Nina and Pinta come to Chattanooga

This fall we have been making an effort to get together for fun, sometimes educational, activities on Fridays. This has been a great way to end our week. Last Friday we were able to go and tour life-size replicas of the Nina and Pinta ships while they are docked at Ross' Landing in downtown Chattanooga.

We arrived early on Friday morning – I think it was opening day, or at least the first day, in Chattanooga. Which meant we were there touring with a lot of school groups.

This worked in our favor because we sat in on one of the guided tours and learned more about the ships including what it would have been like to live on the ships during the voyage with Christopher Columbus, and also what it was like to live on the ships as a volunteer tour guide today.

On the drive downtown I attempted to explain to Jack what we were going to see. I said that they were ships that brought the first people from Europe to our country. Jack thought about it for a minute and said, "You mean like the Mayflower?"

I forgot that they had been discussing pilgrims and the Mayflower as they prepared for Thanksgiving at preschool. I didn't expect him to make that connection!

We had a fun morning with our friends. As we left the ship, we mentioned to our tour guide that it was actually Jack's birthday. She disappeared and came back with a map for Jack as a gift. He has played and played with that map daily since receiving it!

If you are in Chattanooga, I would recommend a visit to the ships. It's a fun outing and helps bring a little history to life. The ships travel around the US, so you can always check the schedule to see if they will be visiting a town near you!

Or if you are really wanting something different to do with your life, the ships are currently looking to hire more volunteers to sail with them :)

Admission charges are $8 for adults, $ 7 for seniors, and $6 for students 5 - 16. Children 4 and under are free. No reservations necessary.

After touring the ships, we decided to let the kids play at the playground and then ended our morning with a little cardboard box sledding. Not a bad way to start his 5th year on this planet. Happy Birthday Jack!