Tuesday I had the honor of going with Coco on a field trip to Pea Ridge National Military Park. We had lots of fun. It sure gives you a new appreciation of teachers and what they deal with everyday. I was surprised that with our 2 classes that we were with only a couple boys acted out and got in trouble. They had to stay with the teachers for the rest of the day. They were like little soldiers, lining up and going where they were told to go.
The battle of Pea Ridge between the Union and the Confederacy. The Union won :(
But it was a hard fought battle. We toured the museum and watched a movie narrarated by a few of the men that were still living at the time the movie was made.
The museum is very interactive which is great for the kiddos. Scotts family lived on the park after the civil war. They have a gun that was donated by the family but the volunteer there said it is in storage at this time. They have modernised the museum since I was there last but very informative. Scott's mother grew up on the park until she was in 7th grade ( this was before it was bought and made into a National Park). She told us stories about her Father working in his corn field and finding cannon balls, buttons, buckles etc. Back then not knowing what the property would become he just threw them away. Papa jokes with Coco and told her that Nana could them alot about the war because she stood on her porch and watched it. The war was 1862 so he was joking about her being old...
There are cannons all over the place on the park. The kids got a very cool lecture on how to work the cannon. Unfortunately they did not have enough staff to shoot the cannon. It took 6 people to make a shot happen. The cannon balls weighed about 12-15 pounds each and would shoot about 800 yards from the small cannon and about 1500 yard from the large one in the photo above. One of things I noticed from the cannons and the movie was that the ammunition used back then took time to set up for each shot. They would have to reload each time. How scary to have all that time to be a sitting duck.
This is Elkhorn Tavern that was taken over and used as a hospital during the war. Nana told us that she heard stories growing up about how the blood would drip from the floors into to the basement type area below. Amazing how far we have come since the 1800's! The house has a few pieces of period furniture inside so that was cool. Except the "feather or straw bed" was actually packing peanuts.
The view from a lookout point on the park. Wouldn't you love to wake up to that view everymorning. Beautiful. Nana says Mamie (Scotts Grandmother) got stuck up on one of these bluffs and grandpa (her boyfriend at the time) had to find a way to get her down. The lookout tower was not there then.
Wow it has been a very long time since I was on a school bus. It was cool and brought back lots of memories of riding the bus to and from school.
Coco asked Nana to join us since she lived on the park. This is her and Coco having a moment on the lookout. She really loves her!
We brought sack lunches and sat out under to big shade trees to eat. So fun! We finished 2 hours earlier than expected which was a Godsend since it was very hot and humid! Thankful that I was home and able to accompany Coco on this trip.
Blessings,
Pam
