Palisade

Look close, in front of the trees, and you will see all the narrow posts sticking in the ground. These posts, and the propped branch structure in the foreground, are remnants of a Native American exhibit at Explore Park off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. The posts circled the area and served as a palisade to fortify the replicated 17th Century Tutelo Indian Village. Large, curved, bark covered dwellings are long gone. I am not sure if the remaining structure was part of a quick dwelling (it seems too small) or a place for fire and cooking or something completely different.

Many other exhibit structures, such as a mill, blacksmith shop, and schoolhouse, are still standing, but the buildings are not open. In its heyday, actors guided visitors through the exhibits and shared historical information about the people of the times and their way of life. Now, the exhibits are all closed and the buildings seem abandoned.

People still go to Explore Park for the miles of hiking trails. The area draws causal hikers and trail racers. It’s a good place to spend some time outdoors. Someday, I want to go back and take pictures of the buildings that still seem interesting to me.

*posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge:
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