Saturday, September 19, 2009

Castle McCulloch

We went on a field trip to a Rock Quarry/old Gold Refinery/Castle yesterday.  We had a great time despite the rain!    DSC_0001

The kids were excited to see a suit of armor (even if it was just in the gift shop)

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This was the rock quarry.  We watched them work some while we listened to the construction worker tell us some about the quarry.  It was amazing how big that hole was.  We learned that all of the rocks in the quarry were quartz and they are mainly used for driveways and roads.

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Ari took that pic of me and RyanDSC_0015

The castle grounds were beautiful.  We spent some time inside of a replica of the Crystal Palace in England. It was a smaller version but we were able to tell why it was built the way it was.  The acoustics are amazing in the center of the room. (didn’t take any pics)DSC_0023 DSC_0026 DSC_0028

Here the kids are in front of the “castle” on the “drawbridge”.  It actually is not a real castle.  We learned that the gentleman that bought it in 1982, first saw the place when he was a kid.  Someone said “Do you want to go see this haunted castle in the woods?”   He ended up purchasing the property later.   The building was originally a gold refinery mill.  The building was used in the civil war as a hospital and was also used in WW1.  Now it is home to many weddings and proms.  DSC_0034 DSC_0039 DSC_0050 DSC_0052

Lastly we panned for Gems.  This was the kids favorite activity!  They both found some beautiful gems!

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If you are interested in more info on Castle McCulloch visit here.

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