the outer banks: a big ol' field trip

People always ask if we homeschool during the summer.

That's funny because school never really ends in our house...Heck, I even plan our vacations according to

what we're studying :)

That's partly joking and partly not.

When I saw this article in Family Fun, I was so excited because it looked like such a fun place with so much history...history that toootally applied to our history unit this year. 

So, here's a picture-heavy recap of the history side of our vacation.

{The Wright Brothers}

Did you know the Wright Brothers flew the first plane in Kill Devil Hills, NC?

Well, now you do...our last unit in science this year was on aviation, so we read a lot about the Wright Bros.

I have some other fun stuff to share about that unit too...stay tuned.

{Roanoke Island Festival Park}

I love history.

Love it.

Love love love it.

I especially love history mysteries. (good rhyme, I know)

So, have you ever heard of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island?

If not, you should check out this book. It gives such a great description.

Anyway, that whole deal went right right there on Roanoke Island....right where we were.

I was a little giddy with my history-lovin' self that day.

Festival Park was so cool.

There were little villages set up for both the Native Americans and the English settlers.

There were hands-on activities for the kids to do as they walked through the forest, looking at the villages.

Activities such as using oyster shells to skin a deer hide.

Or tying knots to make a fishing net.

One of the coolest attractions there was the Elizabeth II, a replica of the ship the settlers would've taken there from England.

Elizabeth II was so. much. fun.

Old sailer answering kids' questions...

Everything was touchable. They could play with the whole ship.

Swab the deck. Cook.

Ring the bell.

Coolness.

There were trails through the woods that the kids loved.

You couldn't help but wonder what it would've been like for the English, coming to a new strange land, meeting up with the Natives....having to learn to survive there.

I was soaking in every minute.

The English settlement had a blacksmith and some other workers making things.

She was making handcuffs.

She gave Jack a nail she'd made because she said she knew he was a good boy.

He was speechless. 

I think he was on his best behavior all day after that comment.

Ah, the power of a compliment.

Noah was also soaking in every minute.

He's my science guy, but he also loves history too and I 've "made" him read tons of books about this stuff...

I wanted him to be prepared of course.

{The Lost Colony}

That night we went to a reinactment of the Lost Colony story.

It's the longest running outdoor drama in the nation.

It's actually where Andy Griffith got his start, believe it or not.

I think I've shared that I love history...but I also love the theater.

So this was the perfect combo for me.

The show was AMAZING!

As we were walking into the seating area we had to walk through the forest down a path.

There were actors playing Native Americans hiding in the trees looking at us.

It was so cool.

The kids loved that.

The show itself was an absolute 10!

The scenery was beautiful, the costumes, the acting.

Just awesome.

There were great fighting scenes where soldiers would run through the aisles shooting their guns...it was all very exciting.

The boys especially were glued to their seats.

{Cape Hatteras Lighthouse}

I'm not a big heights girl.

I was totally ok with the fact that Sophie was too short to climb the tallest lighthouse in America,

so we just stayed on the ground.

I did, however, take pictures of the gorgeous floor and the cast iron staircase though.

Top of the lighthouse...taken by Daddy, another hater of heights. EEK!

This was a great field trip for this homeschoolin' family.

Next year is early American history...maybe we'll do a trip to Philadelphia or Plymouth Rock.

I'll talk to Jarrod about that ;)

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

xo,

{alicia}