Lunches for an Outing: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum - 8.2.14

My mom and I were looking for an adventure to take with the kids today that wouldn't be ruined if the promised thunderstorms rolled in.  We were hoping to go up to a zoo in Montreal, but the weather up there looked even more ominous than ours, and mom heard that it was a holiday weekend in Canada... we didn't want to fight with those kind of crowds.

We asked the kids about a couple of places we have been before - The Shelburne Museum, VINS, the Montshire... none of these options were met with much enthusiasm.  We had not yet been to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum with them, so we decided upon that.

A horse-powered ferry replica!

The museum focuses on ships, shipbuilding, and the role of ships on Lake Champlain in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  The kids didn't have as much history as they might have really needed to fully appreciate the museum, but there were some places that really intrigued them.

They have blacksmithing classes for teens, and The Girl decided that she wants to take part in that when she gets old enough.  It was really interesting to watch.

There was also a replica of The Philadelphia, a gunboat that sank in Lake Champlain during the Revolutionary War, and that was very cool.

We also got the chance to speak with a doctoral student who is working at the museum on preservation of some of the sunken ships in the lake.  He was very engaging and explained a lot to the kids.

And of course, we brought lunch.  There was a lovely picnic area.  We enjoyed lunches of some pesto gouda, sundried tomato hummus, and maple smoked turkey on pretzel rolls, apple slices, champagne grapes, and meyer lemon cookies, all packed in our Easylunchboxes.

A beautiful painting of riggings

Mom next to a boat very similar to one her family owned when she was young

Model steamboats

Though perhaps there were things that the kids didn't get the most out of at the museum, it was definitely worth the visit, and as always, we love our outings.