Saturday, August 20
Saugus Ironworks was very special to visit today. Rangers melted down an old radiator and poured the melted iron into sand molds that had carved designs into. We had to carve the letters backwards so that they would be the right direction when the plaque came out of the mold. I drew a dog on mine. One of Boston's first leaders wanted an iron factory, but the first location didn't work. A new factory was built at Saugus. The factory had the newest high-tech instruments for iron-making at that time. The location was much better. They dammed up the river to make a mill-pond. That powered the water wheels. We even got to see the old dump pile, on which they put the ash and iron leftovers from their hot fires. It is now overgrown with grass.
Nearby is the town of Salem. We saw a tall-masted ship from the old days. It was amazing!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Franconia Notch
Thursday, August 18
Today we went to the Franconia Notch State Park and saw the place where the Old Man of the Mountain used to be. The Old Man was a piece of granite was a cliff of granite that looked like a man's face. It had a forehead, spaces for eyes and nose, and a chin. On May 3, 2003, it fell in a rainstorm.
We went to 3 or 4 pullover stops, and at one of them we saw a 40-foot deep pool in the river. I could not see the bottom! At another stop we saw some people getting into the current and sliding down the smooth rocks. It was like a water slide and looked really fun.
Today we went to the Franconia Notch State Park and saw the place where the Old Man of the Mountain used to be. The Old Man was a piece of granite was a cliff of granite that looked like a man's face. It had a forehead, spaces for eyes and nose, and a chin. On May 3, 2003, it fell in a rainstorm.
We went to 3 or 4 pullover stops, and at one of them we saw a 40-foot deep pool in the river. I could not see the bottom! At another stop we saw some people getting into the current and sliding down the smooth rocks. It was like a water slide and looked really fun.
Mt. Washington
Wednesday, August 17
Today we went to the top of Mount Washington in a borrowed truck. Our truck was 10 inches longer than the limit. So we went to the manager of the mountain and he said that one of his staff offered her truck, which was smaller than ours. On our way up the mountain, we listened to a guided tour on cd.
When we got to the top, the first thing we saw was the fantastic view. Then we went to the Tip Top House which used to be a hotel. We took a picture by the summit sign, then back into the little black truck and slowly drove back down the mountain. We had to stop because another car had gotten stuck in a ditch beside the road. It was finally pulled out, and we got to see the rescue vehicles in action.
When we got to the bottom, we thanked Miss Regina, the lady who let us borrow her truck. Then we thanks the manager for figuring out a way for us to get to the top. It was a good day.
Today we went to the top of Mount Washington in a borrowed truck. Our truck was 10 inches longer than the limit. So we went to the manager of the mountain and he said that one of his staff offered her truck, which was smaller than ours. On our way up the mountain, we listened to a guided tour on cd.
When we got to the top, the first thing we saw was the fantastic view. Then we went to the Tip Top House which used to be a hotel. We took a picture by the summit sign, then back into the little black truck and slowly drove back down the mountain. We had to stop because another car had gotten stuck in a ditch beside the road. It was finally pulled out, and we got to see the rescue vehicles in action.
When we got to the bottom, we thanked Miss Regina, the lady who let us borrow her truck. Then we thanks the manager for figuring out a way for us to get to the top. It was a good day.
Mainly Maine
Sunday, August 14
Today we went on a four-hour bike ride. The first half had lots of uphill, and the second half was downhill. That was a lot easier and I did a lot better. I have a single-gear bike and my parents say it will be easier when I get a geared bike.
After the ride, we went to a lighthouse, and the fog was coming in. It was very cool. The light was turned on. It was red and blinking. Then we had lunch and drove into town for a slice of blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. It was sooo good! The pie was chock-full of blueberries.
Today we went on a four-hour bike ride. The first half had lots of uphill, and the second half was downhill. That was a lot easier and I did a lot better. I have a single-gear bike and my parents say it will be easier when I get a geared bike.
After the ride, we went to a lighthouse, and the fog was coming in. It was very cool. The light was turned on. It was red and blinking. Then we had lunch and drove into town for a slice of blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. It was sooo good! The pie was chock-full of blueberries.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Acadia again!
Saturday, August 13
Today we did a touch tank talk and got to see and touch a starfish, a sea cucumber, a spider crab, a sea sponge, clams, mussels and a snail. The sea cucumber has cells that allow it to bulge and be flexible. I saw one turn into the shape of a snake's head and then into a ball. The starfish has little scissor-like bumps on its back. One starfish got put on dad's arm so that the ranger could show us how it grabs onto things.. When it was pulled off, it had grabbed hold of his arm hair and pulled out a couple of pieces! He said it felt like a bandaid when it gets pulled off. The colors on a starfish are for camouflage.
One type of snail will climb up onto a mussel and lick with its tough tongue that contains an acid. It eventually makes a hole in the shell. Then it will suck out the mussel and eat it.
Later in the day, we went on a carriage ride and I got to drive the horses for an hour! Mike, the driver, was very nice and put me up on Bea before the ride so that I could see how tall she is. Bea and Homer are brother and sister Clydesdales. They have the same father. Bea is grey, and Homer looks like a small Budweiser horse. When we started to head to stable on the second half of the trip, the horses knew that dinner was waiting. They started to walk faster and faster. Mike helped me hold them back. It was so much fun! I think it was the best day of the trip so far!
Today we did a touch tank talk and got to see and touch a starfish, a sea cucumber, a spider crab, a sea sponge, clams, mussels and a snail. The sea cucumber has cells that allow it to bulge and be flexible. I saw one turn into the shape of a snake's head and then into a ball. The starfish has little scissor-like bumps on its back. One starfish got put on dad's arm so that the ranger could show us how it grabs onto things.. When it was pulled off, it had grabbed hold of his arm hair and pulled out a couple of pieces! He said it felt like a bandaid when it gets pulled off. The colors on a starfish are for camouflage.
One type of snail will climb up onto a mussel and lick with its tough tongue that contains an acid. It eventually makes a hole in the shell. Then it will suck out the mussel and eat it.
Later in the day, we went on a carriage ride and I got to drive the horses for an hour! Mike, the driver, was very nice and put me up on Bea before the ride so that I could see how tall she is. Bea and Homer are brother and sister Clydesdales. They have the same father. Bea is grey, and Homer looks like a small Budweiser horse. When we started to head to stable on the second half of the trip, the horses knew that dinner was waiting. They started to walk faster and faster. Mike helped me hold them back. It was so much fun! I think it was the best day of the trip so far!
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| Homer and Bea eating dinner |
Acadia National Park
Friday, August 12
Today we went to Acadia National Park and we hiked the Ocean Path. We saw one of the few sandy beaches in Acadia. The water brings the sand in and onto the beach in the spring. Before winter, the tide takes all of the sand off the rocks and back into the ocean. It leaves the beach with only rounded rocks called cobblestones.
When we drove up Cadillac Mountain, we had a hard time finding a parking spot. It had a gorgeous view. After that, we went on a hike with a ranger. We learned that this area was French, then British, and then it became America.
Today we went to Acadia National Park and we hiked the Ocean Path. We saw one of the few sandy beaches in Acadia. The water brings the sand in and onto the beach in the spring. Before winter, the tide takes all of the sand off the rocks and back into the ocean. It leaves the beach with only rounded rocks called cobblestones.
When we drove up Cadillac Mountain, we had a hard time finding a parking spot. It had a gorgeous view. After that, we went on a hike with a ranger. We learned that this area was French, then British, and then it became America.
Cornish, New Hampshire
Monday, August 8
After we ate pancakes for breakfast, we went to Augustus Saint-Gauden's house. It's a national park site. He married a woman named Augusta, and they were called Gus and Gussie. One year they were looking for a summer house, and his friend offered them an old inn that was spider-webby and rundown. Gus didn't like it, but Gussie did. She thought the barn could be made into a studio where he could work on his sculptures and she could work on her paintings. They rented it and eventually bought it.
We also went to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park. All of the men named in the park, Marsh, Billings and Rockefeller, were conservationists. They took care of the land and wanted to protect it. Marsh could not see well when he was little. But he could see all of the de-treeing of the forests around his home. Billings became wealthy, and he replanted a lot of those trees around the home. When he died, his wife and daughters planted many more. Rockefeller married Billings' granddaughter, and they helped to preserve a lot of the land in our country. They turned the land around the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller home into a park. I thought today was very interesting. It made me think about how I can help protect nature and how it is handled.
After we ate pancakes for breakfast, we went to Augustus Saint-Gauden's house. It's a national park site. He married a woman named Augusta, and they were called Gus and Gussie. One year they were looking for a summer house, and his friend offered them an old inn that was spider-webby and rundown. Gus didn't like it, but Gussie did. She thought the barn could be made into a studio where he could work on his sculptures and she could work on her paintings. They rented it and eventually bought it.
We also went to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park. All of the men named in the park, Marsh, Billings and Rockefeller, were conservationists. They took care of the land and wanted to protect it. Marsh could not see well when he was little. But he could see all of the de-treeing of the forests around his home. Billings became wealthy, and he replanted a lot of those trees around the home. When he died, his wife and daughters planted many more. Rockefeller married Billings' granddaughter, and they helped to preserve a lot of the land in our country. They turned the land around the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller home into a park. I thought today was very interesting. It made me think about how I can help protect nature and how it is handled.
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