July 24 (Sat) We left Custer Park and went to Rapid City to Dinosaur Park. It was fun going knowing Randy had climbed around on the same dinosaurs when he was little as our kids were that day. The park is up on a hill with about 7 dinosaurs made to scale. The kids really liked it, especially Max and Henry. Next we went through the badlands. Which Sophia still squeals and says "oh, the badlands - Ahh!" when we talk about it (just because she's crazy). They were so impressive we wished we would've had more time there. And then right before you leave the badlands is a little museum called, The Prairie Homestead. There is an actual dug out a couple lived in (the wife was from upstate NY and the husband from IA and they ended up in SD!)and then the house they added onto the dug out. There was a barn with farm equipment from that time period and a barn with a few animals. And the place was over run with white prairie dogs. It was a cute little place everyone enjoyed.
July 25 (Sun) We started the day at a museum called "Discover Laura" (Laura Ingalls Wilder). We started by touring a home the Ingalls lived in one winter, an example of a school house Laura would have taught in, the actual school Laura and her little sister Carrie went to (it was being renovated and you see a pic of it) and a home Pa had actually built but Laura didn't live in or write about. There were many other buildings to see in the small town of DeSmet and spots that Laura had lived and written about where nothing was left, but a marker had been put in it's place. We saw Pa, Ma,(their daughter's)Carrie, Grace and Mary's graves. These places were all very formal and no - touching.
Then when we went to visit the spot where one of the Ingalls homes were and some trees Pa planted, and we happed to come across this museum, that was based on Laura Ingalls Wilder and the time she grew up. It was terrific!! Their policy was please touch everything! So the kids did and had a blast. They had pony rides, a buggy ride-where they all got a turn to drive, there was a one room school house where they got a lesson, they made rope, button toys, made corncob dolls (or superheros), washed clothes on a washboard, and had a great time.
July 26 (Mon) - This was a big driving day. We had planned to drive from DeSmet, SD to Mansfield, MO following as close to Laura and Almonzo path as possible. We had the book On the Way Home, which is Laura's journal of their journey from SD - MO, so periodically we would make the kids shut down their DS or pause the movie to listen to short journal entries.
In Laura's journal she notes they went through Winside, NB on July 26, and so did we!! So we stopped and had our picnic lunch there. And took our picture on a swing by a large tree that was possibly there 116 years ago to the day. Even the kids seemed to grasp, that was pretty cool. As we got into Marysville, KS I read Laura's journal entry. She wrote, " Around one (house) is a massive brick fence . . . On each side of the front gate a large granite lion is crouching, and on each side of the side gate a large granite dog is lying down." And there in front of us was the gate, lions and dogs!! Wow! It was cool. Then we stopped early enough for our first night of swimming, in a pool with amazingly warm water.
July 27 (Tues.)- We started the day by continuing on Laura and Almonzo's path. As we came into St. Mary's we read about Laura seeing a "pure white marble Saint Mary above the wide doors." Sure enough there it was! Even Max said, "Wow! The same statue, the same building and the same doors!" We detoured off their path and went to Independence (KS) so we could see the spot with a recreated log cabin where Laura lived as a little girl and wrote about in The Little House on the Prairie book. Then because we were so close to Oklahoma, we drove the 10-15 miles out of the way to say we'd been there. (Alex took our pic, as we were much more excited about it than the kids.)Next (back in KS) we stopped in St. Paul to see the graves of Randy's great-great grandparents, great-great uncle and great-great aunt. Sara (Shook) had the wonderful idea to have the kids do rubbings, so the boys were actually really excited to get out and do the rubbings. We said a prayer and laid some wildflowers on the graves. Then saw the church, where they think these great-great grandparents were the first couple to be married. And then close by was Erie, KS were their farm was, we think we saw the spot, but there was no building left so we weren't sure. Then off to swim again!
July 28 (Wed.) - We made it to Mansfield, MO! It was extemely hot that day!! We did the museum where we saw Pa's fiddle, an invitation from a b-day party Laura had been invited to when she was about 15 or 16, which we had recently read about. We saw the actual hand-written journal of Laura's of her trip from DeSmet to Mansfield. One of the journal enteries open was for July 28 (only 116 years earlier)! Alex seemed to like it and Randy and I really loved it. We also toured the house Almozo built for he and Laura, and the Stone house Rose (Laura and Almonzo's daughter) built for them not too far from the first house. After the museum we visited Kayla (Randy's niece) and Mason (her boyfriend). I of course realized only after we weren't with them we only got a picture of them from the side, inside a cave we toured with them. The cave was fun . It was really nice to see Kayla and Mason and we had an enjoyable dinner with them. Then off to swim in our last hotel pool.
July 29 (Thurs.)- We went to St. Louis. We started with the Anheiser Bush tour. Alex said it was cool, and Sophia said her favorite part was the escalators. Next we went to the arch, but we didn't go up due to the lines, and then we toured the Cathedral right next to the Arch. Their museum was closed so we didn't get to go through it. We ended the day by getting to Sara and Eric's - it was great to see them and have some time together at their house. It was very relaxing.
July 30 and 31 (Fri. and Sat.)- We mostly relaxed at Sara and Eric's. Friday we went out for dinner after the kids played at the park and in Oliver's pool. In the middle of the night Fri. Sophia got sick, and Henry was sick Saturday. So the museum we thought about going to wasn't an option any more. So a lot more playing went on, and that was good.
Aug. 1 (Sun)- We left Sara and Eric's in the morning. We made one stop, we had told all the kids they could pick out 2 souvenirs over our 2 week trip, Alex just couldn't fine what he was looking for. So one the way home we stopped at an airplane museum in Indiana for Alex. Only Randy and Alex went in and didn't even go through the museum, but found a model airplane for his last souvenir. The drove the rest of the way home.
No comments:
Post a Comment