As soon as I learned of our Pennsylvania-6-month-sabbatical opportunity, one of the first thoughts that popped into my hands-on-learning, homeschooling-momma brain was MAPLE SUGARING!

MAPLE FARMS, MAPLE TREES, MAPLE SUGAR, MAPLE CANDY, MAPLE, MAPLE, MAPLE!!! 🙂

Obviously, I like maple syrup.

I find it so fascinating that sweet, edible magic comes from these trees that do not produce fruit.  As a vegetarian, eating an almost entirely plant-based diet, I use maple syrup A LOT for baking and to sweeten up my goodies.  Maple is good stuff. 🙂

So, it was a no-brainer that one of our awesome experience adventures would certainly occur during the small window of time that is the maple collection season in Pennsylvania.

For our 33rd of 100 experience adventures, we visited the Montour Preserve during a maple sugaring open house and program day!

Set among a beautiful and natural setting, the Montour Preserve offers visitors a host of family-friendly activities, more than 10 miles of trials, fishing, boating, an environmental study pond, fossil pit, children’s play areas and environmental education opportunities within a wonderful visitors’ center.

Open year- round to the public (and FREE), visitors experience all kinds of events and activities at the Montour Preserve–all centered around the beautiful 165 acre Lake Chillisquaque.

On-site historical buildings and a museum-like visitor center full of displays and informative presentations offer families a chance to learn about the area and the history of the preserved land.

The breathtaking environment is reason enough to spend the day exploring and enjoying the natural setting.

 

My family visited the Montour Preserve during one of the early March, weekend maple sugaring programs offered for free and open to the public.

The family day began with a very informative lecture and movie about the maple sugaring process.  Outdoor programs featured maple sap collection and hands-on activities, maple sugaring demonstrations and the opportunity to watch the process in action.

Of course, we taste-tested everything to make sure we properly understood the process.  LOL 🙂

A little village-like setting, with maple goodie selling vendors, rounded out the maple experience.  We bought super yummy maple sugar candy and fresh maple cream!  DELICIOUS!

We all learned a great deal about the process of collecting, processing and creating maple syrup and maple products.

Visit the Montour Preserve during one of their maple weekends to learn all about (and taste!) the delicious syrup we all take for granted… AND visit to enjoy the beautiful, natural setting any day of the year!  It is a delightful Pennsylvania treasure!

OH!  One last exciting find:  The Montour Preserve offers a wonderfully inclusive Braille Trail, with a rope lead and stations featuring Braille and three-dimensional shapes to feel and trace.  Excellent job, Montour!

The Montour Preserve is open and free to the public.  It is open from sunrise to sunset and the visitor’s center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and closed on Saturday and Sunday during the winter months.

For more information, visit www.MontourPreserve.org or call 570-336-2060.

Montour Preserve, 700 Preserve Road, Danville, Pennsylvania, 17821

Get out there and explore!

For another fun, outdoor adventure in Pennsylvania, read my post about day hiking the Appalachian Trail here.

Are you a museum lover like us?

Visit these awesome museums in Pennsylvania:

The National Watch and Clock Museum

The State Museum of Pennsylvania

If you like cheese, you gotta read all about our super cool, cheese experience #32!  Click here!