Kings Landing Getaway

Summer is short and you’ve got to grab vacation when you can.  So, when I saw a window of opportunity to steal away for a few days in New Brunswick, I jumped on the chance.

The key to a successful family vacation is to do something or go somewhere where you know everyone will have fun and enjoy themselves.  For our family, it has to be history and horse based.  This year, that trip was Kings Landing in New Brunswick.  In the past, we’ve enjoyed family trips to Ross Farm in New Ross { you can read about that trip HERE and HERE } and to Louisbourg { you can read about that one HERE and HERE }

Our Kings Landing day dawned bright and clear and after another session in the hotel pool and waterslide, followed by a tasty breakfast, we aimed the car for Kings Landing and arrived shortly after opening. We were greeted warming and handed our map and sent on our merry way.  Guys, this place is huge and amazing!!  I had no idea the extent of work that had gone into the restoration of the land and buildings.  And the staff were fabulous and knowledgable in their history of the area.

I took a ton of photos throughout the course of the day as we explored…no surprise there.  Everything was so interesting to look at and to hear about from the staff.  Michael would end up chatting while I faded in and out of the conversation to snap more pictures.  The girls had their ears tuned in for the clumping of the teams of horses pulling wagons and would watch with awe as they passed by and then turn to us and confirm for the 49th time that we would be going on the wagon, right?

As I mentioned, the staff was wonderful.  They knew their stuff and some good stories along with their facts.  And the ones who were in full character were amazing!  It totally messed with me at first when I was chatting with one lady and then I finally clued in. { duh! } The costumes were perfect, too.  The building alone would be amazing, but really, the staff there are what makes it.

Everywhere you looked, there was a pretty vista. The houses, barns and buildings were spread out just like a real village would’ve been.  Dirt roads joined everything up, with little paths here and there creating short cuts.

Each house had its own story and history and was set up to showcase a particular aspect of life.  Some many incredible vignettes that caught my eye throughout the day…like I said, I took a ton of pictures!  Here’s a few of my favourite settings, well, maybe more than a few!!

As I mentioned, for our girls life revolves around horses these days.  And Kings Landing didn’t disappoint!  There were pony and horses rides, wagon rides and horses in fields.  I think they both wish they lived in a world where horses played a role in everyday life.

And then there was this moment…pretty sure this would make Lena’s Opa pretty proud! Actually, it made me pretty proud, too!  Love that she tried this!  Milking cows by hand is no joke!

We always talk about what each person’s favourite part was after we tour a place like Kings Landing.  The girls both said riding, no surprise there, and I can’t remember but I think Michael said the mills – the sawmill, the sash mill and the grist mill.  For me, I loved the cedar rail fencing.  Does that sound lame? But I love the ingenuity of it for fencing, the texture of it to photograph and the way it pulls you along the roads and paths. I took a couple pictures…who am I kidding, I took a lot…I’ll spare you a few and just show you my favourite!

Isn’t this the most amazing setting?  So quaint and peaceful, right on the banks of the St. John River.  After I had posted some pictures during our trip, one of my friends commented that her grandfather helped build of the ice roads across the river to bring some of the houses onto the site, houses that otherwise would’ve been lost when the river was flooded in building of the Mactaquac Dam.  I love that people cared enough about the history of the area to preserve it in this way and had the vision to create Kings Landing so we can have a glimpse into life in the 1820’s to 1920’s.

Our family loves sites like this.  Our only piece of advice to book yourselves a full day to explore.  And wear comfy shoes….the site covers a lot of ground.  But do it, go and explore.  Take your family.  Pack up the kids, there is something there for everyone!

And just in case you wondered, we took the wagon 😉

To be continued,

Lori

This post is sponsored by Kings Landing but my take on it is just that 😉