drive home and Fort Stanwix

We took an extra day off for travelling back home after our most recent trip back to Buffalo.  Bennett was so busy eating his muffins this morning that he barely stopped to say goodbye to uncle Scott.

We filled our bellies at Costas.  Nick's mom met us there and we enjoyed a nice breakfast on the patio.

Bennett enjoyed his second breakfast.

It was a gorgeous day.  Too bad we were stuck in the car.  

I noticed a very peculiar cloud.  It was all different colors.  I have never seen a cloud like this before.

 

We were making many stops along the way at different rest stops along the highway to let Bennett run around.  About half way through the trip we decided to stop in Rome, NY and visit Fort Stanwix.  For centuries, the Oneida Carrying Place, a six mile portage connecting the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, served as a vital link for those traveling by water from the ocean to the Great Lakes. When Europeans arrived, nations fought for control of the carry, the homelands of the Six Nations Confederacy, and the rich resources of North America. In this struggle, Fort Stanwix played a vital role.  

The fort from where we parked the car.

We walked around the fort to it's entrance.  Known as "the fort that never surrendered," Fort Stanwix, successfully repelled a prolonged siege, in August 1777, by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian, and American Indian troops and warriors commanded by British Gen. Barry St. Leger. The failed siege combined with the battles at Oriskany, Bennington, and Saratoga thwarted a coordinated effort by the British in 1777, to take the northern colonies, and led to American alliances with France and the Netherlands. Troops from Fort Stanwix also participated in the 1779 Clinton-Sullivan Campaign and protected America's northwest frontier from British campaigns until finally being abandoned in 1781.

B loves being in the stroller now that he is older.  He prefers it to being held most of the time.  

Inside the fort from the entryway.  All of the buildings and it's contents are replicas of the originals, which are have perished from neglect.  

These are the soldiers' quarters.  They would sleep sitting up because it was believed to be healthier than laying stretched out.

The missionaries quarters.

Cannon gunners' quarters were much better than the soldiers' since it was considered the toughest and most dangerous job at the fort.  It also required a lot of smarts due to the use of mathematics to hit the target.

The general's quarters.

The meeting place or cafeteria.

The doctor's office.  They practiced blood letting here in those days.  It was believed to cure and prevent countless illnesses and diseases.

The hearth inside this room is the only original left in fort.  The rest are replicas.

Outside we got to enjoy the view of the car from the fort.

And, climb on the cannons.  I am sure they weren't loaded anyway.

That was a nice stop for us and Bennett.  We love history and Bennett loves to run around and explore.  I am excited to hit the road and get home.  Only a couple of hours left.