Fort Knox Field Trip

Yes, it's still the first week of school and we have yet to break out the books. Today found us heading to the coast. We typically visit Fort Knox in September when they have their Medieval Festival. However, one of my friends and her family were in Maine and we decided to meet up here.

Here are all of our kids lined up by age from the youngest (Happy) 

all the way to the oldest (Bessie in the white tank).

We happened to get there a bit before Deb and her family so the boys & I headed over to the Penobscot Narrows Bridge (part of the Fort Knox park). We'd never gone up into the observatory before and figured it would be fun.

The boys on the walkway to the observatory. 

The old bridge is just visible on the left and the new

bridge is over their heads.

Here is where we are heading - all the way to the top!

There were information boards along the way. This one 

explains how the old bridge was built and why it was replaced.

Conductor is reading it out loud to Happy.

Cute kid photo.

While we waited to go up in the elevator, we learned that this bridge observatory is one of three like it in the world and it is the tallest one in North America. The elevator rides takes exactly one minute to get to the top.

Views from the observatory

The other tower of the bridge.

The fort - where we were heading next.

My truck from up above. 

It's the dirty one in the middle. 

We live on a dirt road and it's rarely ever clean.

While up at the top I did run into my sister and brother and their families very briefly. However, I had just spent three days with them this week and I haven't seen Deb in four years so I headed up to the fort to meet up with her. 

The kids had a great time roaming the fort and checking everything out. It was hard to keep up with them!

The only light for this shot is coming from above - like a spotlight. 

The observatory from the fort.

We spent about an hour walking around the fort and then headed to the picnic areas to have lunch. This allowed Deb and I some time to sit and chat while the kids played. They found some good climbing trees and had a great time exploring them. 

And here was the whole reason we headed out on another field trip....

Deb & I

I first met Deb through an online Flat Stanley project soon after I decided to homeschool Ben. That was ten years ago. Since then we've stayed in touch and met up at her house in New York, in Pennsylvania to scrapbook with other online friends, at my home in Maine, and at various other spots in Maine when we can manage. I'm blessed to have her as a friend.

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Throughout the week we also listened to The Swiss Family Robinson on audio that I downloaded for free form LibriVox.org. 

Day #5/175 Days