Montpelier – Constitution Day

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Montpelier, the home of James and Dolley Madison.    We were fortunate enough to get to be a part of Constitution Day.  The weather was perfect, not overly crowded and those in attendance appeared to be having a wonderful time, and learning a lot!

Below are photos of the front and rear of the house, as well as Madison’s Temple.

Olivia and Lindsey both love hands on activities, and really what kid doesn’t?  Once we entered the land of touch and feel the fun was kicked up a notch!

Working in the Archaeology Lab was a big thrill.  Digging in dirt, finding real things and then getting to identify those items were a big hit!

The wooden toys were a big treat as well.   Lindsey likes little items to play with, so she was in LOVE with this all wooden Noah’s Ark!  And of course, there were animals, so Olivia liked it too.

Olivia has a much shorter attention span, or maybe she’s just more inquisitive?  Either way, she enjoyed trying out lots of things.  The older gentleman in the photo to the right was the maker of most of the toys and once Olivia realized he’d answer questions about things, she was set.  He even taught her how to play Mancala. 

 Still playing with Noah’s Ark…

 

This activity was neat.  The young lady in the fru-fru hat showed Olivia how to use the contraption in her lap to reflect an image onto her drawing board for tracing.

Yeeeep….gotta love Noah’s Ark.

Playing the dulcimer was fun!  The young lady in the green was an exceptionally talented musician!

How many kids do you know who can say they’ve been photographed with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison?

Shortly after this photo, there was a lovely presentation by the drum and fife corps.   “Thomas Jefferson” and “James Madison” then held a brief meeting with us, talking about the importance of the Constitution.   After their scripted speeches were over, they answered questions and I’ll tell you what, those guys are incredibly quick thinking, witty and overflowing with history facts and information!

Signing the “Constitution”.

We spent about 6 hours on this trip, and still didn’t get to see it all.  It’s a definite must do field trip!   To finish up, I’ll throw in a few photos of the gardens and scenery for you to enjoy.