Moores Creek National Battlefield; Summer Field Trip
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Homeschool Field Trips; Summer Edition
One thing I’ve learned about homeschooling is that your home is always in a state of learning. While not everything we do has some kind of educational undertone, many things we do are educational, even during the summer. I find that this really fosters a life long love of learning. When our kids see that we love learning, they naturally follow.
Which is why this week, we decided to do something fun and educational. We headed out to Moores Creek National Battlefield in North Carolina.
A mini-vlog of our trip to Moore’s Creek. From my Instagram. Follow me there for more videos & homeschooling resources.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
We’ve been wanting to visit Moore’s Creek for a while now. As the site of a Revolutionary battle, it is rich in history. Moore’s Creek is also a national park, and we were able to get our son his first stamp. Being a national park, there was no entrance fee, making this a very affordable field trip for our family.
Inside the visitors center, there is a small museum. The walls are filled with maps showing the movement of troops with interactive lights and sounds. There is a small theater that plays a video of how the battle played out. This was really important for us, as we knew nothing of the battle before going.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
Moores Creek National Battlefield is a perfect family day out. We decided to take a picnic to the park, which turned out to be a really good decision. Moore’s Creek Battlefield is out in the middle of nowhere, so you’d have to drive at least 20 minutes before you’d find any places nearby to eat. There is a big picnic area with many tables under the shade for families to eat or take a break.
Trails
We love hiking trails, and Moore’s Creek had a couple that were perfect for exercising and history along the way. There was one longer trail that turned out to be about a mile. It was over bridges and through the battlefield itself. All along the way were statues, monuments, and even canons to look at and explore.
Moores Creek National Battlefield also had a smaller trail that was about a quarter of a mile. Along this trail, you learn about Tar, and why North Carolinians are called “Tar Heels”.
Animal Life
Moores Creek National Battlefield is teeming with wildlife! Our youngest took his binoculars to check out all the birds. You’ll be sure to see all kinds of animals along the trails, especially birds. We saw baby birds hopping from tree to tree, mockingbirds, and cardinals.
Battle Reenactments
While they didn’t have a reenactment they day we were visiting, they do them often at the park. We’re definitely going to come back for a battle reenactment soon!
The bathrooms were clean and neat, which as a mom (and a woman), I greatly appreciated. It’s a rare find when you see a park bathroom that is clean.
The park also had water stations all around the trails. These water stations had a fountain for kids and adults, a water bottle refill area, and even a fountain down low for animals.
The monuments were beautiful at Moores Creek National Battlefield. If you go, take the time to read each one.
The Visitors Center at Moores Creek National Battlefield was very helpful!
We interacted with 2 of the employees there, and both were very helpful. After we had walked half the trails, we came back to have lunch and take a break. My youngest, Jake, and I went inside to get him his first National Parks book. The employee there was very nice and helpful. We stopped to chat with him for a few minutes. He was prior military (like my husband), and he told us his story. One of the great things about living in a small town is meeting people like this and sharing stories. You meet some really wonderful people.
He told us more about the park and the area, and helped Jake get his book set up. We ordered his first national park sticker to put in his book, too, as soon as we got home. The visitors center had all kinds of neat things to look at and purchase. There was even a wall full of historical books! I really wanted to purchase a few of them about cooking and domestic life. They had everything from little collectible spoons, magnets, patches, t-shirts, and more.
If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping by Moores Creek National Battlefield with your family. It’s a wonderful day out that will be full of history for you and your family.
We had so much fun at Moores Creek National Battlefield, and I know we’ll be back to visit again.
Until next time,
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mandy
