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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Teens Meet the Native Peoples at the Alaska Native Heritage Center

 Alaska, Best trip archives  No Responses »
Aug 142011
 

In between fishing, flying and cruising, we also found time to visit two of Anchorage’s major museums during our recent family vacation visit to Alaska.  The Anchorage Museum is home to the Smithsonian’s Arctic culture collection as well as a number of local and travel exhibits.  We spent an hour or two there on a rainy afternoon.   By comparison, the teens and their parents found the Alaska Native Heritage Center to be much more engaging because of the opportunity it provided to talk with representatives of eleven of Alaska’s native peoples.  If you only have time for one, we recommend spending a few hours at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

Native peoples perform at the Alaska Native Heritage Center

The Center houses a relatively small collection of indoor displays that showcase native cultures, the pressures they face and the ways the different native groups have adapted since Alaskan statehood was recognized.   In addition, an indoor performance space hosts a non-stop series of dancing, singing, instrumental, and athletic demonstrations. The real highlights for us, however, were the six authentic life-sized Native dwellings located around a small lake in back of the main building.

Totems representing the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures are on display

Each of these dwellings was staffed by natives of the culture represented by the dwelling.  They were extremely generous in sharing their personal stories and taking the time to answer our many questions.

Traditional dwelling for native peoples from Northwest Coastal Alaska

Many of the cultural representatives grew up actively participating in their cultural traditions.  They also spoke about the lives of their parents and grandparents, many of whom had lived in traditional style dwellings until the 1930s.

The traditional homes of the Unangax and Alutiiq peoples were built to weather harsh winters and wet maritime climates

The teens were fascinated to learn about the ways that small handbuilt kayaks were used to hunt whales and fish.  They even got to try their hands using some of the traditional tools.

Native peoples hunted whales from small kayaks similar to these

We also enjoyed hearing the stories one young woman shared about her summers spent hunting and skinning moose while living the traditional Athabascan lifestyle.

A representative of the Athabascan people recounts her childhood summers spent at traditional hunting camps

We opted to tour the native dwellings on our own rather than joining an escorted tour around the lake.  In many cases we were the only ones inside a dwelling and had ample opportunity to ask questions.  This is a great activity for families visiting Anchorage with teens, but be sure to budget a couple of hours in order to get the most out of your visit.  If you have visited the Center let us know what you thought about it.


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The Breakers Mansion at Christmas in Newport, RI

 New England  2 Responses »
Dec 122010
 

     Newport, Rhode Island is well known as a glamorous summer boating and beach destination that is home to an amazing collection of Gilded Age Mansions, many of which are now owned and opened to the public by the Preservation Society of Newport County.   A hockey tournament recently took us to Newport, which provided us an opportunity to explore this town in the off season.

     Despite brisk early winter weather, the downtown, the Mansions and the famous 3.5-mile Cliff Walk trail along the coast were all busy.  We were delighted to discover that several of the grandest mansions were not only open, but festively decorated for the holiday season.  From November 20 to January 2, The Elms, Marble House and The Breakers can be visited daily.  For the rest of the winter, The Breakers remains open daily but the other houses are on a more limited schedule until Spring and Summer when hours expand and more Mansions open for tours.  Additional special Holiday evening events are also offered including Holiday Dinner Parties, visits with Santa and a presentation of the Nutcracker.

The Breakers Mansion in Newport, RI

     With 5 energetic teenage hockey players in tow, a group of us took a morning away from the rink to explore The Breakers, which is the largest of the Mansions.  Built as a summer home for New York railroad millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt II, this opulent 70 room Italian Renaissance- style palazzo overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was completed in 1895.  Throughout the house, marble and rare woods are prominently featured as are intricate mosaics and sculptures.  Dazzling wall treatments and even entire room interiors were imported from Europe.  The $7 million construction cost would equal about $150 million today.

     The house and surrounding grounds were maintained by a staff of 40.  Many of the original furnishings and housewares are still in place.  The 7 bathrooms featured hot and cold running water, with an option for sea water in some bath tubs.   From the kitchen to the ballroom to the less formal living areas the 90 minute audio-guided tour was very informative and managed to hold the interest of the teens.

A chilly day at the Newport Cliff Walk

     After the tour, and the obligatory stop at the extensive gift shop, the girls got to work off some energy running around on the grounds.  The views of the Atlantic are breathtaking.  Directly in front of The Breakers along the coastline snakes the free public access Cliff Walk trail.  While some sections are fairly rugged, the portion in front of the Breakers is well maintained.  Access is available via a gate at The Breakers near Ruggles Avenue.  We wished we had been able to take the time to walk part of the trail but we had to hurry back to the rink!

     Newport is a four-season destination for families with teens.  The summer’s beach attractions are obvious but off season the history and elegance of the Gilded Age engages teens, although it might be a bit boring for younger siblings.  If you are in the area to see colleges, such as Salve Regina University (which is located next door to the Breakers) or Roger Williams College in Bristol, be sure to save some time to visit some of Newport’s historic sites.

Newport Things To Do on raveable


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Mixing College Tours with Family Fun in Mystic Country

 College Visits  No Responses »
Aug 222010
 
Mixing College Tours with Family Fun in Mystic Country

     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.      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 [...]

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A Walk Around Dartmouth College and Hanover, NH

 College Visits, Reviews  No Responses »
Aug 042010
 
A Walk Around Dartmouth College and Hanover, NH

Even if you are short for time when visiting Dartmouth College, take a break to stroll around Hanover, NH and enjoy the small town ambiance.

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Family Fun with Teens When Visiting Philadelphia

 College Visits  No Responses »
Jul 302010
 
Family Fun with Teens When Visiting Philadelphia

          Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love”,  is home to a number of colleges including University of Pennsylvania , Villanova, Drexel University,  the Curtis Institute of Music and many others.  If you find yourselves making a family visit to Philly to look at colleges, here are some ideas for a few activities to add on to the trip to turn it into a mini family vacation.      For starter’s if  you have never visited Philadelphia, it is almost required that you make a stop at the major colonial history hot spots in the area between Front and 7th Streets and Race and Spruce Streets. These include the  Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall which are free, and almost-free sites like the Betsy Ross House and the National Liberty Museum.       [...]

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Vermont’s Shelburne Museum Circus Exhibit

 Best trip archives, New England  No Responses »
Jun 072010
 
Vermont's Shelburne Museum Circus Exhibit

If you are visiting Burlington, Vermont make time for the “Circus Day in America” exhibit at the Shelburne Museum this summer

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