Travel & Vacation
Charleston: Historic Heyward-Washington House
The girls hanging out by the kitchen at the Heyward-Washington House. The kitchen house contained all the cooking, washing, and upstairs it has a servants quarters.
The girls and I visited The Heyward-Washington House when we were in Charleston recently. We got there a few moments before the tour so we were able to spend some time walking through the Heyward-Washington House kitchen and gardens. It was nice to take a walk through the gardens first thing in the morning. We were so excited to explore we didn’t get a picture of the front of the house.
Thomas Heyward, Jr was the owner of this house. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and was in the militia during the American Revolution. During President George Washington’s stay in Charleston he stayed at the Heyward-Washington House. In the late 1700’s the house sold to John F. Grimke. Grimke served in the Revolutionary War and the father of Sarah and Angeline Grimke. Sarah and Angeline were known for speaking out against slavery and were asked to leave Charleston. Earlier this year the Brina had done a research project on Angeline Grimke so that was really neat to find out her family lived in this house. It was Charleston’s first historic home that was turned into a museum.
Girls in the kitchen. It must have been a super busy kitchen many years ago.
Touring the gardens of the Heyward-Washington House.
Walking through the gardens checking out all the plants.
Brina in the garden. She is very concerned we are going to miss the tour because we are walking through the gardens! She was good about keeping track of our time!
Beautiful purple flowers in the garden.
Touring the Heyward-Washington House! The girls were the only kids and the tour guide had them do a scavenger hunt looking for various items throughout the house. It made the tour a little more of an adventure for the girls and they earned a free gift at the end!
A neat house to explore! The Heyward-Washington House part of Historic Charleston!
Travel & Vacation: Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum – U.S.S. Laffey & U.S.S. Clamagore
After exploring the U.S.S. Yorktown we toured the U.S.S. Laffey and U.S.S. Clamagore (the submarine). We packed a lot of learning, exploring, and fun into one day while we were at Charleston. Thankful for the opportunity to learn little pieces of our country’s history and share the experience with our kids. It was a muggy and rainy day, but we had a great time. Although it poured when we were going between the Laffey and the Clamagore we just splashed through the puddles laughing the whole way (luckily there was no lightening since we were in between large hunks of metal conductors).
The U.S.S. Laffey was used back in the 1940’s. One of it’s biggest battles was off the shores of Okinawa when over 20 Japanese bombers and kamikazes attacked it. They have an actual place you can go into and “experience” what it was like for the men on that day. It was a rainy day so we only had to wait a couple minutes to get into the Mount 53 experience, it was really neat activity to do if you are ever on the U.S.S. Laffey!
Walking through the U.S.S. Laffey!
Neat model of the U.S.S. Laffey. It was hard getting a good picture with the on and off rain storms that day!
Brina’s in charge!
Both girls in the captain’s chair!
Brina hanging out with her Dad!
U.S.S. Clamagore Submarine!
All of us were completely soaked by the time we reached the Clamagore, Karlie was the first one to arrive safely!
A little wet and slightly cool, but ready to explore the Clamagore Submarine!
It was a fun day in Charleston despite getting a little wet!
After dinner we were going to go to Books A Million, but it was closed already so the girls found another way to stay entertained. Brina having fun!
Karlie’s flying now! Look out!
Travel & Vacation: Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum – U.S.S. Yorktown
Our family on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Yorktown!
Whenever we have an opportunity to go to Charleston we try to pick at least one historical adventure to go on as a family. One of our recent trips to Charleston we decided to spend a good chunk of the day at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum touring the U.S.S. Yorktown. When we got the tickets the day before they said to plan on being there at least 2 to 3 hours, we spent over 6 hours going through the U.S.S. Yorktown, U.S.S Laffey, and the U.S.S. Clamagore. The kids had a blast and it was a wonderful learning activity for all of us. Makes us appreciate the men and women who serve our country even more.
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum – U.S.S. Yorktown
Of course, they had to check out the cannon!
Ready to explore Patriots Point in Charleston
The day started off overcast and bright, but thankfully we were still able to do everything and were back inside the ship when it was pouring.
Brina in the cockpit!
Karlie ready to fly the plane!
Soaking it all in….
Big guns!
Anything relating to space captivates Karlie’s attention!
We all did the blast off to the Moon Simulation together, so much fun!
Learning more about D-Day
Pilots are ready for their orders and paying attention…..ha!
Karlie looking through the wing of the airplane!
Learning how to work the different pieces.
Karlie walking with Jake and asking him a bundle of questions about the various planes on the flight deck.
That blade is huge Brina!
Brina found a spot under the wing with a good breeze on the warm muggy day!
Checking out another plane!
Brina all smiles!
I think I recognize those two on the other side of the port hole!
Yes, they are sitting in the captains chair!
Look at that Handsome Man on the other side of the port hole!
Karlie giving out orders to the pilots. She looks like a tough commander!
Brina ringing the bell!
The Medal of Honor Museum was amazing! They had a cool interactive display as you walked in that lit up with a variety of shots from the wars (pictured above).
What the Army, Navy, and Air Force Medals of Honor look like. A Medal of Honor is given by the President, in the name of Congress, to a member of the military who distinguishes themselves by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of losing their own life. They go beyond the call of duty. The act must be one of bravery or self-sacrifice. The youngest person to ever receive a Medal of Honor was William Johnston, age 12. In 1862 during the Peninsula Campaign many men were taking off their equipment so they had less to carry and could retreat faster. William (also known as “Willie”) was the only drummer boy to bring his drum off the battlefield.
U.S.S. Yorktown
Travel & Vacation: Spiritline Cruises
Our ferryboat transportation from Patriots Point to Fort Sumter
In order to get to Fort Sumter you have to take a boat over to it. We met Spiritline Cruises Ferryboat at Patriots Point and took it over to Fort Sumter. It was relaxing and informational riding the boat over to Fort Sumter. They explained a little bit about the area around us and give us highlights on Fort Sumter as well. The girls brought their monoculars and it was pretty cool some the items they were able to see clearly with them. We even learned about a fort I hadn’t heard about before Castle Pinckney. It sprinkled a little on the way over and poured on the way back, but thankfully the big rains came while we were on the boat not during our actual tour. We did get to see several dolphins on our trip too which was exciting for the girls!
Karlie looking through her monocular at Castle Pinckney
Brina checking out the forts, harbor, and surrounding areas as we cruise on the ferryboat. The Orion 10×42 Waterproof Monoculars we got the girls for Christmas have been amazing (the Swagbucks we had earned came in handy when buying these on Amazon too)! If you travel with your kids this is a great way for them to see a lot of neat things and are they light, waterproof, easy to carry, and simple to use.
Brina loving the ferryboat ride! We even saw dolphins swimming alongside of the boat!
Checking out all the cool sights around the Charleston harbor!
The Castle Pinckney was one of the really neat sights we saw on the way to Fort Sumter. I had never heard of this fort before our trip and it was fascinating to learn a little piece of its history too. It was named after Charles Cotesworth Pinckney who was well known in Charleston area as well as a general in the American Revolution and a South Carolina delegate in the Constitutional Convention. The site where the castle was built was selected for military purposes by President George Washington.
The castle was originally a log fort in the early 1800’s until a hurricane hit and they had to rebuild with stronger fortification. It was considering unique when it was built because the men could fire on the attacking ships from multiple levels with it’s half circle architecture. Although, when the long range cannons were created Castle Pinckney’s usefulness decreased. The Pinckney Castle became the second line of defense once Fort Sumter was completed. You can see Castle Pinckney when going to and from Fort Sumter, however, there are no public tours of this fort at this time. You can learn more about the history of Castle Pinckney and other neat historical landmarks at Explore Southern History.
Karlie having a blast touring the Charleston area!
Our final stop was P.F. Chang’s in Mount Pleasant. I have eaten at the one in Greenville several times for work or with friends, but since Jake and the girls hadn’t eaten at P. F. Chang’s we decided to try it. The girls especially liked their giant horse outside the restaurant!
Karlie relaxing and sipping her drink while waiting for her dinner to arrive!
We were seated immediately, but due to a mix up with our order it took almost 2 hours to get our food and once we got it part of the order was wrong (even the 3 tables around us, with the same server, who were seated after us got their orders before we did). The girls were good sports despite the long wait and we passed the time talking and playing games. The food was good, but I am not sure the rest of the family is overly excited about going back due to the service we received at this particular restaurant. Thankfully, we still had a good time and there are a lot of other restaurant choices in the Charleston area.
Travel & Vacation: Touring Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC
Arriving at Fort Sumter
The last time we visited Charleston, South Carolina we were able to go to Fort Sumter. The construction began on Fort Sumter in 1840’s it was slow work, but they put down over 7 million bricks for the 5 foot thick outer walls which were 50 feet above the water level. When the American Civil War started Fort Sumter was almost complete. On April 12, 1861 the Confederate soldiers located at Fort Johnson fired the first shot at Fort Sumter.
Fort Sumter was bombarded for over 30 hours and over 3,000 shells being shot at the fort. Citizens from Charleston watched the cannons fire on Fort Sumter from their rooftops. After a couple of days of bombardments the Union Army led by Major Anderson surrendered to General Beauregard of the Confederate Army.
Welcome to Fort Sumter!
Looking through one of the cannon portholes.
Jake and the girls.
Hanging out at Fort Sumter.
Brina standing on top of Fort Sumter!
Exploring Fort Sumter!
Our family at Fort Sumter! It was a rainy day, but we managed to miss most of the raindrops and had a grand time!
On top of Fort Sumter!
Getting ready to leave Fort Sumter, right before a big rain storm hit. Perfect timing!
Travel & Vacation: H.L. Hunley Submarine in Charleston, SC
H.L. Hunley Submarine!
A few years ago they found the H.L. Hunley Submarine off the coast of Charleston and have been restoring it in the Warren Lasch Conservation Center. Last year the girls learned about the Hunley in Social Studies and wanted to go see it. They were very excited because we got to visit the Hunley on our recent trip to Charleston. They are still in the process of restoring the Hunley so you have to look through an observation glass to see it, but there are a lot of neat items to see and learn about!
The H. L. Hunley is a neat piece of history because it was first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. It sunk the U. S. S. Housatonic in 1864 during the American Civil War. Unfortunately after it sunk the U.S.S. Houston the Hunley nor it’s crew could be found until just a few years ago. The scientists are still working to preserve the Hunley and there are several different opinions about why the H. L. Hunley disappeared.
Karlie peeking out one of the hatches!
There were two hatchways on the Hunley – one in the front and one in the back. They were only about 20 inches by 14 inches big (which would be about like trying to fit through a tire). Not very big!
Trying to power the replica of the Hunley by turning the bars in the submarine! Man-powered submarine!
They got Jake to help power the submarine!
Digging for the gold coin!
Looking at the actually H. L. Hunley while it is in the cleaning tank!
Another picture of the Hunley in the tank!
Learning about the Hunley!
A fun family adventure!
Lieutenant George Dixon’s gold coin! George Dixon’s girlfriend gave him this gold coin during the Civil War. At the Battle of Shiloh, George Dixon was shot, but the gold coin stopped the bullet and saved his life. He was said to be carrying it the day he went on the H. L. Hunley and it was one of the artifacts discovered when they brought the Hunley out of the water.
Brina powering the submarine!
Brina having fun learning about the Hunley submarine!
Karlie all smiles and soaking in the information!
Fun times with the kids!
House Building, Ice Cream Floats, Birds, Cats, and Crab Apples!
Fluff was such a good sport and let Brina carry her around!
We had a grand time in Kansas visiting family. Our time went by too quickly, but we were able to pack in a lot during our time in the area. We spent time with Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins and more. Thankful for family and the moments we get to share.
We brought ice cream floats to the guys who were working on my brother Josh’s house! Ice cream floats are a rare treat for the girls since we have one that has a dairy allergy so they were very excited!
Karlie enjoying her ice cream float!
Brina relaxing and sipping her float!
My brother is currently building a house so we got to watch the process and help carry a few boards. He is getting married later this year so he has a deadline! It will be a nice place for the new couple!
Checking out Great Grandpa Verlyn’s birds!
They always love going out to see Grandpa’s birds!
Some of the chickens!
And a turkey!
The girls wanted to help Grandpa collect the eggs, he had already done it that morning, but they had laid some more!
A few more eggs, some big ones too!
Grandpa Verlyn gave the girls some of his Crab Apples! He warned them that they were tart, but they insisted that they wanted to try them anyway!
Karlie thought the crab apples were great!
Brina loved the crab apples too! I thought the crab apples were a little too tart, but they both thought they were awesome! There are very few food items especially fruits and vegetables that they don’t like!
Fun with the Animals
Walking the animals!
At Grandpa Russell and Grandma Penny’s house they had two dogs, cats, pony, and a horse that provided a lot of fun entertainment for the kids. Everyday they played with the dogs, cat, and did something with the horse and pony. Sometimes they went for carriage rides, combed them, rode the horse and pony, or led them around the pasture. The girls enjoy anything to do with animals so these activities were a big hit!
Karlie playing with Aunt Renelle’s dog!
The girls love animals and are always game to spend some extra time with any animal. When we were in Colorado we stayed with at my cousin Renelle and Eric’s house. They have two dogs and two cats that are in the house so the girls thought that was awesome. They had a blast playing with all the animals (well, except for one of the cats who booked it as soon as he saw us bringing our suitcase inside the house.
Brina petting Renelle’s dog!
Buzz and Misty were very excited to see the kids back in Kansas and came running (of course they were with Grandma Penny and carrying a bucket of treats too).
Brina carry a halter and a bucket of treats for Buzz and Misty!
Heading to the pasture with Grandma to spend time with the animals!
Brina leading Misty around.
Karlie was giving Buzz some exercise too!
The dogs thought it was a great game and were running back and forth as the girls walked Misty and Buzz!
Enjoying some time with the animals!
Brina loves Misty! Such a sweet pony!
Buzz and Misty did really well being led by kids and a lead rope!
Brina would spend hours in the pasture if we let her!
Switched! Karlie is now leading Misty and Brina is leading Buzz around the pasture!
Going for their last walk of the evening!
Beautiful Kansas sunset! Taken in the front yard at my parents house.
Travel & Vacation: Casa Bonita in Denver, CO
Casa Bonita in Denver, CO
While the girls and I were visited family in Colorado we took the kids to Casa Bonita’s in Denver. Renelle, Eric, the girls, and I met up with our other family members at Casa Bonita (my parents, Uncle Rick, Aunt Mary Ann, Laurel, and Erik). I remember going to Casa Bonita’s when I was in Junior High, but our girls have never been to the restaurant. It is about what I remembered! It is a unique adventure if you have kids. You don’t necessarily go for the fine dining, but the entertainment is fun for the kids. The girls thought it was AWESOME!
Casa Bonita is Mexican food with a lot of fun kid activities:
- 30 Foot Waterfall
- Cliff Divers go off the waterfall every few minutes
- Stage Shows – rescuing the princess
- Musicians
- Arcade
- Black Bart’s Hideout
- Stalagmite Caves
- Jail
- Pinata
- Pinata fun for the kids
- And more activities!
If you are looking for a fun place to check out in Denver with the kids this may be a good spot. The food is okay, but you really go for the atmosphere as much as the meal.
Water fountain outside of Casa Bonita!
Pirates and princess show!
Cliff diver landed in the pool below!
Black Bart’s Hideout was NOT a favorite of the girls. I have one that really doesn’t like being scared nor does she like skeletons so this was one area she was not a fan of in Casa Bonita.
They won the pinata donkey body, ha! They thought it was great!!!
Uncle Eric and Aunt Renelle bought some arcade tokens. The girls really don’t go to the arcade so this was an extra special treat. They had a grand time on this game stomping on the “spiders”!
Playing Skeet ball with Uncle Eric!
Brina and Karlie playing skeet ball in the arcade!
How about a game of Popcorn!!!
Renelle is having a good laugh at the girls driving skills. A great reminder why we don’t let 9 years drive cars, ha! They had a blast though playing the games!
Going through the caves, looking at stalagmites, and pools of water!
View behind the waterfall!
The girls are with Renelle watching behind the waterfall and watching the next diver.
Karlie waving to the diver!
Hanging out behind the waterfall!
Uncle Eric and the girls by the waterfall!
Uncle Eric and the three of us outside Casa Bonita’s restaurant!
Travel & Vacation: Dinosaur Ridge
Karlie and Brina ready to go explore at Dinosaur Ridge!
My cousin Renelle and her husband Eric took the girls on an adventure to Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, Colorado. The girls were really excited to check out all the neat dinosaur prints, bones, and learn more about the dinosaurs in this area. We took a tour bus up Dinosaur Ridge and the guide stopped a few different places to let us get out and explore more. It was really neat! The girls had a grand time! Thanks Eric and Renelle for taking us up to Dinosaur Ridge!
Uncle Eric and the girls looking at the dinosaurs outside the visitor center!
The gray prints are dinosaur tracks!
If you look closely there is big track right next to a smaller set (a Mom dinosaur with a baby) and right behind the two tracks is another one that is chasing them. Pretty neat seeing the different tracks and how they can determine what they were and a lot of other cool details!
Up close picture of one of the big tracks.
They let you climb up part of the rock area to check out the tracks. The kids loved climbing up and putting their hands in the tracks!
A lot of different dinosaur tracks on this section.
Karlie all smiles as she comes up to the observation tower.
Karlie and Brina at Dinosaur Ridge.
All smiles! You can see the dinosaurs tracks in the picture behind them.
Looking at the tracks and listening to the guide talk about all the different ones.
Touching dinosaur bones in the rock.
Large dinosaur bone!
The guide told us how to locate them since not all were marked with signs. Karlie found one!
Brina found one too!
Another one has been found!
Karlie having a grand time at Dinosaur Ridge!
Listening to the guide describe and show all the interesting pieces in this area.
Karlie touching the dinosaur footprint. If you look closer the rocky area dips down where the dinosaur footprint is outlined.
Hanging out at Dinosaur Ridge. Fun times in Colorado!
