The day started off with an hour-long bus ride to the Batsto Village. We started at the museum that preserved the life of people in the Pine Barrens. We looked at all the interesting things that we could for a bit (including some great facts about the history of iron-working in the Pine Barrens), then we searched the gift shop for candy and several other things before heading on a 4.5 mile trail hike. After a good 15 minutes, there were almost 5 different groups of people going 5 different paces. We took pictures on the lakes and enjoyed a little jog on the way.
After a long 4.5 mile hike, the group wandered around Batsto Village. This village was a desolate place full of many buildings to explore. While wandering around, the group found many interesting and odd activities to do. For example, two group members decided to make a makeshift dam in a tiny creek.
During the walk, the group noticed that most of the buildings of the village were used for production. There was a saw mill, a furnace for processing the iron mined in the area (named “Bog Iron” due to it being mined from the shores of Batsto Lake), and even a general store with several old items that would have been for sale many years ago. It was very interesting! At the end of the first day, the group had already made many unforgettable memories.
