you could climb to another level. They all loved it!
On our way back to the entrance, we stopped at a house where you could play with pioneer toys, wash clothes on a washboard, and plow a field. James and Nolan actually went all the way down and back pushing the plows by themselves. I think they were cut out for pioneer life!
Everyone except for me tried out the stilts. I wasn't brave enough, but they had some skills!
James had to check out this wagon and pretend to drive it. It was hard to tear him away from this to do the horse ride and afterwards I think he liked doing this better. It still amazes me what simple things will catch his imagination and what other things that look like so much fun to me he will find boring!
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