Family Day

We took a little trip to, drum roll please......

 BONANZAVILLE!!

http://www.bonanzaville.org/

Taken from their website:

Located in West Fargo, North Dakota Bonanzaville is a pioneer village with 12 acres, 43 historic buildings, 400,000 artifacts, and millions of memories. Bonanzaville is operated by the Cass County Historical Society, with a mission to collect, display and interpret artifacts relevant to the history and cultural heritage of the Red River Valley. It is the region’s largest historical attraction with something for everyone to see. 

Our first stop on our adventure was the grain elevator.  It smelled great in there.  It was a mix between old barn and grain.  Two of the best smells in my book.

 The next stop was the train station.  

 Cormac took a little break in the Pullman car while

 Rex did some light reading.

 This was a caboose with bunk beds and a cute little stove.

 Blase stopped off for a trim in the barber shop - lucky for him there was no one on duty.  The equipment was a bit dated and probably would have done more damage than good.

 The sign says it all.

 This was the "sleeping loft" accessed by a ladder.

This was basically the rest of the house, period.

 This was a variety (?) store with odds and ends.  I enjoyed seeing the already made clothes and the fabric for sale.  The toys and food items were also interesting.

 Another early log cabin.  (Not sure who is posing in the doorway.) This one you had to duck or you would hit your head as you were going in.  Even I was almost too tall.

 Simple, but functional kitchen/everything else room.

 This house was a bit more fancy, if that is the term for a log cabin.

 This was the upstairs sleeping room.

 General Custer tried to enlist four new recruits to go to the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  Only Stephen was willing to join up.  Doesn't surprise me, how about you??

 This was the bank's offices.

 I loved the vintage-looking map (unless it truly was vintage!) so I had to take a picture of it.

 Considering this "guy" didn't have all his fingers - I don't suppose he was going to hand over any money to Stephen.  The boys enjoyed the money display.  Each of the boys were given a pressed penny key chain with the Bonanazaville logo, while Gianna received a necklace with her pressed penny on it.

 This is probably as close as Stephen, Cormac, and Rex came to a government-ran school ever.

 They were commenting how we needed a school room that huge - from their lips to their father's mind!!

 A super cute train that we did NOT ride on.....Ahhhh Mom, you ruin everything!

This was by far the fanciest house in the town. 

The attention to detail was amazing.  I think you could have gotten lost with all the doorways.

 BEAUTIFUL library - loved it!

 Sitting room downstairs

 Yah, the boys' favorite part.

 One of the many bedrooms.

 Sitting room upstairs - yes they loved the polar bear too.

 That doorway went into the bedroom pictured above.  There were more rooms but I limited my picture taking so I could just drool.

Waiting in line for a ticket - no one was there so we just went in. 

 Awesome movie theatre with stained-glass windows.

 Here are some pictures of our favorite cars and tractors during the parade.

 This guy went backwards and forward and this way and that.  Too funny.

 The blacksmith shop in the town.

 The boys wanted a picture of my by the Moline.

 Rex's favorite one.

 "It's me," says Gianna.

 The post office display in the general store.

  

 Hotel rates....

 2 people room

 Bridal suite

 Single room

 Some of the planes on display in the hanger.

 Close-up of above plane.

It was about now that my feet, my belly, and my tolerance for heat gave up.  We headed home without see a few of the displays.  We have a family pass for a year so we promised the boys we'd return to finish the browsing.  Poor kids...I felt sorry for them, but there was nothing we could about the poor feet and hot, hot day!