"This is the Place" where ponies bite...

My sister and I had both purchased This is the Place State Park tickets on Groupon a while ago when they had a deal.  Neither of us has ever actually been there, other than to park to go to Hogle Zoo.  On the way there I gave my kids a brief recap of the pioneer story as to why the park was named as it is.  Spencer's reply was, "I get it, you're saying this park is really old..."  Not my point, but close.  So we left the house around 10:20 and ended up not getting back home until 5:30.

We met my sister, Janelle, and her 2 daughters at the park.  The tickets are purchased inside the Visitors' Center and for some reason the lines were NOT moving at the time.  After we finally got through and rested in the restrooms, we headed into the park.  We decided first to take the "train" (not really a train--a tractor pulling cars on the road but it's made to look like a train).  I parked the stroller that was stuffed with our lunches and rain jackets and we got on the train.  The kids enjoyed the ride and we got to see what all the park had to offer.  The train stopped about 4 times along the route but I didn't want to carry Clara around so we went all the way back to the beginning to get the stroller and walk through the park--which takes a whole lot longer than the train made it out to be.  How in the world did the pioneers walk so far each day in the heat back then?  Anyhow, as we were approaching the stop one of Janelle's girls noticed a squirrel in the stroller and laughingly exclaimed such to us.  Well the train scared away the squirrel but when we got to the stroller we noticed it had eaten a hole through the grocery bag and ziploc bag to Janelle's Cheetos.  At least the kids lunches were all in their new insulated lunchbags we got for free the prior day at Toys R Us after buying the kids all backpacks.

(You'd never guess she was my sister, right?)

We headed over to the covered pavilion by the train stop for our lunch.  As typical of kids with a new place to explore with their cousins, none of them ate very much.  But they had a lot of fun on the stage at the pavilion!

 


After lunch and Tessa's next potty stop we took the kids for a pony ride.  So pushing a stroller over loose gravel and rocks wasn't very easy.  One more time I felt bad for the pioneers pushing those handcarts.  We eventually made it to the pony rides but they only had 3 "ponies" going around and we had 4 kids.  I convinced Tessa to wait and go with the next group and Spencer, Bailee, and Afton went first.  I stayed back with Tessa and Clara while Janelle took the other 3 kids up.  Spencer loved the idea of being on a horse!  Bailee was a little hesitant, but was being brave.  Janelle walked around with them and took a couple of pictures before Bailee's "pony" literally charged her and big her in the chest area.  It went through both shirts she had on and to the skin!  Then the kid working there apologized to Janelle and said something about that horse being territorial and not liking people too close or taking its picture.  Then why was it giving little children rides?  And at that moment they stopped the rides and had all 3 kids get off.  Poor Bailee was mortified and Janelle was still in shock.  So now they were down to 2 ponies and some other lady basically "told" the guy with 4 kids who was behind us that her baby needed to butt in line because everyone else in their group had already had a turn except her.  So Tessa and this little girl, probably about 18 months old, got on the remaining 2.  Tessa was sooooo excited, beaming from ear to ear.  The baby screamed and tried to jump off as they went around for about 30 seconds, not even one full rotation, before the mother took the baby off and they stopped the whole thing and had Tessa get off.  What a waste.  But as I'm typing the story I'm quite amused, so maybe it wasn't a total waste?

Well the petting zoo was right next to the pony corral but I told my kids to stay away from Aunt Janelle as she apparently brought out the worst in animals.  Janelle wondered if maybe she should sit that one out.  Bailee was too afraid, or maybe dislike is a better description than fear, of the animals.  Well, after the squirrel and the horse I can see why!  In any case the rest of us went in to walk with and pet little pigs and goats.  Baby Clara got the biggest kick out of this!

Then we headed over the the "town" with replicas of various buildings from back in the pioneer days.  It was fun to see them and fun to have actual people in attire from that time in each building.  However, I think the people were quite bored and eager to have an audience because each one we went in the person talked too much and way above the heads for our little kids.  But they did enjoy sitting down in the classroom and drawing/writing on the chalk board tablets.

(I had to make this picture extra large to show the hole in Janelle's shirt.  Hee, hee, hee.)

We also made a leather craft where they stamped the leather.  Then we got to the minitrain that gives a short little ride around the pond.  Of course the kids wanted to do this.  You get 3 boxes on your wristband for activities in the park (pony ride, mini-train, and there are 3 different crafts--including the leather) so this would use up the last box for the kids.  But Janelle and I hadn't used any of ours and were informed we could have our wristbands checked for the kids.  Clara had fallen asleep in the stroller so Janelle went on the mini-train with the kids while I stayed with Clara.

Next to the minitrain was a ship play area that the kids had fun playing on.  It was also next to a little creek where they could "pan for gold" and get rewarded with a piece of candy afterwards.  The kids were very attracted to the water and enjoyed mostly sticking their feet in it.

 


Then we headed over to the Indian teepees to make an Indian arrowhead necklace craft.  Of course by now the walking and the heat were getting to me.  Poor Janelle had in addition to those being pregnant, bit by a horse, and stolen of her Cheetos by a squirrel.  So we decided this would be the end, but my kids reminded me of the Little Village play area.  My kids will take play areas above any other activity.  However, Bailee will take crafts above any other activity.  So Janelle and Bailee stayed to make the craft and I took the other 4 kids (including baby Clara) down to the play area.  It was more of a walk than I really wanted in the heat, pushing the stroller, with 3 other kids in tow.  At least it was all downhill!  After a couple more potty stops we got to the Little Village.  After Bailee's necklace they were able to catch the train and ended up only about 5 minutes behind us at the Little Village.  The kids had a blast!  They loved playing in the wooden train and running in and out of all the little houses and businesses.

 


Janelle and I noticed the time and decided to head out.  On our way out Janelle stopped by the Visitor's Center to tell her story at the pony area.  Mainly because we believe a pony, or horse, that is territorial and doesn't like people too close or taking pictures and then reacts by charging and biting, should not be giving little children rides.  In any case they not only agreed with Janelle, but gave her money for her shirt (it really wasn't hers--it was a borrowed maternity shirt so she'll be returning it along with the $$).

This is the Place Heritage Park was definitely something different for us.  It was fun, but in a very slow way.  There weren't a lot of things all over to look at--like the Zoo or the Aquarium.  And it wasn't thrilling like Lagoon.  It was a lot of walking in between things and a lot of "looking" at stuff.  But they did have activities the kids enjoyed and it was interesting to go back in time.  We'll probably return in a few years when the kids are more interested in the historical relevance and we'll take the "train" to each area instead of walking.  I also couldn't believe how long we had been there and we hadn't made it everywhere.  Plan on at least 4 hours if you really want to see and do it all!  After leaving I made a couple quick stops while I was downtown and then stopped at Costco before finally making it home around 5:30.  What a long day. 

After a quick dinner of Costco's rotisserie chicken, fresh fruit, lettuce from our garden, and some of Brodie's super yummy homemade hummus, we took the kids in the backyard and had a "sports night."  We played with the kids little golf clubs, tried playing catch (Spencer is like me and gives up when he can't do it right the first time), and hitting the baseball, kicked the soccer ball, and played football-girls against boys.  Clara mainly played on the baby slide and the little playhouse.  Then we called it a night and put some very tired kids to bed.  So why is this tired mommy blogging at 12:30 a.m. instead of being in bed herself?  Blame it on the Diet Coke and refill I drank while shopping in Costco.  But now I'm off to bed...