Plimoth Plantation

2 weekends ago the weather was still nice. Mommy found a good deal through our local library, where entrance to Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II was only $12 for adults and $8 for a child. What a great deal! The normal admission is $28 for an adult!

The trip was a suggestion made by K's teacher, since K is learning about the Wompanoag Native Americans and the Pilgrims. We thought it will be a great field trip so Mommy and Daddy could learn about them too.

From Wikipedia:

Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims. They were among the first people who emigrated to America to avoid religious persecution and to seek religious separation from the Church of England. It currently is a not-for-profit museum supported by admissions, contributions, grants and volunteers.
The re-creations are sourced from a wide variety of first and second records, accounts, articles and period paintings and artifacts, and the museum conducts ongoing research and scholarship, including historical archaeological excavation and curation locally and abroad.
In the 1700 English Village section of the museum, interpreters have been trained to speak, act, and dress appropriately for the period. At Plimoth Plantation they are called historical interpreters, and they interact with their 'strange visitors' (i.e. the modern general public) in the first person, answering questions, discussing their lives and viewpoints and participating in tasks such as cooking, planting, blacksmithing and animal husbandry. The 1627 English Village loosely follows a time line, chronologically representing the calendar year 1627 from late March through November (the months the museum is open), depicting day-to-day life and seasonal activities as well as featuring some key historical events such as funerals and special celebrations.

Alongside the settlement is a re-creation of a Wampanoag home site, where modern Native People from a variety of nations (not in period character, but in traditional dress) explain and demonstrate how the Wampanoag's ancestors lived and interacted with the settlers.
The museum grounds at Plimoth Plantation also include Nye Barn, where historical breeds of livestock are kept; a crafts center where many of the objects used in the village exhibits are created; a cinema where educational videos are shown, a Colonial Education site for youth and adult groups, and visitors' center with indoor exhibits and educational programs.

The Mayflower II, docked near the purported Plymouth Rock, is also under the care of the museum. Colonial first-person interpreters represent the sailors and officers of the ship circa the 1620s.

We arrived there just before lunch time, and so we decided to have lunch first before we explored the museum. Daddy ordered the special of the day (which was a stuffed Quahog), not knowing what it was. Turns out it is a sort of clam :) Mommy had a venison burger. Daddy was kidding around and asked Mommy how she would ever know it was venison and not just plain ol' beef. But it was very tender, so Mommy still believes it is venison!

After lunch, we then watched a 13 minutes introductory video before heading to the Wampanoag Village. K was very excited and was telling us facts she has been learning in school. She showed us their house (called a 'wetu') which she had made a copy of in school.

At the English Village, Aiden loved chasing the chickens. I think that was his favorite part of the day. LOL! The girls helped a village maiden pick leek seeds, which will be planted next spring. It was a tedious job, and that poor girl had a whole bunch to do. Then we spoke to a guide, who informed us that her family of 7 would live in one of those tiny houses. K could not believe it, because there was only 1 bed.

After Plimoth Plantation, we headed to the town of Plymouth, which was about 3 miles away. We stopped to take a look at Plymouth Rock, which the traditional site of disembarkation of the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. It is just a rock...... And hard to believe that this was the first solid land the Pilgrims set foot on. Hmm....

Our last stop was the Mayflower II, which is a replica of the original Mayflower trading ship that sailed from Plymouth, England, carrying 102 Pilgrims and 25-30 crew members. It was a tiny space for the Pilgrims, who also travelled with livestock. It must have been a grueling,cold and uncomfortable 2 months at sea (September to November 1620). Quite amazing.