All right, all right, I couldn't resist it! We had to detour into SW Minnesota to see Walnut Grove, the main Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. We are literally driving on the Laura Ingalls highway, route 14. Can you stand it? I'm out of my mind excitedl!!!!
In the museum, Grandma and I walked around reading the notes for every picture (Pa's parents' wedding picture, Baby Grace grown up, Laura and her daughter Rose), and every item in the museum cases (Ma's china doll, Laura's 9-patch quilt, Pa's buffalo coat). Then it occurred to me that the kids were silent. This place was clever -- they had the Little House t.v. series on! I found my 3 Prairie Chicks mesmerized, staring up into the corner of the room at a small television.
Beyond the museum, there was a sod house, a church, a school house, a "Grandma's House" with signs that actually said, "Please Touch". It was pure heaven for them. We could barely get Doodle out of her bloomers and bonnet.
Saw your car in Walnut Grove on our own way back from De Smet (be sure to visit the Ingalls Homestead -- great fun for the kids). Sounds like a fun trip! Can you talk more about some of your logistics? How many hours do you spend in the car? How many nights at your typical destination? What do your kids do in the car? We've got 3 kids with nearly the same ages and have done a few road trips ourselves (we're on mile 3200 of our 2008 summer trip), but they really get stir crazy after a few weeks on the road.
ReplyDeleteStir craziness is actually a gift. It forces the little ones (and maybe the big ones) to invent creative things to do and to talk to each other.
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