Port Defiance

Our first stop on the way to Longview was Port Defiance. We planned on visiting Fort Nisqually there. I love these restored living history museums and there are usually some things for the girls to do. As we entered Port Defiance we saw a trail that went through a beautiful rain forest. Though it was drizzling outside, the trail looked dry due to the overhanging trees. So we stopped and decided to take a little hike.

There was no grade and it wasn't hot at all so no one complained! Dan showed Mia how to count the rings on a tree to determine how old it is.

We got to see real raspberries growing naturally.

Since there wasn't a trail map we didn't risk going on any left or right turns but plowed straight ahead and after a while turned around and came straight back.

It was a sweet little side jaunt and afterward we headed for Fort Nisqually, a British Fort that held out even after the property was purchased by the United States. It has been completely restored.

We've been to many many living history type places, but never have we seen a fully stocked mercantile.

You get a good idea of how almost everything you ate and used was homemade as the store was stocked with only basic supplies for cooking, hunting, sewing, etc. I felt camaraderie here since I basically have to cook all of our meals at home nowadays to stick to our paleo diet. Thank goodness I don't have to sew! Or hunt! Well, I am trying to talk Dan into hunting so we can have natural grassfed meat for free. He looks at me like I have two heads. Hey, it's a big thing here in Colorado!

This boat made from a tree did not impress them at all.

They played stick and wheel races and dressed up in period clothes. Gotta love Anna's enthusiasm!

There were several crafts they made, including one using a photograph machine that was around in the 1850's. I don't know where the pictures are for this, Dan's camera? I'll add them in later.

Upon leaving the fort, we found a Japanese restaurant to eat an early dinner at, having skipped lunch. We then drove to Longview to spend Memorial Day with Donna and Mike!