Blackberry Farm

Another wonderful little outing, bought to us by Karen, was taken to Blackberry Farm.  Here you "go back in time", as Auntie Karen kept explaining to the kids, to experience what life would have been like in the late 1800's.  It felt pretty authentic and was very interactive; the kids did love it!

In the one room school house we learned about what the kids would have studied and how they would have been punished for daydreaming or misbehaving. 

In the blacksmith shop we watched him heat, bend, and cool off steel.  We felt like the only people at Blackberry Farm on this day, so there was lots of great interaction with the actual demonstrators in each of these houses!

In the potter's house we caught part of a clay utensil making demo.  Our little art enthusiasts had lots of questions for the potter in this house.  We also visited a weaver, a carriage house displaying all the different kids of vehicles of the day, and 2 different homes people would have lived in-- including a one-room shelter that would have had 2 parents and 8 kids crammed in it!  We all agreed we are quite content to live in the time period we live in!  But, when asked what job the kids would have liked to have had, their answers covered pretty much every one we learned about.

Blackberry farm also had some fun little rides, like this train ride.

And paddle boats.

And pony rides!

And also a merry-go-round.

Just walking around the grounds was pretty and peaceful.  It really did feel like "going back in time"-- you sold it well, Karen! :)

Our last stop was a great petting zoo and a super playground for the kids.  Unfortunately at this point in the day, we realized why we felt like the only ones at Blackberry Farm.  Huge black storm clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, the drops fell and the sirens went off!  We Californians considered getting caught in a thunderstorm to be a check on the list of things we wanted to see, but others in our group were putting on a brave face as they hurried us off the playground and back to the cars.  It was an exciting way to end the day!