A Day at Fort Knox

It doesn’t happen often for our family but a Saturday came up where we had nothing on our calendar or even to do list at home. Mister and I were wanting to go do something but we were working hard not to spend extra money on dinners out and other events. A restaurant bill sure adds up fast with 6 people to feed, it almost takes the fun out of eating out for me! The morning was spent catching up on laundry and relaxing with Daddy so when Mr4 woke up from his morning nap I suggested we venture out to Fort Knox. I had never been and it was about an hour from my parents, a reasonable distance to drive and explore. We packed up a picnic dinner, sunblock, water bottles and were on our way. Why had we not gone here yet? It was the perfect place to bring little boys who love history, weapons, (hello cannons!) and space to run. It was also the perfect place to go for a Mom and Dad who didn’t want to spend a ton of money but also wanted to enjoy the day out with their family. We first viewed the Penobscot

       Observatory. 420 feet up on the highest elevator in the state! It was really high up there, it was very interesting seeing the boy’s reactions to the distance in the air. We loved the view of the water and the placards of information about the history of the bridge and area. We got on the elevator and headed down and then back in the car just down the road to the Fort. Because of the possible threat of the British Navy, The Fort was constructed in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River Valley. We ventured down the path and enjoyed exploring all of the nooks and crannies of the fort. The architecture was truly fantastic. Very interesting to think of the men who stood guard of our state all year round but especially during the cold winter days. We went down a dark stairway and Mr1 and Mr2 ran ahead of us.  All of a sudden, we heard a loud yell. There was another visitor who heard their giggles and thought it would be funny to startle the boys. Wow did he succeed! They both looked as though they had seen a ghost when we met back up with them! After we finished exploring, we found a picnic table and enjoyed our dinner. We packed back up in the van and headed back to my parents. A day out that had us home for a normal bedtime is a plus, am I right? Our whole family had such a fun day enjoying both the Penobscot Observatory and Fort Knox and highly recommend it if you are looking for a fun, inexpensive way to enjoy a beautiful day in Maine.