Road trips (2)

(July 15, 2011)

The next day we didn't get quite as early a start, it took us a while to get ready for the day and we still had to decided what/where we were going to go for our road trip.  My mom had made a suggestion ...it's a place called Chesterfield, Idaho!  What you've never heard of it?  That's because it's no longer a town, it's sort of like a ghost town.  I think it was created in the late 1800's and only lasted until the mid 1900's.  Although there was one person living inside the town borders up until 1980!   The Daughters of Mormon Pioneers (or whatever that organization is called) have bought the land and has started to re-create the little township.  The only thing is that it's in the middle of no-where...and it's a really boring drive.  See?

My kid who doesn't take naps anymore was so bored he fell asleep!

But I must admit, I thought it was neat, but I really like things like this. (apparently my Aunt Ellen S. is directly related to the people who lived here and helped get this town started!!)  The first building we went into was the small LDS church building.  They told a story about how when they first started to restore the building everything that wasn't nailed down had been taken out, when they went to move the bench where the Priests would bless the Sacrament they found out  the bench was hollow and the glass cups and pitcher was still there!  Pretty cool huh?

Joshua giving a talk from the pulpit

Me giving a talk from the pulpit!  ...see I'm a good speaker, look how everyone is paying attention and even smiling at me! 

The only thing I don't like about the township is that everything is pretty far away from each other.  In order to get from house to house, we would get in the cars and drive!  I wish they would pick them up and stick them side by side like they do at This is the Place Heritage Park!  But I understand they want to keep them in their original locations.

Look what we found...apparently they host a handcart trek for the youth (heads up anyone in the YW/YM organizations who would like another option for trek one year...and it's a little closer than other treks).

This is real pioneer terrain...I feel so sorry for the pioneers who liked trees.  What did they think when they pulled into this part of the country?  THIS is the place?...are you sure! 

The Oregon Trail!

The gal that was giving the tour was so cute.  Usually in a place like this, it's lookie no touchie, but she was very hands on.  She had Josh start the creamer/separator thing.  It still worked!  She said once they start getting more people touring through and  what not they will probably be less likely to let everyone try things out!    She even took us into the shed and showed us the old plow/reaper...she  let my little brother start it up and work on that too!

Even Wesley got a turn cranking the handle and churning the "butter."

Did you know that blue is a girl color and pink is a boy color?  Apparently that's how it use to be!  So we took a picture of Mily in the girl room!  The boys didn't want a picture in the pink room!

Before we left this particular house, Josh decided to stop at the only place we didn't actually see.  Jokingly we asked if it worked and if Josh could "try" it, she said, "Sure, go ahead, after all most any hole in the ground is going to work!"

They were letting us go every where and anywhere.  "Climb up to the attic, look around," she would tell my kids!  "Oh, but watch out for bats!"

Look it's a root cellar.  My 7 year old knew what it was!  When we asked her how she knew what it was, she shrugged and said,  "The Wizard of Oz!"

There was even a store that my kids got to buy pioneer toys from, Wesley bought a wooden gun that shoots rubber bands and Rusty got some Jacks, I can't remember what Emily got, but Joshua begged and begged for....

a dancing pioneer guy?  Really?  Yup he thought that was SO cool.  It's came in handy, I brought it in to Primary on Pioneer day, it was a big hit!

Very cute little town Chesterfield.  It's a little bit out of the way, but let me know if you want to know how to get there....I'll have to find the directiosn again, but I could do it!