Ramsdell House: On the Amazing Things We Find When We Ask

There's nothing like small-town tourism -- the civic pride of community leaders, the friendly folks who like showing the way.  Always push through the "there's nothing here" and you will get to the interesting.

We recently visited the Kenova Pumpkin House, four hours away from home base.  We stayed overnight and explored the region the next day.  Someone told us about the Ramsdell House, that it was an Underground Railroad stop open infrequently but that we could drive around and spot its historic cellar.  A little GPS work and we pulled up in front of it, finding it open.

Turns out Ramsdell is a wonderful historic home, recently restored and typically open four days a week as well as by appointment.  It's got an amazing story of protection and preservation, having been a rental property and a community center and in disrepair, all in recent history.  

Most significantly, it started the town of Ceredo, begun as an abolitionist colony steps from both Confederate and Union Civil War forts.  It was an Underground Railroad stop just at the Ohio River -- freedom on the other side.  During the time since, much of the house's contents have been miraculously preserved, just locked in the attic.  There are everyday objects, papers from McKinley before his Presidency, shoe-making tools, religious leaflets from the Christian tradition,  newspapers ... all sorts of too-close-to-forgotten history now saved. And the found toys -- they are nothing short of delightful. The building was probably a house church as well as a civic center, and those in town promoted a vision of economic change and development. 

Director Deborah Wolfe, the individual responsible for coordinating much of the restoration, gave us a personal tour.  We discussed directions for future interpretation, including the link to the Native Burial Mound on which the site is situated. We have every confidence that this site is becoming a place of memory and reconciliation -- and we know its staff, including its volunteers, are willing to become your fast friends. Just read the story of the dedication.

Excitingly, traditionally African-American churches across the river are capturing the oral histories of the descendants of the formerly enslaved that made it to freedom.  There are now connections to this wonderful site -- and how powerful to know its success in such a real way. 

Things to Know

• These folks seriously want to show you treasures.  Contact them, and they will try to welcome you when it is convenient for you.  They have a Facebook page called Ramsdell House.  Do reach out -- they are still updating their web presence, and you don't want to miss out because you didn't reach out.

• Free admission, always a gift. 

• There are opportunities to purchase a small souvenir or book from their shelves reserved for such. 

For Further Exploration 

• We were inspired to find Criel Mound, another Native Burial Mound, on our West Virginia Turnpike trip back to Virginia.  It is in South Charleston, both easy to find and large by comparison. It's also in town, allowing one to reflect on its preservation. 

• If you also like to explore mound builder sites, there are others within the broader region.  We've also visited Town Creek Indian Burial Mound in North Carolina; it's interpretation gives more context from cultural geography.

• Oh, and there are Ramsdell House ghost stories.  Of course.

One of the Best for Every Kid in a Park: Booker T Washington National Monument

It's delightful to live where there are so many treasures nearby.   We had part of a Saturday open ahead of a graduation party and decided to strike out to the Booker T Washington National Monument, a beautiful National Park Services site not far from Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford, and Roanoke, Virginia.  Incorporating a small gallery-style museum, a working farm site with animals, and an expanse of land for exploring, this is a National Parks Services site that can captivate a whole family, including kids of varying ages.  E, age 8, definitely came away with improved understandings of African American history, educational history, and agricultural history.  This site always reminds K of what a privilege it is to be an educator.

E, G, and K set off primarily to earn another Junior Ranger badge while J was giving a tour of Lexington to students.  E is so enamored with the Junior Ranger program that he now says that any day that he earns a Junior Ranger badge is one of the best days of the year.  If you are unfamiliar, persons of any age, but primarily kids age 5 to 13, can become Junior Rangers at most National Park Service sites by completing a few activities. Most are provided in a small booklet you can ask for (or download in advance from some park websites) and include a variety of activities like scavenger hunts and topical word games.  They really do help cement the understandings of young kids on site at various important places, and the Booker T. Washington Junior Ranger booklet does a particularly good job of incorporating a good variety of activities and providing space for children to record their own thoughts. If you are new to the Junior Ranger program, this is a fabulous site to begin your adventure.

When you arrive, check out your Junior Ranger booklet and take in the orientation film--it is definitely worth your time and is narrated by a grandchild of Booker T Washington himself.  Then, spend some time in the interactive gallery with exhibits, a helpful place to discuss the realities of life before the Emancipation Proclamation in particular.  In the interest of time, K had to pull E and G along to the outside--we spent over 45 minutes in this area.  As regular blog readers know, we Haltermans are serious about our museums--and it was great to see the kids so involved in learning in this space.  Outside, there are several interesting plantation buildings including barns and multiple places to observe livestock; we saw ducks, horses, cows, and a very bossy turkey.

If you go, know that admission is free, the rangers are friendly, and the parking is ample. There are generous picnic grounds and two hiking trails that can be tackled with kids.  There's also a small gift shop.  Check the event schedule, perhaps by calling the park and/or checking their Facebook page, as there are many intriguing events for kids and others, especially in the summer. You are also about five short miles from locally-famous Homestead Creamery for ice cream--check and see if Laker magazine has any current discounts.

History's Variety: A Day in Richmond

Richmond, VA--close but far.  It's an easy drive from the Roanoke Valley, and it is a whole different place.  It's also full of treasures--multiple museums, National Parks sites, just plain interesting places. J had heard that the Virginia Historical Society was running a fun special exhibit on toys, and we had to go see what overlapping things we own or with which we played.  Really.

The Toys of the 50s, 60s, and 70s exhibit alone was worth every effort to visit.  This is a grand display of true life as it was often imagined from a Sears Wish Book, complete with period living rooms and commercials to watch.  Items on display range from Raggedy Ann dolls to Barbie Dream Houses, early Legos to lawn darts.  The interpretation makes it easy to understand changes in toys related to changes in parenting styles and popular culture overall.  In the back of the exhibit, there are a few play spaces including a Nerf ball area in a simulated garage that will remind you of the Brady Bunch backyard.  There's a modest cost ($10 per non-member adult).   We're often flattered to be asked how to help young people interact with museums and understand their relevance--it isn't hard to engage kids in conversation about personal and family history here.

The Virginia Historical Society itself is a free museum (excepting special exhibits) to visit with interesting galleries.  There's a large exhibit of Virginia's story, prehistory to the present, that includes many interesting artifacts and some interactivity.  Other exhibits focus on various firearms, silver, interesting Virginia homes, and the like.  The Landscapes of Virginia exhibit is an excellent primer on Virginia geography, too.  If you have a student in Virginia and US History (usually about 4th/5th grade), everything here is on point with the curriculum expectations.  Additionally, part of the museum was once known as the "Battle Abbey" and pays tribute to the US Civil War, including through lovingly-restored large murals.  The gift shop is splendid, featuring a good selection of academic resources as well as more popular-press histories at various price points. Our least-expensive buy, a book on Jewish history in the Commonwealth, was just $1.

After the museum visit, we took our National Parks Service Passports and went over to Tredegar Iron Works, a site at which many Civil War-era cannons were made.  Interestingly interpreted, the Iron Works is a site of American history as well as industrial history.  The interpretation includes information about Richmond, about the Civil War, and about industrialization in the region.  E completed the Junior Ranger program here to his enjoyment and at no cost.

At the Virginia Historical Society, there's free onsite parking--and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (also free) is right next door.  At Tredegar, you'll pay to park--but a pretty modest $5/day.  Just take the parking times seriously--you have to have your car out before the lot closes for the evening or pay a hefty $50 fee to have the gates opened.  If you go and do this same trip, take some snacks and eat dinner as your main meal.  We headed out to the Short Pump area for a bunch of options.

Bargain DC: Halterman Weekend's Smithsonian Edition

OK, so if you actually know the Haltermans, you know Kim is Coupon Kim.  We'd rather spend our money on travel and similar experiences than things--but in all ways, we emphasize the frugal still.  So, on K and E's recent mother-son Halterman Weekend in DC, notoriously free DC Smithsonian Museums were part of how we lived up to our thrifty standard.

K knows this sounds like a "duh" moment for DC, but remember how many museums are free as you plan your trip.  Because they are free, though, they can be crowded.   Try to time your visit when crowds are less likely if you can.  Where we could avoid the crowds:  Smthsonian's National Zoo, E's pick for the Smithsonian he most wanted to visit.  We arrived early and, while we did start seeing exhibits as soon as we entered, we were deep in the zoo when most people started showing up.  We recommend ensuring you reach Amazonia, a simulated indoor rain forest with "loose" animals like birds, and the Small Mammal House in particular.  The Elephant House has been substantially renovated, becoming an elephant community room--a very interesting place to ponder how zoos are changing.  If traveling with small kids who can get wet (think summer and quick-dry clothes), there is now a small fountain play area near the sea lions and on the way to Amazonia.  It's perfect for about age 4 or 5, but E also adored it at age 7.  Park in the shade as a parent--there's only one way in/out of the fountain system.  A knowledgeable dad nearby suggested eating lunch in or near the "cave" used for viewing the sea lions to continue enjoying the cool.  An aside:  E had WAY more interest in this zoo than K has seen him have at the North Carolina Zoo and at Mill Mountain Zoo.  We don't know if this was a function of age, changing interests, the zoo itself, or what--but it was delightful.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was also clearly navigable, even with field trip crowds.  Just head to the interesting-but-less-traveled exhibits when you can.  E was fascinated by the Human Origins exhibit: it was the first time we had a great opportunity to discuss different views on creation timelines and some scientific timelines, and it was great.  E also adored the current Objects of Wonder special exhibit and its interactive quiz, as well as the opportunity to play a rebranded classic 1980s "Can you become a fossil?" arcade-style computer game that looked a lot like old MECC Oregon Trail software.  Even with the main dinosaur hall under construction (it is right now), there's still plenty to take in here.

Where we had trouble avoiding crowds:  The Smithsonian Museum of American History.  Our experience of most of the security staff was that they seemed frustrated with large crowds, the design of the museum itself was a bit of a challenge (lots of sections are under renovation), and there were throngs of middle schoolers just walking around.  We were there at closing time, and it felt like an emergency evacuation--we're talking security barking that everyone had to leave right NOW with no "We will be closing in 10 minutes"-type warning.  To avoid some of this, find the transportation exhibit--it's often not crowded and is quite interesting--or make this an early day stop if it is a priority for you.  Security check in is cumbersome here if you have any bags of any type as well--consider walking around "back" and entering from the entrance that is not right on the National Mall where lines are often shorter.  Note to those traveling soon: A new exhibit opens June 28, 2017, which may produce more crowding.

If you go, we highly recommend Metro subway transportation to and from the National Mall.  We found the best subway deal for us to be to buy a 7-day pass even though we were only there a few days.  This pass allowed us better travel options during "peak use" times.  If your trip is going to be over the allowable rate, just get off a few stops ahead and get back on--kids adore the process of getting on and off the train anyway.  Before you plan your trip, search your favorite museums on Facebook and similar tools.  This is how you'll find out about special events, like Hirshhorn's now-touring Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors installation.  It's also how you will find more reasonable prices for the museums that do have a price tag, including the awesome non-Smithsonian Newseum. You can also check coupon outlets like CertifiKID for deals on cool places like the National Building Museum. The Halterman standard would be that one or two large museums a day is plenty--we are museum people, and we definitely don't just coast through them.  On our next museum visit adventure, we'd like to stop by the Newseum (E saw it on the Travel Channel and really wants to go) and Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (so popular it still requires timed passes, available at 6:30 AM online each day).

You'll want to pack in some food, too.  K knows this seems obvious, but a bag of 99-cent-Mega-Sale-at-Kroger Goldfish makes a great breakfast, and 49-cent-Kroger-is-having-a-flash-sale giant Powerades are more refreshing than the smaller $2+ kind in the city.  Taking a few things--it doesn't have to be a picnic--is a great savings and allows you to feel justified in a fancy dinner splurge.  K took E to Dupont Circle one night for dinner, allowing E to select an interesting and upscale restaurant as part of the experience.  We ate at Bistro Bistro DC, which was really still pretty reasonable.  If you are eating in the Mall area, a good tip we heard was to head to a federal office building cafeteria--look up the one at the Department of Agriculture on weekdays (it's very near Smithsonian Metro).

Moving, Moving, Moving: The US Army Transportation Museum

E and J headed to the Williamsburg, Virginia, area for a few adventures for their spring break, visiting the off-the-beaten-path US Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis.  J had visited with his family as a child, and this trip became a great opportunity to take E, who has been showing some fascination with the concept of the military, to a specialized museum--and on an active military installation.

Honoring the Army Transportation Corps, the museum pays tribute to the logistics of getting every one--and every thing--safely place to place during the challenges of war.  Attention is given to navigating geography, destruction, and similar perils, and there's a good amount of attention to innovation as well.  How does one make something "climb" a steep hill without a road to deliver supplies, for instance?  Therefore, those with general STEM interests would also be fascinated here.  Photographs aren't allowed inside, and visitors cannot climb on or otherwise pretend to drive or ride the items.  The museum is still super interesting--just don't expect it to be lots of pushing-buttons-style interactive, and please prepare your kiddos accordingly.  You can find a lot of detailed information on various exhibits at their website, often divided by many places in which various operations have occurred if you select the dropdown "exhibits" menu, which will give you a feel for overall museum content as well.  It won't be the most sophisticated website you've ever seen, but it will give you rich information.  Besides specific vehicles, other interesting topics include the overall design logic of the Eisenhower Interstate System and the influence of circus loading and unloading on military planning.  Yep, circus train logistics may be more impressive than you ever thought they were.

If you go, know you and your vehicle may be searched to enter the base and that you may need to produce government-issued photo ID and proof of vehicle insurance.  The museum is substantially more expansive and content-loaded than it initially appears, so allow time for a long visit or focus your attention on a few portions.  Again, photos aren't allowed inside, but there is an outdoor portion where photos are A-OK. The Virginia War Museum may be of additional interest and is in the area.  If traveling with young kids, consider adding the differently-themed-but-nearby Virginia Living Museum to your trip.

National Park Service for the Win: Storytime in Gettysburg, PA

No regular reader of our blog will find it a surprise that we Haltermans are National Park Service (NPS) fans.  We adore the NPS sites we've explored and appreciate the efforts that NPS employees put in to create quality interpretation of all sorts of things-history, natural resources, and much more-to modern audiences.  On a recent trip to Gettysburg National Military Park, one of our favorites, we discovered a special winter children's storytime series: Winter Reading Adventures.  On the date of our trip, Bettye Stroud's The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom explored the role of the Underground Railroad.  Our friends and travelling companions had seen it advertised on Facebook, so we came out to participate.

Storytime events at cultural sites are a great idea--but they can be a little hit or miss.  This one, however, was a HIT.  The Rangers were very well-prepared and used a print book, also displayed using AV technology on a big screen, as well as physical artifacts like quilt squares and lanterns to engage the children.  There was a scavenger hunt of the facility for various quilt squares, and participating kids earned a special high-quality metal bookmark with a seal for the day's book.  There was also a tie-in to other local history, including information about a real Underground Railroad stop at Dobbin House Tavern, a place we often go in town for dinner.  As an added bonus, the bookmark yielded a 15% off book discount on The Patchwork Path in the gift shop.

If you go to a similar event, arrive early in the day for best parking and consider joining Friends of Gettysburg.  We are family-level members this year since we plan more than one trip to the area in 2017, and membership will pay for itself in terms of Cyclorama admission, Wills House admission, and the like for our family of four.  The friendly representatives at the Friends desk at the Visitor's Center can give you immediate membership--and easy upgrades--as well as tips.  For instance, we learned that our membership card will sometimes yield discounts in town at non-NPS sites--just ask!  Again, we found out about this event on Facebook; our experience is that there are many various events including lectures and films often.  This late winter/early spring, there will be a special series on the farms in the area, and J would like to take in an Evening with the Painting event in the Cyclorama.  Not sure what a cyclorama is?  Here's the Halterman Weekend at the Gettysburg Cyclorama!

One Great Gettysburg Experience: Hall of Presidents

Here's a great experience to have...while you still can.  Gettysburg's long-lived Hall of Presidents and First Ladies wax museum of the American Presidents is closing permanently November 26, 2016.  This demanded a trip to Gettysburg by the Haltermans.  If you have any interest,  we recommend it...and you need to go NOW. 

 

Inside the museum, there are four narrated rooms and wax figures of each of the Presidents through Obama.  The likenesses are reasonably realistic,  and even better,  the narrations of their accomplishments are reasonably apolitical.  There are also means behind the Presidents regarding key accomplishments, but as the rooms have grown more crowded over the years,  they are a bit out-of-sync with the figures.  Tour as slowly as you can and take lots of pictures!

 

Following this exhibit, visit the Hall of First Ladies for smaller figures of the First Ladies in their gowns.  These likenesses are less realistic, but the display is enjoyable.  It is not narrated; you can move at your own pace.

 

At the time of our visit, some of the employees,  all also part of a larger group of Gettysburg attractions, seemed unaware of the closure.  However, it is "Facebook public," payed by the company itself.  We are awaiting news of the next destination for the figures.

 

If you go, a visit here would be easy to pair with Evergreen Cemetery and/or the National Park Service Visitors Center.  The Inn at Cemetery Hill and The Inn of 1873 can provide you with super-close lodging.  AAA discounts are still available at the site as are combo attraction tickets. Consider it...and help preserve the legacy of the American wax museum.   Few exist anymore.