ARMY HERITAGE TRAIL AND CARLISLE SPLASH PAD
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Ringing Rock Park |
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Chickies rock |
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Ringing Rock Park- waterfall |
PLANNING: There was not a lot of planning that had to go into this adventure. We checked out the website (http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/ahm/heritage.cfm), packed lunches and a lot of water, dressed to be outside, packet swim wear/ towels for later and set off.
THE DRIVE: The Heritage Trail is about 20 minuted from our neighborhood and the drive is an easy one- with options. We chose the back roads as it is a prettier drive. The GPS took us exactly where we wanted to go and the entrance was easy to find.
ARRIVAL: After parking we were presented with the option of going into the HUGE Army Heritage Museum building or heading straight for the trail. We opted for the latter. Seeing an EZ UP shelter with some Army guys in it near the entrance to the trail we stopped and they asked if we were there for the scavenger hunt. JACKPOT! We were not, but this felt like a huge win. There were different packets for elementary, middle and high school levels. We needed 2 el. ed, 1 middle, and 1 hs. The kids took their packets and were off!
WWI trench |
THE ADVENTURE: The trail is a mile(ish) loop that covers the different eras of the Army, with 14 large exhibits. About 10 steps into it I was happy that my family was wearing socks and sneakers, while Kim was perpetually shaking rocks out of her very cute sandals as the trail is dirt and a billion tiny rocks.
WWII trench |
Exiting the WWI trench we realized we had gone in the exit ( no one was really surprised) and we headed off to the WWII trench- a metal tunnel with air holes. The difference was amazing! and stifling- it was quite warm and sticky outside and that was exacerbated in the metal tunnel. Really made me think about what it would be like to be in complete uniforms with helmets.
En route to the next exhibit- the Korean War, the kids slowly lost interest in their scavenger hunts- they were all incredibly difficult- yes even the elementary school one. Luckily there were trash cans throughout the route and (somewhat) sadly we dumped them. Towers and trenches dotted this exhibit and provided a stunning view of the entire park.
From there we took a short cut to some barracks that showed us living quarters, sleeping quarters, repair shops and how incredibly sweltering it must have been (have I mentioned it was hot?). The kids certainly seemed to have been able to last longer, but Kim and I are delicate flowers and we were wilting quickly. We still manage to wonder through more buildings and exhibits and take just a few more pictures.
Things we did do- use the rest rooms and visit the gift shop- both were stunning and clean. We had the kids change into their swimsuits their and spent a few cents on some snacks from the gift shop (who can resist 15 cent old fashioned candy???). The kids all loved this and said they would go back- when it was cooler out.
TIPS/TRICKS: As usual, pack food and drinks- although, as stated, the trail did a great job keeping the water stations full and cold. Make sure you are ready for the outside weather. Wear sneakers or closed shoes- no heals. Skip the splash pad, unless you are 4- in which case, I really think it would be great.
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