Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead

    Leaving Minnesota, we crossed into South Dakota with the goal of reaching De Smet. Not far from this town is where Laura Ingalls Wilder's father moved his family to set up a farm after receiving land from the Homestead Act. The girls have read most of the "Little House" books so everyone was excited about the visit.

    It was a beautiful day so the kids had a great time running around and learning how to pump water from wells, clean laundry with a washboard, and make rope. We all took a wagon ride to the nearby one-room schoolhouse and were led through a lesson that would have been given to a room full of first graders through eighth graders. And I’m proud to say the girls came in first and second during a spelling bee. They even beat out a couple of high schoolers!

    The highlight for the kids had to be the barn full of kittens. All of the chickens and the calf were ignored for the little cats. We pulled them away and I still maintain that the sod house smelled better than the barn. It was a great visit and after having lunch we hit the road for Badlands National Park.