A Guide to the Best of Southern California : EXCURSIONS : A History Lesson in the Making

This time, the Blue and the Gray take turns winning. On the third Sunday of the month, April through October, the Ft. Tejon Historical Assn. stages mock Civil War battles on a tree-lined field 75 miles north of Los Angeles, near Lebec. As many as 400 living-history buffs dress in authentic uniforms and fire real muskets and cannons--loaded with gunpowder but no balls. Some take on the identities of long-dead soldiers. One regular, David Cotton, walks in the boots of Capt. John Curd, a wartime doctor. The women, also in period costumes, act as nurses for the “wounded.”

After the 45-minute clashes, staged at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., docents lead tours of the Union and Confederate camps, where visitors can inspect the artillery, cavalry and infantry units.

If you’re not into war, on the first Sunday of each month year-round, volunteers demonstrate skills--cooking, woodworking, sewing and blacksmithing--as they were practiced by servicemen who lived and worked at the fort between 1854 and 1864.

There’s no food in sight at Ft. Tejon State Historic Park, so bring a picnic, a blanket and the price of admission: $2 for adults, 50 cents for children.

Re-enactments are scheduled on Sept. 15 and Oct. 20. To reach Ft. Tejon State Historic Park, take Interstate 5 to the Ft. Tejon exit. Information: (805) 248-6692.