Walnut Grove

Our summer tradition of visiting Laura Ingalls sites continues. First it was Pepin, WI, then DeSmet SD, and now Walnut Grove, MN. We jammed in a ton of activity for a one night stay. First we attended a free family festival they host in town. It included a bunch of crafts which the kids really enjoyed. Highlights included leather stamping and seed art.

Then we explored the museum which included things like a school house, church, jail, outhouse, garden, general store, and covered wagon.

Next up was the site of their dug out home. The location has long since caved in, but it was still neat to see the actual site. The far better part was splashing around in Plum Creek. Pretty special thinking about how Laura played in that same spot, so many years ago. It was certainly a highlight of our trip.

We then went to Lake Shetek State Park to set up the tent. We knew it would be a super late night and wanted everything ready to go to just slip into bed when we got there. The local community puts on a meal in the evening, so we stopped by there for a bite to eat. Then it was off to the pageant! The pageant is an outdoor play telling the story of the Ingalls family during their time in Walnut Grove. It started with a little talk by actress Charlotte Stewart who played Miss Beadle in the TV series. (She was very funny!) The play included so many interesting pieces and I was greatly impressed by how they told the story. My favorites were the church raising, the grasshopper plague, and the wild fires. It was a really incredible show! The show went from 9-11, so I was curious to see how the kids would do so late at night, and they were great!

We got snuggled into bed right around midnight. That was just a few hours before a heavy storm hit us. Sleep didn't really happen for us moms that night as our minds raced about our safety and kids woke from the storm. Maybe not the best first experience for the kids and I with tent camping, but we all turned out just fine! The storm finally cleared up around noon, so we ventured on a little hike to Loon Island before heading out. One final stop at Nelle's Diner for a Nelle Burger, and we were on our way back home.

It was another adventurous trip with the Olsen family. I wouldn't expect anything less. I'm already looking forward to our next Laura Ingalls adventure to Iowa.