Forestville Day 2 - Historic Forestville

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I love the sound of rain on a tent, and the fresh smell it brings. Although the weather man said rain was in the forecast for Saturday night, it came on Friday. Figures. But we didn’t sweat it; our tent was leakproof so we just snuggled down deeper and kept sleeping. I was worried about the baby, but she was fine.

She seems to really enjoy this camping thing. She’s been sleeping better and longer than she has in weeks.

BABY GEAR
Well, I learned that you don’t need much baby gear for a 2 1/2 month old baby. We didn’t need the pack N play; she slept in her car seat with a wool blanket draped over it for warmth. And we only used the strolled once; I preferred to put her in the sling when we were out as she’d been in that car seat long enough. I did not regret bringing almost all her clothes and a full package of Huggies Natural diapers, however. We could have used another wool blanket, as well. It got pretty cold at night. I’ll wait to bring the pack N play when she’s crawling.

After years of staying in a small two-person tent, we enjoyed having a spacious 6-person tent. It’s nice to be able to stand up sometimes. We borrowed a tent from my in-laws, but I think that one of our own will be our next purchase.

TAKE A HIKE
We slept in and woke up leisurely — just the way I like it. Amazingly, I remembered how to use my camp stove after not having used it in years. We had cups of hot cocoa in no time. Being so close to lunch, we opted to leave the bacon for another morning. The day stayed cool; not the hot summer days I had anticipated. That was probably due to the thick tree cover over the campground and trails.

We headed over to take showers. Not a great experience. At 11:30 am the water was only lukewarm. I hate cold showers more than anything. It was nice to be clean — and nice to shower in a place minus mold — but I wasn’t too happy when I walked out of there. On the plus side, it was nice to have personal shower stalls.

At lunchtime, we got a fire going and roasted cheddarwurst. Accompanied by pasta salad, it was a filling lunch. Then it was off to explore. We followed a trail down the Bend River, stopping to search the water for trout. Two park rangers told us the evening before that the park is well known for three trout streams. Jesse got the urge to go fishing. But without any gear, we chalked that up to the “do it next time” list. Because of recent rains, the water was a bit muddy and we spied only one trout lurking near a downed tree branch.

The trail led us to an equestrian crossing. We watched two strong horses power their way across the river and up the bank. Their hooves splashed us, but it felt good. I asked the riders how far Historic Forestville was, and they replied about 2 miles. We decided it was a bit too far to walk, and would go later via truck.

I love hiking in late spring/early summer. Purple columbine were blooming every where, as were other plants I can’t name. The dandelions had just gone to seed. Amazingly, there were no mosquitoes. That’s a rare find in Minnesota in the summer.

HISTORIC FORESTVILLE
After a nap for baby and husband, we headed over to Historic Forestville. Our journey led us over a bridge built in 1899. It was blockaded; I guess it was damaged in a spring flood and closed to vehicles.

The old townsite is small; a few barns, a general store and a home. But it is very picturesque. Not sure what to expect, we headed to a new barn to purchase our tickets: $6 per adult. We treated ourselves to Schwan’s ice cream while there. Dodging chickens, Jesse and I tried out an old-fashioned mower. I remember my folks having one of these when I was a child... Glad we’ve upgraded to gas! We were directed to some benches under the big tree. There we were introduced to the folks who settled in the town, the Meighen family. The costumed guides were wonderful, staying in character as they told us how things were done. I was astonished to learn that the general store has original merchandise in it. How was it not stolen by vandals over the long years the store sat unused? Apparently the house attached next door continued to be rented out, and their presence halted any thieves. The site has been managed by the Minnesota Historical Society since the 1970s. Jesse had a great time getting into character, particularly in the general store. I couldn’t stop laughing. Again, the baby slept well in her front carrier - minus a few minutes in the kitchen when her daddy popped her in the wood bin for a photo op.

At each different location, the guides changed, keeping things fresh and interesting. We strolled through the kitchen garden which the children cared for, sampled a piece of fresh cinnamon bread in the kitchen, and marveled over the seed separators in one barn. Jesse tried his hand at wood carving in the larger barn, and we both tried out the rickety grinder. Apparently the barn is quite a feat of engineering. In order to drive a carriage through one side and out the other, no beams were placed in the center. Instead, 20-feet-long screws run from the roof to the ceiling and carry the weight of the structure. Amazing — although for a moment I wanted to get out of that building in case it came down!

We ended our trip to Historic Forestville by posing in an old carriage. You had to be pretty nimble to get in and out of those!

EVENING
Again, we cooked another over-the-coals tinfoil meal. This time we had trouble with the fire though, and after an hour the potatoes were still hard. Oh, well. You can’t make a gourmet meal every night. The s’mores with peanut butter cups in place of chocolate pieces were to die for, and made up for the smaller dinner.

It got really, really cold that night, and I worried about the baby. Dressed in a fleece snow suit, however, and sharing my body heat, she was just fine. Poor Jesse sure wished for another wool blanket, though.

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Photos

HIking
The three of us take a hike through the forest, following the Bend River.

Bridge in Park
This bridge crosses the Bend River in Forestville State Park

Historic Forestville
The main family that shaped Forestviille were the Meighns.

Old bridge into Forestville
This bridge was damaged in a flood last spring and is no longer accessible via vehicle.

Steel bridge
This bridge traverses over the Bend River into Historic Forestville.

Historic Forestville
The Minnesota HIstorical Society manages historic Forestville in Forestville State Park. Cost is $6 per adult.

Tour begins
Costumed guides give tours through the town. It takes about an hour and is quite interesting.
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This way to the ticket building
A handpainted sign leads the way to the new grey barn where you purchase your tickets.

General store
Amazingly, this general store actual contains original merchandise. When it was closed, items were left on the shelves. Because the house connected to the store was rented out over the years, vandals stayed away.

House kitchen
Bread was baked that day on the old stove. Delicious.

Woodcarving
This device was used to clamp a piece of wood in place while a man whittled it into shape.