If you've never ridden on an un-airconditioned school bus with 42 antsy public school children on a day the temps top 90 degrees, I highly recommend it. I also recommend taking 3 Tylenol before embarking, which is what I did. This did not, however, save me from an awful tension headache from the heat at the end of the day.
Wakefield rests along the banks of Pope's Creek, which looked a whole lot more like a river to a bunch of first graders. Washington was born there in 1732. The original house burned on Christmas Day, 1779, but a memorial home sits next to the place where they have marked the boundaries of the first home with a track of oyster shells.
Some of the furnishings in the memorial house were donated by descendants of Washington. The bed came from his great-niece.
The kitchen was, of course, housed separately because it burnt down every few years. They also liked to keep all that heat away from the house during the hot summer months.
We got to see a real team of oxen!
They sold tobacco to buy luxuries like sugar, china, and fine cloth.
We picnicked by Pope's Creek after our tour. Then it was back on the hot, sweaty bus for a ride home. Thankfully, most of the kids were so hot and tired that the noise level dimmed considerably.
It was a fun day, and I really enjoyed my first time as a field trip chaperon. I plan to enjoy it while my kids aren't embarrassed to have me around!
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This looks like a fun and educational field trip for the kids. I've never been to Wakefield and would like to see it one day.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize you lived in VA! I've lived in Richmond pretty much my entire life and I love it! There is so much history and so much to see and do :)
ReplyDeleteVirginia is SO awesome. It was a great place to live back when we were starving students--so many historical sites, many of which are low-price admission or even free! I've never been to Washington's birthplace, though--thank you for taking us along. :)
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