The Next Best Thing to Time Travel

My family goes to Old Sturbridge Village about twice a year. One trip is in the fall, on Homeschool Day, and one is in the spring. Our spring visit is usually a quiet one - we go during the week, while most people are either working or in school, and wander around pretty much on our own.

Most years, our spring trip is on Riley's birthday. This year, though, Riley's birthday fell on Easter, which  meant that her special day kind of got lost in the shuffle. So on Tuesday, we had a second birthday celebration for her by spending the day at Old Sturbridge Village. And, as usual, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Read on to visit the Village!

For those who aren't aware, Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts is set up like a village from the 1800s, complete with costumed staff. They run the various shops, work in the houses, and tell the visitors what it was like to live and work in the nineteenth century, making it almost seem like you've stepped back in time. We've been to the Village often enough that we no longer read the informational boards anymore and don't need maps to find our way around, but wandering through the old-fashioned homes and businesses...it just doesn't get old! And it's a perfect way for homeschoolers like us to get in a "history lesson" while spending a warm spring day outside.

See those downed trees by the river? Those were knocked over by a tornado that just missed the Village last year.

I just love all the old fences!

The view of the church from the common.

In the Friends' Meetinghouse.

The Village was busier than your average weekday on Tuesday, as most schools are on spring break this week, but because there were more people visiting than usual, there was someone working at almost every stop. They even had a free horse-drawn wagon ride around the mill pond!

It was the first time I brought my camera to Old Sturbridge Village, and as expected, Jordan and I were very shutter happy all day. Actually, make that shutter crazy. I imported over five hundred photos at the end of the day! And if the Nikon Coolpix L120 isn't the best point-and-shoot out there, I'll...well, I'll eat my hat. Or something.

Please don't prove me wrong. I don't relish the idea of eating an old hat.

Old Sturbridge Village was full of amazing photo opportunities, of course! For one thing, there were the old houses. Most of them were really around in the 1800s, donated to the village from various locations and then decorated with the same sorts of things they would have contained during the time period of the Village.

The Freeman Farmhouse, which Mom considers "the most perfect house".

Tea party, anyone?

Old-fashioned books. 'nuff said.

I think it would be rather difficult to do your hair in that mirror each morning, don't you?

Rows of merchandise on the shelves of the general store.

Looking at this photo, all I can think of is The Hobbit! Might want to check those barrels for dwarves...

Harry! Hermione! You promised you wouldn't use the Time-Turner unless you absolutely, positively needed it!

Most. Gorgeous. Bed. Ever.

The lovely Bixby House.

There were the pigs, cows, sheep, and - best of all - the newborn lambs.

I want pigs.

And cows.

Mommy and Baby.

All together now, everyone...AW!

There were the costumed employees who populate the village - maintaining the gardens, running the shops and overseeing the day's activities.

A peek into the past...

Our wagon driver.

The shoemaker!

The silhouette of the potter, hard at work...

Working in the garden of the Bixby house.

One of the best parts of going on a busy day is the planned activities. My favorite is French and English - otherwise
known as Tug o' War! Unfortunately, though, there are no photos of me playing, as I walked down on my own.
Suffice to say (at the risk of sounding arrogant) that with me on the team, the English didn't lose easily.

There were some day camps going on while we were there. It really added flair to the Village, having costumed kids!

Gardening outside the Towne House.

That lady on the left reminded me of Maud Gormley - if you watch The Waltons, you'll know what I mean!

There were even birds who seemed happy to pose for the paparazzi!

It was Lucie's first time visiting the village, and she very much enjoyed herself.

Here she is riding the wagon.

She rather enjoyed that.

It tired her out, though.

So she took a little nap.

She spent most of the day in my purse, of course.

At lunchtime, Riley opened some gifts...and Lucie climbed a tree.

In fact, we all had a fabulous time! Old Sturbridge Village is a wonderful place to spend a day. It's like a step back in time, a place where you can immerse yourself in the world as it was a nearly two centuries ago;  and as we don't seem to have all too many flux capacitors at our disposal, this is the next best thing to time travel. What a great second option, too!

My first real double-exposure - what do you think?

Happy twelfth birthday, Riley Mae!