Our week in South Dakota started with a truly unique experience - camping on Laura Ingalls Wilder's original homestead property. I've always been a huge fan of the Little House on the Prairie books and have read the entire series dozens of times, even as recently as last year. So when I was researching places to stay on our way through South Dakota and discovered that we could actually camp right on the homestead, this became a must-do. Our campsite was just a few hundred yards from the house and barn, with expansive views of the prairie in all directions. You can see our RV right behind the white building in the third picture.
Although the buildings on the property are replicas rather than the originals, everything is set up just as described in the books. Here's a sod dugout like the one they lived in on Plum Creek.
...and the tar papered claim shanty...
...and the eventual house which Pa built in three phases. (Obviously these cottonwood trees are too young to be the same ones that Pa planted, but those are elsewhere on the property.)
Of course they included replicas of Ma's sewing machine, Mary's pump organ, and the whatnot shelf.
The homestead is delightfully interactive, with staff on hand to teach visitors how to do laundry on a washboard, make a corncob doll, braid a rag rug, etc. If you're familiar with The Long Winter, you'll remember how they had to twist hay into sticks to burn for heat and grind wheat in their coffee grinder for bread flour. The staff teaches visitors how to do those things too, along with making rope.
There is also a schoolhouse on the property where you learn about what a typical school day in that era was like.
But as interesting as all of these things were, our favorite part of the homestead was the animals. The boys (John especially) were obsessed with the barn kittens, and there was a little calf to pet.
In addition to pony rides, they have covered wagon and pony cart rides where you can drive the horses.
I fell in love with this 8-week-old pony foal. She's named Rose after Laura's daughter. Isn't she just the cutest??
Even if this place had no "celebrity affiliation," I think it would always stand out in our memories as a favorite stop on this trip just because it was so different. But being able to connect these experiences to my favorite childhood books made it even more special.
P.S. One last picture - look how bright the moon was!
Comments
Post a Comment