5 things you may have missed this week on the Trails of History

With so many holiday programs going on (not to mention the rest of life), you can't possibly have been to all the events on the Trails of History this past couple of weeks. Happily, thanks to social media, many sites have shared photos. And yes, what follows is very likely more than 5 things you may have missed. Be sure to check the December program page for upcoming events.

Top: Capt. Jim Bloom, US Navy (Ret.) speaks during Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Tribute
Bottom: The Pennsy Guns, PA Military Museum (photos by Chuck Smith)

This first item is a somber one, but I didn't want to let it get lost amidst the more cheerful stuff. On Monday, Dec. 7, the Pennsylvania Military Museum hosted their annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Tribute. The event took place beneath two 14-inch guns from the USS Pennsylvania, which was at Pearl Harbor and sustained damage during the attack. PCN-tv was on hand to record the event, but I wasn't able to find the footage just yet. News coverage was also provided by the Daily Collegian and the Centre Daily Times, and site staff provided the photos above.

The Surveyor's Office, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, via Facebook

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum is always busy during the holiday season, with Belsnickel events, Christmas Country Village (which continues Dec. 12-13), and the annual community bonfire. The photo above shows the Surveyor's Office decorated by staff and volunteers from the Heirloom Seed Project. You can find more photos of Christmas Country Village on Landis Valley's Facebook page and check out photos of the site posted by photographer Jennifer MacNeill.

Site volunteers will be providing a make and take craft this evening (Dec. 11) for families taking part in the Ephrata Merchants' Association Jingle Bell Trolley Tour, which departs from the Ephrata Cloister parking lot. Sounds like a nice community cooperation effort. Also, there are (at least as of Dec. 10) still tickets available for Christmas at the Cloister, Dec. 14 and 15. It's a lovely program filled with music.

So I mentioned that lots of sites have shared photos from their holiday programs on social media. The potentially yummy photo above shows pedahoh (or perogies) being made for Somerset Historical Center's Ethnic Christmas Traditions program last weekend, which included food from Italian, Polish, Slovak, and German traditions (there was cultural info as well, but you know I always focus on the food). You can also find photos from Christmas at Eckley [Miners' Village], Christmas at Hope Lodge, and Pennsbury Manor's Holly Nights.

On Dec. 9, the Railroad Museum's Catcher the Cow, Anthracite Heritage Museum's coal mine mule, and the State Museum's firefly and Big Chick all hung out on Twitter and Facebook for #MuseumMascotDay.

How Was Your Thanksgiving, etc.?

I hope that you and yours had a safe and happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Gimme-a-Break Sunday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, Whatever Wednesday, and Thfffft Thursday (sorry, I ran out of steam). Please be sure to check the December program page to see what there is to do this month on the Trails of History. I've highlighted this weekend's offerings below, but you may want to plan ahead for events later in the month. As always, be aware that some site schedules change during the winter, so it's always a good idea to check before visiting.

Ephrata Cloister held a candlelight open house last weekend and welcomed quite a few visitors interested in getting a different view of the site. Musicians and craftspeople were on hand to talk with visitors as they explored the historic buildings (WGAL covered the event and posted video on their website). If you missed it, fear not. The annual Christmas at the Cloister (Dec. 14-15) and Lantern Tour (Dec. 26-29) programs are still to come. Tickets are required for both, and Christmas at the Cloister may be sold out by the time you see this, but call 717/433-6600 to check on availability.

Staff from the Railroad Museum of PA set up the traditional model train layout at the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence this week, featuring G-scale (for Garden) locomotives and railcars from Bachmann. They posted a short video on their Facebook page and you can see the layout in person if you attend the open house and tour events starting next week. Of course, you can always see model trains and their life-size counterparts at the Museum.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania staff installed an operating layout at the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence today. Great G scale trains are courtesy of our friends at Bachmann!

Posted by Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Conrad Weiser Homestead: Christmas Open House, Sunday 12/6, noon-4 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace: Christmas at Cornwall House Tour, Saturday 12/5, 10 am-4 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead: A Homestead Christmas, Sunday 12/6, noon-4 pm.

Eckley Miners' Village: Christmas at Eckley, Saturday and Sunday 12/5-6, noon-4 pm.

Hope Lodge: Christmas at Hope Lodge, Saturday 12/5, 11 am-5 pm.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum: Country Christmas Village, Saturday 12/5, 10 am-4 pm, and Sunday 12/6, noon-4 pm (event also held Dec. 12-13 but program varies).

Old Economy Village: A Visit with Belsnickel, Saturday 12/5, 10 am-3 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: Home for the Holidays and Christmas with the Conductor, Saturday 12/5, 9 am-5 pm (and again on 12/12).

Somerset Historical Center: Ethnic Traditions of Somerset County, Sunday 12/6 at Friedens Lutheran Church. Advance tickets only, call 814/445-6077.

5 Things to Help You Shake Off the Post-Turkey Blues

All Trails of History sites will be closed tomorrow, Nov. 26. All of us here at Trailheads HQ wish you and yours a happy, safe, and tension-free Thanksgiving. Try for at least two out of three!

Snow at the PA Lumber Museum for Thanksgiving (via Facebook)

 Last Friday's post included some suggestions for things you can talk about around the dinner table (see what The Onion has to offer on this topic) or do to keep everyone occupied during the food coma recovery period. Today, in a special mid-week post, a few more ideas for the days ahead, in the event you actually want to leave the house.

About half a dozen sites (see the list here) will be open on Friday, Nov. 27--a museum or historic site visit gets everyone out of the house and out of the mall. If you must succumb to the cultural pressures of shopping til you drop the day after Thanksgiving, why not include a museum store in your itinerary?

Sites will be back to their regular schedules on Saturday, Nov. 28, which also happens to be Small Business Saturday. You can shop small AND shop local at our museum stores.

Ephrata Cloister Museum Store's Shop Small event runs Nov. 28-Dec. 17
Shoppers can enter to win this gift basket

Several sites have special events scheduled for Saturday:

• Brandywine Battlefield Park: Patriot's Day, 10 am-4 pm.
• Ephrata Cloister: Candlelight Open House, 5-8 pm.
• Graeme Park: A Soldier's Christmas, 11 am-4 pm.
• Pennsbury Manor: Wreaths & Greens Workshop, reservation required.
• Pennsylvania Military Museum: Final weekend of the season (closed Nov. 30-Mar. 12). Guided tours at 1 pm Saturday and Sunday.

And if you're just too tired from all the holiday hub-bub (hubbub?), why not relax with a nice hot cup of tea or an adult beverage and consult the December program listings? Even with winter coming on, there's still plenty to do on the Trails of History. We're looking forward to seeing you.

Oh, and one more thing. Tuesday, Dec. 1, is #GivingTuesday, an online initiative to encourage generosity and make it easy to support causes near and dear to your heart. Pennsbury Manor is participating, as is the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation. I'll update this post if I learn of other Trails of History sites taking part this year.