This last field trip was one we've been waiting for for a few months. One of our very dear friends was getting married in Springfield, MO. A bit of a trip, but something we wouldn't have missed for the world. Of course it sparked thoughts of what can we do along the way. One thing presented itself when Mookie won a couple of Silver Dollar City tickets through our local library's summer reading program. SDC also had a special going on where people born in 1976 could get in free, so that took care of my ticket too and Shorty was free because of his age! We only had to purchase one ticket - not bad for a family of five!
 |
| A picture of the Co. I boys I found recently |
On the way down we stopped at Wilson's Creek Battlefield. This was great for the kids because it gave them an opportunity for another Junior Ranger badge, and great for me because some of the Burlingame, KS Civil War Veterans from Co. I of the 11th Kansas Cavalry fought there.
The battlefield had limited displays when we were there because they were in the process of revamping the old ones. They had a really interesting auto tour and they also have one of the biggest collections of west of the Mississippi Civil War items. You can find their virtual museum
here.
 |
| Looking up at Bloody Hill at Wilson's Creek |
The staff at Wilson's Creek was excellent. They gave Shorty a Junior Ranger badge so he could be like big brother & sis. They also copied items for me from their collection & told me to contact them if I thought of anything more.
On we went for a short stop at Silver Dollar City and then out to supper. We ate at McFarlain's in Branson where they placed us at a table that rose during our meal. Hubby and I were let in on the secret. They couldn't figure out what mom & dad were snickering at. They kept looking around to find someone that was going to sneak up on them with a wacky sombrero or sing a silly song to them. It wasn't until the table was up to their chins that they finally caught on.
The next day we arrived at the City as soon as it opened and we shut it down. My family has been going to Silver Dollar City every five years since I was five. It is one of our favorite trips as a family. We can't wait to go with my folks on our regularly scheduled on in a couple of years.
Before the wedding celebration on Saturday we needed something to occupy our time. Hubby found the exhibit "Passages" was in Springfield.
Passages is a collection artifacts that take you through the history of the Bible. When we were in Dallas last year we had seen that it was there, but didn't make it. Boy are we glad we took it in in Springfield! The collection included actual Dead Sea Scroll fragments, cuneiform tablets, Bibles throughout the ages as well as other Biblical texts and artifacts. Essentially the whole exhibit was full of Bible history, world history, science and just a perfect side trip for us in general! They had wonderful interactive displays, hands on things for the kids to do, as well as animatronic characters. They even had a scavenger hunt for the kids. I'll tell you what, if you want a kid to get absorbed in a museum, give them a scavenger hunt!
 |
| Transcribing a line of text in Latin with real ink! |
 |
| Shorty listening to St. Jerome talk about his life |
 |
| Watching a working replica of a Guttenberg press |
 |
| They even had a play area for Shorty |
The exhibit said that it would take you 2-3 hours to finish. Well, we took 3 hours and could have spent more time! We literally had to drag the kids out of there. We definitely packed a ton into our trip, but hey, it was school! I think we'll take tomorrow off;)
No comments:
Post a Comment