Day trip to the Freilichtmuseum Hessenpark

I enjoy creating lists so much that I decided to devote an entire book to epic lists of all kinds, including (but not limited to) restaurants to try, crafty things to make, favorite names..if you have any suggestions for lists that should be forever made then let me know. 

And no, Pinterest does not cut it for certain things. 

Referring to the "Day Trips from Frankfurt" section combined with the fact that it wasn't raining, we settled on the Freilichtmuseum Hessenpark in the Taunus hills outside Frankfurt. 'Hesse' is this region of Germany and the open-air museum is devoted to sharing its rich history. Picture 1600s German houses that were transplanted from their original spots to create a sort of town, with all the different facets of early German life.

Of course, the brewery barn has to be first. We're in Germany; gotta keep your priorities straight!

I loved how most of the houses had carvings into the beams over the doors. Some shared the names of the families who lived there, who helped build the house, etc. Others gave props to God. 

Those were my favorite.

(God with us) 

(God's promises are new every morning)

And the little Lutheran chapels captivated my heart... can you imagine worshiping here with your tiny community? What happened to all these sweet Lutheran chapels and the churched population? Maybe two world wars and insane leaders had something to do with it...

Life in Hesse wouldn't be the same without MASSIVE cows. I couldn't stop laughing. Why is he sleeping?

and don't forget his four broads lined up in a row....

A German schoolhouse! I felt like I was back in St. Augustine with the creepy wax robots that move around. This one was way cooler, I have to admit.

Finally, a windmill, because they're just plain awesome.

If you've stumbled upon this posting and are in the area, I highly recommend making the trek out, especially in the summer when there's promised demonstrations and people dressed up like the times. If you don't have a car like us, it's easy to take the S5 to Bad Homburg, then bus #5 (on the weekends only) which drops you right off. Half of the descriptions are in English. And there's a fantastic bakery in the market square! Worth it just for the käse kuchen :)