Assateague Island, VA

Next to Chincoteague Island is Assateague Island, which is a National Wildlife Refuge.

Apparently that also means it is a bug refuge, and we got our first mosquito bites of the trip.

They have a pretty nice Visitors Center with displays, a wildlife viewing area, and a theater where you can request videos.

The video the kids selected was the Kratt Brothers Wild Ponies. Turned out to be a very early video from 1993. It was quite funny to watch them bumble through the video, when they were obviously so new to being on camera.

After the Visitors Center we went to the beach.

When looking online earlier, I found that
shell collecting is permitted on the island,
but they limit how many shells you can take.

Only one GALLON per person!

We laughed, wondering why on earth anyone would collect a gallon of shells.

The water was so nice and warm, a comfy 72 degrees. Compared to the 50 degree water at home on the Pacific, it was so pleasant. We just giggled when a couple got their feet wet and said "brrrrr."

There were beautiful kites flying, birds at the waters edge, and even a small pod of dolphins in view.

We spent about an hour on the beach, and got back to the car with our shells,

all three gallons of them.

Grin.

Greeting the Atlantic Ocean

Kites

I think I'll make this my wallpaper when I get home

Monticello in Pictures

Sept. 16th

In no particular order, because Blogger is a pain, and I can't easily rearrange them.

Thomas Jefferson had the hillside leveled on the east side of his mountain for the favorable climate. 

The passageway beneath the main house, down which the cooks had to carry the hot food.

Loved the glimpses of the gardens through the passageway windows.

The Jefferson family cemetery on the property.

The doors down the left wall here are to the kitchen, store room and similar.

Thomas Jefferson's handwriting duplicator.

The walk from the house down to the parking area was beautiful.

Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate (the flower in the foreground).

The handrails down to the vegetable garden were worn very smooth.

Contemplating his first move at the Discovery Center.

Reading Thomas Jefferson's books from his rotating book stand.

So fun to make two pictures at once.

Testing out the iron.

The kitchen below the house. There were six 'burners' against the wall,
where the cooks could put coals beneath grates.

Approaching the only home in America listed on the World Heritage List.

Creation Museum

Sept. 14th

What a treat.

The Creation Museum displays the world's view of evolution along side the Biblical view. Highly recommended for any age.

Hannah really enjoyed reading the displays and walking through the 'Time Tunnel'. Her favorite display was the times of Adam and Eve, with the garden of Eden and all the animals.

She also got to pet a real Zonkey and Zorse. They were beautiful.

Robby loved 'building' the ark and climbing on a triceratops.

I loved the information about the geology of the Flood aftermath and the Tower of Babel incident that scattered the tribes of Noah all over the earth.

We purchased two DVD sets to watch when we get home.

Oh, and the kids really had a ball in the 'Special Effects' Theater where the seats shook and water sprayed on us all.

Definitely worth the admission price, highly recommended.

More Ingalls Homestead and Town Photos

Driving up to the Ingalls Homestead, the Cottonwood trees on the left are the actual trees that Pa Ingalls planted.

The stone marker is where the original "Little House on the Prairie" stood - with Pas Cottonwoods down the slope behind

A very refreshing wagon ride on a very hot day

Perching on a Percheron

These horses are just massive

The one room schoolhouse like Laura taught at when she was 15

Care to guess the riddle?

The hay roofed barn

Peeking out the barn window with "Midnight"

I wonder what the purpose of this peek-a-boo window was?

Taking a break from the sun and wind

The only still existing house that the Ingalls family lived in.

The sign on the Loftus Store building - too bad the inside was such a disappointment

The house that Pa built for Ma when they moved to town permanently

Ingalls Homestead

Visiting the Little House on the Prairie

Homestead Map

A fantastic lookout tower, but us grown-ups weren't interested in braving the whipping wind to see the view

Running down the prairie hill

Little House on the Prairie on the left and the new big barn on the right

View from the other direction - two big barns on left, store at the top of the hill, and the "Little House" on the right

Roping looks easier than it is, even with a stationary volunteer

The dug out house built as a representative of the home in On The Banks of Plum Creek

It was amazingly cool inside, despite the 90+ weather outside, but there were to many creepy-crawlies for us to stay long enough to really cool down

Their hair was flying every which way

A beautiful old church in DeSmet