Colonial Garb and Jersey Cows!

Jill's Journal: Our last full day in Connecticut was pure perfection (have I mentioned that I like it here?). The girls and I headed north to Coventry, a little town way out in the country. Nathan Hale – that aforementioned young patriot and martyr for American freedom whose moving last words are in every history textbook in the nation – was born here in 1755 and his birthplace/homestead is still intact. It’s a large but modest farmhouse full of family artifacts, including Hale’s own traveling truck.

Somehow we got very lucky. Although there were other visitors both when we arrived and when we left, we got our own personal tour guide who was a former elementary school teacher. She tailored her entire tour to the girls and taught them more history and social studies and home economics in two hours than I probably could have in a week. She got out colonial period garb and dressed them up. She brought them feather quills and ink wells so they could practice writing the old-fashioned way. And at the end, after she learned that we’re traveling, she prepared them each care packages complete with post cards and journals and other goodies. It was amazing. It was like having a personal tutor for two hours for the grand total of our combined $11 admission. The girls loved every minute.

Not far from the Hale homestead is a small family dairy of just 55 head which welcomes visitors and still bottles milk in glass jars. We stopped on our way out of the area to watch the Jersey cows being milked and pet a few calves. The girls predictably went nuts over a three-day-old calf who was darn cute. Oh my, would they have liked to take that calf home!

And tonight, after the girls were in bed, Rob and I enjoyed a too-rare adult dinner (sushi!) and a movie in our little living room, complete with a glass or two of wine made right here in Connecticut. Again, it was a perfect day. I so love Connecticut – or Connecti-cake, as Victoria calls it – and I would absolutely love to stay here longer. A lot longer. But, we want to hit as much of New England as we can and cold weather is fast approaching (and we’re still heading north!). In two months, most campgrounds in this area will be completely closed and we’ll be out of luck. I think we got a great feel for the Constitution State. And so, we move on. Tomorrow is Rhode Island.