The Soldotna Homestead Museum: A Hidden Gem on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula

 Alaska, Best trip archives  No Responses »
Aug 172011
 

Many visitors motor straight through Soldotna, Alaska on their way to Homer and the other  picturesque fishing hamlets along the Kenai Peninsula’s western coast.  We were in town to go fishing and bear viewing but with a little time to kill we decided to stop by the Soldotna Homestead Museum at 461 Centennial Park Road near the Soldotna Visitor Center.  The visit ended up being a highlight of our week in Alaska with the teens.

Don't miss the Soldotna Homestead Museum

The museum consists of about a half dozen historical structures moved from various locations on the Peninsula.  Most were built in log cabin fashion although we learned that there were several different techniques, as each cabin took a different approach to constructing corners.   The buildings include a school, a community hall and several homesteader cabins.

Typical Alaskan Homesteader cabin at the Soldotna Homestead Museum

Rustic is the only way to describe how the homesteaders lived while they worked the land to earn a patent on their 40 acres.  The Museum’s map of the original homestead plots showed how the early birds got the best access to water while the later arrivals had to haul theirs in.

Wood stoves were the order of the day

Coming from New England, the teens were surprised to learn that homesteading in this part of Alaska lasted until the mid 1950s.  As a result, the artifacts on display included many items they might have found in their grandparent’s basements such as canning jars and vintage cookware.  Some were a bit more unusual like the  dentist drill powered by a foot pedal and a wood stove made from an oil drum.  The native animal and bird taxidermy collection was fun too!

Stuffed owl on display at the Soldotna Homestead Museum

One of our favorite buildings was the one room schoolhouse, which reminded Camera Guy of his youth in Central Vermont.

One room homesteader school house

We thought the 1950s metal lunch boxes and the Dick and Jane reading books were a nice touch!

Soldotna Homestead Museum school room

The highlight of the visit, however, was the opportunity to talk with the two wonderful historical society members who were staffing the museum that day.  Their parents had been homesteaders and these ladies brought to life the days before the main highway through town was paved and recalled the excitement of Alaska gaining statehood. The teens thought is was cool, but  Mom and Dad had a hard time believing hardy Alaskan homesteaders were raising families in log cabins off the grid at the same time we were watching cartoons on black and white TVs!

The Museum does not have a web site and is only open May to September but be sure to stop by if you are in the area for a glimpse at a unique slice of 20th century Americana.


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Explore New York City’s High Line Linear Park

 New York City  5 Responses »
May 132011
 

     The best way to experience New York City is to walk it.  One of more recent additions to the city’s walking scene is the lower West Side’s High Line park, located on a former elevated rail spur that runs through the  Meatpacking District.  

Take a walk along New York City's High Line

     Opened in 1934 to replace the West Side’s street level rail line, aka Death Alley, the High Line was unique in that it traveled down the center of the blocks, right through factories and warehouses where freight could be loaded and unloaded easily and securely.  Today the walking park runs right through the Chelsea Market building.

Hardy urban native plants keep the High Line green

     The line was dismantled and abandoned in pieces through the 1960s and 1970s with the last train carrying 3 cars of frozen turkeys in 1980.  The remaining 1.45 length of track was gradually taken over by tough urban grasses, plants and trees during the 1990s.  In the late 1990s a group of local advocates for open spaces raised awareness and built support for the city to turn it into a public park.  

A view of the Hudson River from the High Line

     The first third of the restored park opened for use in 2009.   The next section is scheduled to open in June 2011.   From the first day the park has been a hit with city dwellers and visitors alike.  

Enjoy the shade on the High Line

     The concrete path winds along the elevated walkway leaving lots of room for the plants as well as places to sit and enjoy the views down side streets.   There is even an urban outdoor theater carved out of what was a trestle over 10th Avenue.

Urban theater on the High Line

      #1 Son took these pictures while he and his classmates explored the  the High Line as part of their field trip to New York City.   We are pretty sure it looked and smelled a lot better than it did back in the industrial era they studied in school! Visit here if you want to see more of his New York City photos.

     Looking for other great places to walk in New York City?  Check out past posts on walks through Central Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge and down Broadway.

    And finally, we’d like you to know we shared these photos with the Delicious Baby Photo Friday page – stop over there to see lots more fun family travel images.

New York City Things To Do on raveable


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Mixing College Tours with Family Fun in Mystic Country

 College Visits  No Responses »
Aug 222010
 

     Between searching out new ideas for family fun with our teens, and making plans to check out colleges, we’ve been doing a lot of travel research lately and are coming up with what look like some great ideas.  The Mystic Country area of coastal Connecticut recently peaked our interest as a place that offers a nice mix of history, adventure and fun to keep families with teens and tweens on the move and under sail — whether taking a break from college visits or just looking for a weekend getaway from New York or Boston.

The Charles W Morgan at Mystic Seaport, photo courtesy Mystic Country

     In terms of colleges,  Connecticut College, Mitchell College and the US Coast Guard Academy are all in New London, next store to Mystic.   Many other schools are within an hour’s drive including Wesleyan University Middletown, CT and University of Connecticut a bit north in Storrs, CT and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI.  

     Besides the  Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods gaming  resorts  which are within 15 minutes of the town of Mystic, most of the area’s attractions are linked to the ocean and the area’s impressive nautical heritage.  The Mystic Seaport is a unique living 19th century maritime museum.  The 60 acre site includes dozens of historic buildings, as well as an impressive  collection of restored schooners and sloops, a steamer and the last surviving wooden whaling boat, the Charles W. Morgan.  The Seaport’s buildings include a chandlery, sail loft, ropewalk, cooperage, shipping agent office, printing office, bank and more. 

Beluga Whale at Mystic Aquarium, photo courtesy Tracy M Brown

       The Seaport is open year round,  as is the nearby Mystic Aquarium with its collection of beluga whales, African penguins, sea lions, seals and other sea creatures.  Check out the Deep Sea 3D ride to feel what it is like to go 9,000 feet underwater in pursuit of deep-diving Sperm Whales and Giant Squid. We are told that a combination of 3D film and special chairs make it feel like you are really in a submersible.

      Another opportunity to explore the country’s  maritime history is found at the Submarine Force Museum on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut.   Operated by the US Navy, the museum traces the history of subs from Revolutionary War days to the present.  The highlight of any visit to the Submarine Force Museum is a tour of the USS Nautilus, the country’s  first nuclear powered submarine.  Admission is free.

      If you make it to Mystic when the weather is warm and have a few hours to get out on the water, there are a number of options for day sails including a 5-hour cruise on the tall ship Mystic Whaler (a reproduction of a 19th century vessel) or a 2-3 hour jaunt on the 81-foot Schooner Argia  in the protected waters of Fishers Island and Long Island Sounds.  The local ocean beaches are another refreshing activity in the warmer months.

Visit the Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum, photo courtesy Mystic Country

      We haven’t made it to Mystic Country yet but hope our travels take us there soon.  In the meantime, if you’ve visited there let us know your thoughts and comments. 

     This is one in a series of articles about fun family activities to add onto college visits (or to check out if you are planning a fun family weekend).  Check the full list here.

Mystic Family Vacation on raveable
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A Duck’s Eye View of Boston

 Reviews  2 Responses »
Aug 052010
 
A Duck's Eye View of Boston

          Boston Duck Tours takes visitors on an 80 minute ride in a W.W. II style amphibious landing vehicle.  Although the tour provides lots of insight into Boston’s historic past, the concluding cruise on the Charles River is the main attraction.      We had taken a Duck Tour with our kids when they were 8 and 11 so when out of town cousins ages 8 and 10 came to visit we thought it would be a fun activity (we paid our own way).  We had a beautiful day and Boston never looked better.  The ride took us past many Boston landmarks in the old West End, Beacon Hill and the Back Bay, but, with the exception of the voyage down the river, which really was a thrill, we have to admit we were [...]

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A Summer’s Eve at Boston’s Historic Waterfront

 Best trip archives, New England  3 Responses »
Jul 242010
 
A Summer's Eve at Boston's Historic Waterfront

       Although Boston winters are cold and snowy, a warm summer’s evening visiting the city’s historic waterfront area is a relaxing way to spend time with your teens and tweens.   The centerpiece of the area is the famed Faneuil Hall and  Quincy Market food and shopping district, located in buildings that date back to the 1820s.  This is a good place to look for souvenirs or to grab a snack from an extensive and often crowded food court.  But don’t limit your visit just to Fanueil Hall as there is a lot more history and local color nearby.     For example, just a couple of blocks outside the market   you’ll come upon a small cobblestone side road known as the Blackstone Block.  Somehow, despite centuries of urban renewal and re-development efforts, this tiny fragment of Boston’s colonial past has [...]

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To the Top of the Mount Washington Auto Road!

 Best trip archives, Mt. Washington Valley  9 Responses »
Jul 022010
 
To the Top of the Mount Washington Auto Road!

No trip to New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley is complete without visiting the region’s namesake, i.e., the 6,288 foot tall Mount Washington, home to some of the most extreme weather on earth. Review and photos from a Stage van ride up the Mount Washington Auto Road.

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Family Fun for College Visits in Boston

 College Visits, New England  1 Response »
Jun 022010
 
Family Fun for College Visits in Boston

Ideas for fun family activities to turn college visits in Boston into a mini-family vacation. Get outside and experience Beantown by land and by sea.

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