Old World Wisconsin

Today we had the opportunity to visit Old World Wisconsin, which is a historical site dedicated to preserving the life and times of the settlers of the late 19th century. The boys and I have been reading the Little House books this year, and this was a wonderful place to visit to bring the books to life. I wish I had known that they actually have Laura Ingalls Wilder days in July!

The boys got personal attention from the teacher in this one-room schoolhouse. We were the only ones in there, and she gave them a lesson on their slates. She also brought a portion of the book On the Banks of Plum Creek to life for us. Remember the part where Laura and Mary don't want to do their studies because they are so worried about Pa during the winter? Ma has them get out their slates and she tells them a story while they draw what she describes and the picture they end up with is a big, ugly bird? The book says that Carrie laughs so hard she rolls out of her chair.
Below, Caden is getting a birds-eye view of a honey bee hive. We saw the queen bee and were amazed at the process of bees making honey. Only God...
Here's Caden with a calf in the petting zoo (all animals were babies...awww!).
The grounds are beautiful. Everything is nestled in the woods with lots of wildflowers everywhere. I thought this made the perfect backdrop for a photo. Do you agree?
On our way to the restaurant.
At another homestead, Cody practices doing "wash." (Thank goodness for modern conveniences like a washer and dryer, a stove, and central air.)
The boys will tell you this was their favorite part: Visiting the blacksmith shop. We watched him make a horseshoe. Cody got to "pump" air into the fire. It really was very neat to see something made up close and personal.
We got to take an Omnibus ride with these two horses that the boys named "Pet and Patty." :-)
We had such a fun day and really enjoyed the experience. My only regret was that we didn't have more time. We weren't able to make our way through the whole place. They tell you it takes five or six hours but we could have easily spent another two or three hours exploring, to be sure.

Hope you've enjoyed your tour of the Old World. Visit for yourself if you ever get the chance. It's a very special place!