October 7 - “Let’s play”

Our first stop yesterday was yet another journey back in time. Fort Stanwix was a revolutionary war bastion that held off a siege by the British, helping in the long run to bringing victory to the colonists. The national park system has completely restored the fort and all of its battlements. We were able to go inside the rooms and even try out whatever artifacts we might run across. I managed to throw on a cape and triangle hat and act out penning a letter - with a quill pen, of course. We noticed that it (the fort, not the quill) was built in the same pattern as the ones we saw in Florida. Come to find out, the design was created by a French architect in the 1600’s. It worked, so everyone adapted it. Well, it worked until airplanes came along that could just drop bombs inside it.

 

Chris had a bit of a spell in the visitors center, so I took over the driving for the day. Next stop was a National Park commemorating the movement to get women’s rights in America. The actual site was an old Methodist chapel where many of the organizational meetings were held. We didn’t stay all that long. We needed to get going to check out the true high point of this whole trip.

 

To start with, we drove through a national wilderness area. Way up on top of some power poles were nests of some bald eagles. We even saw an eagle in one of them with her mate standing guard nearby. But that wasn’t it.

 

What could possibly be better than thousands of red dead and yellow dead leaf trees and a pair of bald eagles in their nest? The Strong National Museum of Play. It was nothing short of brilliant. My favorite part, and the allure of the place in the first place, was the wing with toys that have been selected to be in the Toy Hall of Fame. Classics like Jenga and Twister and the Magic Eight Ball and Etch-a-sketch and so many more. They have toys on display from all eras of history. It was great fun looking for the favorites from our own past. They also have huge sections of interactive play areas. A life-sized duplication of none other than Sesame Street for you to walk through and play in. Massive replicas of scenes from kids’ books that children are free to play in. Climbing areas and tube slides that rival the best you’ve ever seen at a McDonald’s – to play in (sensing a theme yet?). They even had a full-blown lending library of kids’ books. A room full of video games. Another with pinball games. Just about any game you can remember is there. Amazing place. If you are ever anywhere near Rochester, New York, go. Period. Doesn’t matter how old you are, but here’s a warning. If you have kids with you, they might never want to leave.

 

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

 

Father, thank you for the chance to see those eagles. Beautiful. And we did enjoy that toy place. Great fun. Amen.