We had a wide variety of experiences in Massachusetts. One of our favorite stops was Minutemen National Historical Park. We always watch the videos shown at the National Park visitor centers as it gives you a real feel for the park and what makes it so special. When it's a battlefield or monument, it tells the important story of the people who lived, fought and died here. The Minutemen Park has THE BEST film presentation and live presentation I've ever seen. You know you're in for something special when you enter a theater that looks like this. Usually it's just a white room with chairs and a screen. As the lights grew dim, a man walks into the doorway of the cabin. Only he's not real. He's being projected onto the doorway.
He begins telling us the story of the Revoutionary War and we easily follow along on the map above as tiny LEDs light the path of the Colonists and the British troops. A video to his left shows a reenactment of some of the action.
After the kids earned their junior ranger badges, we were invited to watch a musket shooting demonstration. We walked thru a house that was originally built in 1775 (though their have been some improvements over time) before gathering on the front lawn.
A ranger dressed in typical clothing for the period spent the next hour in the midday heat explaining so many aspects of a minuteman's life. England required every male age 16-60 to participate in the military. Most of them, called the militia, would train 4 times a year and be prepared when called for duty. The minutemen were the first responders. These paid positions trained 4 times a week and were required to have their guns with them and ready every minute of every day. His talk ended with a bang as he demonstrated shooting the musket.
Another fun event was a falcon fest put on by Mass Audubon. Not only did we get up close to a Peregrine Falcon, the fastest bird on earth, but we were introduced to a super cool organization called the Caterpillar Lab.
The Caterpillar Lab set up a table with tree branches in water. At first glance, that's all you see. But once you look closely, you can find a large, brightly colored caterpillar crawling along the leaves. Look even closer and you'll find smaller, more camouflaged caterpillars. Soon you'll discover five maybe even ten on one single branch!
Journey held a Hickory Horned Devil!
We learned that the Hickory Horned Devil will constrict and shorten it's body then leave behind it's outerbits in preparation for pupation. Here you can see the stages.
This caterpillar uses pine needles to disguise itself!
In downtown Boston we walked around Quincy Market and stood where the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre took place.
We walked thru the New England Holocaust Memorial, which consists of six illuminated glass and granite towers, representing the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, as well as the six main death camps. Smoke rises from the ground as an eerie reminder of many who spent their last moments in gas chambers.
"Remember" is engraved in both English and Hebrew on the sidewalk.
Seven digit numbers are etched in the glass walls of the memorial, numbers that would have been tattooed on the arms of the Jews that were killed.
We walked around Arnold Arboretum and found a buckeye tree!
Of course we chose to spend a couple hours at the Boston Children's Museum. Asher and Journey loved it.
This fun green screen put them right into an episode of a cartoon.
Five days in Boston was not enough, but it was time to move on.
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