Once or twice a year we pack up the minivan and drive 730 miles to visit my mother in the Chicago suburbs. Usually we divide the trip into two days. The first day is actually pretty fun, we stop in Pittsburgh and visit either the Carnegie Science Center or the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh before stopping in Cleveland for the night. But the second day consists of a long, boring drive through miles and miles of cornfields. I've been trying to find a good half-way stop for awhile, but haven't had much luck.
This trip, however, I discovered the Historic Sauder Village, through a pamphlet at a rest stop. Sauder is located right outside Toledo, OH, making it the perfect stop between Cleveland and Chicago. In addition to its ideal location, Sauder is a wonderful place to visit with kids. We spent three hours there and would have stayed later if the grounds weren't closing.
The village consists of several historic houses and shops where volunteers talk about daily life (similar to Colonial Williamsburg, though on a much smaller scale). The quality of the volunteers varied, most were older and some looked downright annoyed to have us visit, whereas others told interesting stories about the "old days" and about their own childhoods. Further, no offense to the south, but, as a midwesterner, it felt nice to visit a pioneer village where slavery was never part of the equation.
The village also includes a pioneer settlement and a "native and newcomers" section - with indian teeppes and a trading post. But, by far, the biggest hit with my children was the Little Pioneers Village, where kids can milk a "cow", "drive" a carriage, and play in a house full of toys and a children's kitchen.
If you're ever traveling on the OH Turnpike and need a place to stop, I highly recommend spending some time at the Historic Sauder Village. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for children 6-16. Younger children are free. Click here for more information and for hours of operation (which change with season).
RANDOM LINKS:
*A sneak peak of the new Iris Apfel documentary. This looks awesome.
*A giant tree made by pedestrians.
*Some new pics of our daily life are up over here.
T spent the summer wearing pajamas everywhere. I can only fight so many battles. The train ride was a huge hit. HUGE!!!
The girls made new friends at the Little Pioneers Village and hosted a humongous feast full of fake food. Very yummy fake food, if I do say so myself.
