Arbor Day Farm

We hit this little kid festival in Kansas City -- what luck! They did face painting, balloon animals, etc. In the pouring rain, we were protected and happy! A nice woman talked to us about the trip and said we really needed to hit Nebraska City on our way to Omaha.

Always one to take advice from locals, we decided to stop. Lied Lodge is an enormous, gorgeous building with Macintosh styled lettering stenciled all over the walls. It was like the Arts and Crafts Movement meets modern REI.

I went in just to check it out and when I got back to the car I announced, "We need to hustle! We need to eat dinner and be ready for our carriage ride in just 30 minutes!" Raucous shouts of glee from the kids! Tomcat looked perplexed, "You mean we're staying here for the night?"

Nearby is the Arbor Day Farm, 260 acres of comely grounds, and a cacophony of birds on the forest trails. This is the place Arbor Day started back in the late 1800's. This Farmer Brown was way ahead of his time.

Kansas - State #23

I called Tomcat today and asked him to fly out for the weekend. He agreed to meet us in Kansas City, MO and drive with us to Omaha where he used to live as as little guy. So, now we're on the road again (still awaiting my day of rest) for the next 5 hours.

Remember the movie Far & Away? That’s definitely what Eastern Oklahoma and Kansas look like. I loved that movie even though it got poor reviews. What gorgeous country! Still no wheat though, just corn. I’m not sure that’s going to work with our plans. The kids are dying to pick some wheat to chew on.

Tee hee, we got to go to "Indian Territory" near Independence, KS and see where Laura Ingalls Wilder’s first memories came from. There was a replica one-room house and a well that Pa dug with his own hands. There were 2 women working there who knew what it meant to be Little House fans. Quite a change from Mansfield, MO. They said people who drive all the way out here are passionate about this story, and they get it. They'll stay open as long as visitors keep coming, no matter how late. We didn’t feel rushed and they were great with the kids, even letting them behind the rope to take pictures in the schoolhouse! A nice couple showed up, chatted with us, and they gave us some tips on Alabama, their home state.

There was such an air of genuine “life on the prairie” that I sincerely appreciated the attitude of the employees. The kids were running around the place until I had them stop for a minute, “Look, that sign says to look north and imagine covered wagons coming across the Prairie.” Peanut goes, “Okay, I did it.” Little Man goes, “Okay, I did it, too. Now look at this brain I found!” Sure enough he was holding a green brain-looking fruit. We learned it’s an Osage Orange, not for eating, but the Native Americans used it for their bows. Pioneers used it for fence posts. The roots are really orange so they were boiled to make orange and yellow dye. Modern 5 years olds find the fruits perfect for throwing and kicking around the prairie!

After this Little House experience we're determined to go to De Smet, SD and see the homestead. Just watch us change this itinerary again!

Kansas License Plate