Tuesday 1 March 2016

Exploring Central Florida

We found some great little places to explore today while on our mini-roadtrip through central Florrida from Naples to Legoland. We mostly drove along the Highway 17 and first stop was at the Cracker Trail Museum. 

Inside the museum was loads of intriguing exhibits from American Indian times to history in more recent times. Many of the exhibits surprisingly linked in with books we've read this year, and I had many a proud moment when Eden without any prompting, recalled moments from the stories. We were reminded of Little House in the Big Woods; Ma's kitchen utensils and butter making and Pa's smoke house. The museum had a full size canoe and lots of American Indian artefacts that reminded us of Paddle to the Sea. Eden pointed out a chair just like the one that Van Gogh painted. It's times like this that I realise just how broad an education she is receiving without any effort, and how effective learning through 'living books' using the Charlotte Mason method really is. 

After our museum visit we stopped for a picnic at Paynes Creek State Park, it felt very off the beaten track and we were the only visitors there. After a play at the playground, we followed one of the trails over a suspension bridge, enjoying the wildlife and nature around us, with Eden and Asher role playing imaginatively along the way, using sticks as swords and telescopes. 

We passed some other interesting sights while driving; while passing through Arcadia we saw a cowboy! And we passed several trucks filled to the brim with oranges, which overspilt into the road everytime they turned a corner, on their way to a huge orange factory where we saw glass windowed rooms filled with the fruit, ready to be processed! 

Photos to follow as they're all on my video camera. A wonderfully unexpected and educational day on our way to Legoland!