To continue with our Spring Break around home, we visited the Thomas Stone National Historic Site today near Port Tobacco, Maryland (about an hour away). Thomas Stone (for those of you who don't know) was the youngest person from Maryland to sign the Declaration of Independence. And his home is named Haberdeventure.
We started with a hike after picking up our junior ranger booklets.
The funniest part: The trail is supposed to lead us to a creek (according the map the ranger provided). It goes no where near a creek so B leads us off trail (breaking all sorts of junior ranger rules) and then decides he has to find a way across the creek because the trail must be on the other side.
He has us walking across this wetlands area. Basically, you have to step just right on the dry grass or you sink into a few inches of water. I was terrified, certain there were snakes hiding in there. Buddy followed B bravely. Little Guy was in the backpack with B. Princess Sparkley was behind me, about a step in to the marshy area. I went about 5 steps when I realized I wanted to wait until B actually found a way across the creek so I didn't have to walk all the way across the wetlands, and then back when it didn't work out. I finally retreated back to the shore with PS. Buddy started slowly making his way to us. We could just see B off in the distance behind some taller trees.
Then we heard a yell and a big splash and I had to run across the marsh/wetlands at full speed to make sure he and Little Guy were okay. I had no idea how big or deep the creek was, and I was worried that if B somehow went all the way under, or back first, Little Guy would get the bad end of it all. By the time I got there, he'd made his way up the other bank, wet from his shoes to the tops of his thighs. Little Guy was unscathed, although he kept telling B, "I almost got my boot wet. And my pants!" Which was cracking B up since he was completely soaked, but I don't think Little Guy realized that. Then B had to try to figure out a way back across to us since we weren't joining him, and it seemed like our map trail wasn't accurate anymore. I finally told him, just walk across, you're already wet to which he responded, "true," and walked across the two feet of water. Then we meandered our way back to the visitor's center hoping he'd dry off some so the rangers wouldn't ask how he got wet (since the real trail only came near a teeny stream). It was a cool day, he came home at the end of it still pretty wet, but luckily the rangers either didn't notice, or didn't comment.
Back at the visitor's center we watched an 8 minute movie about Thomas Stone, then a ranger led us on a tour inside Stone's house.
I love this top picture of the kids getting sworn in as junior rangers. First of all, when we first discovered the junior ranger program is was the summer of 2009 on our drive from Kansas to Utah. Buddy refused to repeat the pledge aloud (and in our experience, the park rangers are kind of sticklers about what pages in the book are completed, and if the kid says the pledge, etc.). The kids did a pledge Saturday at Prince William Forest Park and then today. Both times Buddy has been the one saying it, while PS embarrassingly mumbles something and Little Guy just smiles with his hand in the air not really sure what's going on or that he's supposed to be saying anything. So in these pictures, the big kids are goofing off, embarrassed or not really paying attention, but Little Guy looks truly committed to being the best junior ranger he can be.
I like visiting these smaller National Park sites because the rangers are so happy to have visitors. The ranger who checked our kids' junior ranger books and swore them in was fabulous today.
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