Little House on the Prairie Visit

WHERE ARE WE? Oakland, Iowa

A leisurely start to our day again today.  We are actually doing about double the kms that we like to average.  The weather is nice and the wind is cooperative so we just keep on trucking.  I am maintaining about 55 mph so there is ample time to see the scenery.  Here is where we went today.

We made a little detour from Highway 59 this morning in order to visit the town of Walnut Grove.  Anybody know why we wanted to see Walnut Grove?  Yup your right,  Little House on the Prairie.  Now none of the show was shot here and none of the characters of the TV show are from here, but the show is based a little bit on the life of Laura Ingles Wilder and her family when the came here in the 1870's.  In my mind, this was the Walnut Grove we learned to love while watching the series, so I had to cross this off my bucket list.  

I coughed up the $10 to tour their little museum and I think it was worth it.  There was not a whole lot to see, but what was there stirred something inside me because I have been lucky enough to see the end of the pioneer era and lots of the things in the museum were things I remember seeing being used in real life.  Wow I am old!!!  I will just do a quick photo dump with short explanations where necessary.

Mary, Pa, Maw, Carrie, and Laura Ingles 

an old hardware setting generally part of the General Store

One Ringy Dingy!!! Different show!!!  Lily Tomlin

Sod hut that settlers built to get through a couple winters

Typical kitchen.  Ours was much like this.

The actual fiddle Michael Landon used as Paw in the show

Then we came to the school house.  The one room school I went to was a little bigger than this one but much the same concept.  We still had some of these old desks in ours but the wood stove was a thing of the past when I started school.  We had up to 13 students ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 8.  

I remember the old globe.  Now I need one to chart my travels.

The teacher was a very busy person but the older students chipped in by helping the younger ones learn what they needed to learn.  The reason I am singling out the school is because a little while ago I reconnected with one of my grade school teachers.  You know how some teachers made a big impression on your young mind?  Well Mrs. Williamson was one of those teachers.  She taught me and others at Huntly School in grades 5 and 6 I think.  She was a very kind lady but took no guff from us goons.  We were not goons but our Tom foolery did land us in hot water occasionally.  She taught us how to handle all sorts of life's problems and I thank her for that.  Even today, I am going back through this blog to make sure the spelling and punctuation is acceptable. lol  Mrs. Williamson recently lost her husband of 60 years (Lloyd), and the funeral will be tomorrow.  I have been praying for comfort for her and her family as they say their goodbyes.  Thanks Mrs. Williamson.

I hope she doesn't mind me using a couple of her photos.

Mrs Williamson and their family

Lots of beautiful scenery along the way today and we got into some nice rolling hills.  There is corn for as far as the eye can see on the farmland.  We crossed into Iowa today.  I didn't realize, but Minnesota is a long state.  It is as long as North and South Dakota combined.  

Tonight we found a nice old Lions Park that hasn't seen an overnight camper in a long while.  It should be quite quiet and dark here tonight.  

While I was writing about my school day's I have to take a second to apologize to my school friend David McGill because we went right past Ile de Chene and it didn't even dawn on me until now that that is where he lives.  Sorry bud!!! You were probably working anyway but my bad!!!  

And no matter where we go, there is a sunset.  Good Nite!!