Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - Little House on the Prairie - the Walnut Grove years
I forgot a picture yesterday - after we visited the DeSmet homestead we went into town, and saw the house Pa built in town, where Ma and Mary lived until their deaths.
The next day we went to Walnut Grove in Minnisota.
The first place we went to was the dugout by Plum Creek. This, of course was where the book On the Banks of Plum Creek was based. The dugout is not there today, and the site is actually in a private piece of land! Thankfully the people who own this land knew a good thing when they saw it, and it only costs 4 dollars a car,(which is disposited into a little box by the side of the road) then you follow a dirt road down to the creek, and there is a sign where the dugout used to be.
Rachel and Rebekah wanted to go wading in Plum Creek, and they managed to drag me in too.
Even Mom got in for a little bit!!
Rebekah ran around in the prairie grass -
I contemplated on a rock -
And Rachel was her usul self - 
After we froze in the creek, we headed off to the Walnut Grove museum.
We used some old-fashoned transportation to get there!
Here's a close up -
We found out something interesting about Walnut Grove. While the museums at DeSmet were very adamant that they had all authenticated stuff from Laura's time, and that they had done all this research to make it as real and authentic as they could; the people in Walnut Grove were fine with the fact that their main claim-to-fame was the Little House on the Prairie TV show. The gift shop had memorabilia from the TV show (we went in and Mom screeched "I had a lunch box just like that one!!") and they weren't ashamed at all. And down the road we ate lunch at a place that was only found in the TV show - the real Nellie(s) wouldn't have been caught dead around a place like this. 
About an hour away from Walnut Grove was where we pitched camp. In the small town of... I can't remember than name, but it was pretty much Nowheresville Minnesota. There KOA was very nice though, and we had a really fun time roasting hot dogs for dinner!! (yes that is an air-conditioner on the cabin. That's MY kind of camping) 
Rebekah had time for a little solitude (we were all starting to get on each other's nerves by this point)
Rachel and I had a fun time so long as we were a safe distance from the campfire.
The next day we went to Iowa to see the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.
Hopefully Mom will get her blog back and running again, because she should really be the one to show the pictures that she took here!
Well there you go! I don't know when exactly I'll get the family reunion pictures up, but I'll try to get to those soon.
Cheers!
Sarah Beth
Comments
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - Impressive
Posted by mrmnmom
I'm impressed by your page! I can't do this kind of stuff. I was just looking around at homeschooling blogs and came across yours. I have 2 little ones.
It looks like you had a great family vacation! Keep up the great work! Your page is very interesting, and eye catching, I love all the Disney stuff.
Thursday, July 17, 2008 - Laura
Posted by Nana
My, how Walnut Grove has changed, even since we were there with Rebekah, in 2002, much less the 1970's when we were there with your mom and Tom! They continue to add to the site and make it more interesting. I love all the pictures of your trip and the creative way you display them!
Friday, July 18, 2008 - Oh
Posted by LaMereAcademy
You all had the best vacation! What fun. I want to wade in Plum Creek too...waaahh!
I love the photo of you girls in front of the Dugout site. Beautiful.
Love,
Mrs. LaMere
