Today we continued southwest back into Vermont:

Our first stop of the day was Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, which preserves the history of the modern conservation movement, forefather of the environmental movement.  A portion of the estate is now a dairy farm museum:

We walked through the park, which includes the mansion occupied by the Marsh, Billings, and Rockefeller families from the mid 1800s to the 1990s:

We didn’t know what to expect at this park, but we were very glad we visited here.  The park does a great job of explaining the history and motivation of the roots of the environmental movement.  The park movie was fantastic.

The kids completed their Junior Ranger books and received their badges with quite a bit more ceremony than they’re accustomed to.  They were suitably embarrassed:

We continued on to Saratoga National Historical Park, site of the Battles of Saratoga in 1777, the first significant American military victory of the American Revolutionary War.  It was here that General Burgoyne’s successful campaign from Canada along the Hudson River was halted, with Burgoyne ultimately participating in the first-ever surrender of a British military force.  This British defeat convinced the French to join forces with the Colonial Army and declare war of Britain, ultimately leading to American independence.

The kids tried on period costumes:

The visitor center has a movie and a fiber-optic map with narration that describe the sequence of battle:

Canons from the battle:

Looking out over the battlefield:

The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

Continuing south, we are overnighting at the Walmart near Albany.  Trish did a bit of rug hooking:

See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.