We were drawn back in to American history on that mild October day in Arkansas. There was the smell of musket-fire and fall leaves in the air. My children rubbed their hands on fox pelts and watched the ‘settlers’ whittle as they rocked in rocking chairs with the fall breeze at their backs. From their fire-pots, we could smell meat cooking. We enjoyed an educational day at the Pinnacle Mountain Rendezvous where all these wonderful enriching adventures were taking place. We heard folk music from a homeschooled family band, listened to someone play the banjo, saw a real pet wolf, threw a tomahawk, learned about Civil War ammo, saw real tepees and watched the Native Indians dance. There was so much to do and see that we couldn’t get to it all.
The mountain itself is a thrilling place to visit. We had been there before. This time the foot of the hill was filled with vendors and activities for children. Stilts to walk on, old fashioned funnel cakes and lemonade, old-timey photos, crafts, and more. They even had canoe rides down by the music stage. There was something fun for everyone… and gifts for those who like to shop.
We took this trip in October of 2006 during our 3rd and 4th Grade homeschool year. I hadn’t been to an Indian Pow-wow in a very long time (since I was a child). I enjoyed this one the best out of the two I have been to. To make this trip to Pinnacle even better, we enjoyed it with friends. If you have a pow-wow in your area, check it out and let us know how it compares to Pinnacle Mountain. If it isn’t too far, maybe other homeschoolers can benefit from your review! Be sure to check out the map and other information in the Pinnacle Rendezvous site under the title of this post. If you are close to Arkansas, maybe you can visit Pinnacle, too!
Quick Links:
Sprittibee’s Homeschool Series (links to other field trips, book lists, etc…)
Pinnacle Mountain Hike
Pinnacle Mountain State Park homepage
That really looks like it was a lot of fun. Something I’ve always wanted to do was go to Richmond, Virginia to see the civil war recreations there – I’m a big lover of history in general. 🙂