This past weekend, we combined a fun trip for the kids with a visit to
Stratford Hall, the home of the Lee family and the birthplace of Robert E. Lee. Granted, our sons hadn't quite asked for the road trip to a historic home. Instead they only wanted was a beach without any jellyfish, but we found something for everyone at Stratford Hall. In addition to the home and a beautiful Visitor's Center and Museum, Stratford Hall has a small beach on the Potomac River that is a good place to find shark's teeth fossils and, most importantly, it didn't have any jellyfish.
Caitlin and I wanted to see Stratford Hall for its history, and also scout it out since it is the proposed site for a blacksmithing event we are planning in May. We only do blacksmithing events that are very family-friendly, so it helps to check out events ahead of time and make sure they'll work for all of us. This one should be great because it is an incredible location and the grounds are amazing. We had a great time meeting the folks at Stratford Hall and we have targeted a spot to setup our demo under the trees on the front lawn, which will be great to be in the shade to teach people about the importance of blacksmithing to colonial society. The view from our setup will be just about the same as what you see above.
Not only did we meet the people for the blacksmithing event, but it turned out that Jeff's boss at Mount Vernon was also at Stratford that morning to operate their water mill and interpret for a group of educators. The world of colonial trades is rather small! Caitlin and the boys got to meet him, and to learn about how the mill works, and even take home some cornmeal. We are all looking forward to tasting the creations that emerge from that!
We have some exciting plans for the event in May, so please keep checking back here for more information as the planning evolves.
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