A Trip to The Fantastic Umbrella Factory

Some Cool Garden Art

I think we counted 22 ducklings in this Mama's care. I seem to remember this type of duck being very good at fostering babies of other ducks, so maybe they were not all hers.

Pretty Baby

Amazing Giant Pitcher Plants

Violet Shopping

Bunnies

Feeding Chickens

Feeding goats and emus. Does the emu's eye look very much like a great white shark's eye? It actually bit Vi right after I took the picture. She was o.k., although a little understandably freaked out.

Penelope is tired.

My Girl

Going Home

When Steve went to his school to get his books last week, we all came along so we could visit The Fantastic Umbrella Factory, in Charleston, R.I., which is not a factory at all and has nothing to do with umbrellas. What it is, is an amazing place, filled with gardens, cool shops, an art gallery, a vegetarian place to eat, and animals who live there and that you can feed. The shops are all in very awesome old barns and are filled with beautiful clothes, bags, jewelry, drums, pottery, music, soaps and lotions, and more and more. There is a greenhouse with tons of beautiful and many exotic plants, and the property is beautiful to walk around, with lovely gardens, fountains and ponds and also lots of sweet animals roaming about.

The girls loved the animals the best. For just a little bit of money you can fill a couple ice cream cones with food for either goats or chickens/ducks. The girls loved the ducks and chickens the most, were a little terrified by the emus, and absolutely in love with the ducklings, who were too cute for words.

This place is definitely a destination, it is pretty far out in the country, but the drive is beautiful and it is such a peaceful and cool place to spend an afternoon. And it's a great place to take cute pictures of your kids too!

I used to go to The Umbrella factory a couple times a year with friends. There was a time most of my clothes came from here, and I used to always but the coolest gifts here too. But I haven't been in ages, I think the last time I came was the summer Pen turned one. Penelope is already asking to go back, and I think we will plan another ride out there soon. Now with kids along for the trip it's not so much about browsing the shops, but more about running around the grounds, feeding animals, and taking in the beauty and interesting things around us, which is more my thing these days anyhow.