After we had a wonderful visit at the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co, we drove about 10 minutes and arrived at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum. I LOVED the Little House on the Prairie books as a child and have started reading them to my oldest daughter Picasso. My parents and I have also seen every episode of the Little House on the Prairie t.v. show several times over, gotta love Michael Landon! The girls and I have been to several local pioneer sites and I desperately wanted to get a sneak peak into Laura's life. After a long drive and great visit at Baker Creek, my hubby and youngest daughter Princess Tiger Lily needed a snooze so they napped in the car while just Picasso and I went to see Laura's home. Part of the tour is watching a very short movie on Laura's history and when we finished that we were able to go inside the Rocky Ridge Farm house. It started out as a small one bedroom house but they later added on to it. It was very quaint and charming with most of the original furniture and appliances. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take any pictures of the inside of the houses or museum, boo hoo! I would have loved to share everything we saw with you, oh well, you will just have to make the pilgrimage there yourself ; ) The house was definitely dated to that time period and I loved that it even smelled old. I know I'm a bit quirky but it makes it more authentic when it smells like history to me. We saw the desk she wrote her books at and looked out the windows to see (mostly) the same view she saw when writing. The living room was nice and had a charming little library nook that I wish I had in my home. I really didn't want to leave but alas the tour guide needed to lock the doors and secure the building. Picasso and I went through the museum and were privileged to see so many treasures from Laura's life. We saw pictures of all the family members including Ma and Pa. Just beyond that picture was Pa's fiddle, and when I looked at the fiddle and saw him in the background it was like I could see him play. I almost teared up thinking about how I yearned to hear him play that fiddle and make beautiful music like Laura wrote about. It was made in 1850 and was probably one of the most meaningful priceless treasures we saw that day. We viewed several dresses, Laura's revolver, dishes, a plethora of pictures, and a multitude of other precious items from Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura, Carrie, Almanzo, and Grace. We finished at the museum and took a short drive down to the Rock house. Grace, Laura's and Almanzo's daughter, had this English cottage built and they lived there about 8 years but moved back to the Rocky Ridge farm house after Grace moved away. All the rocks on the outside of the house were from the property and all the retaining walls and other rocks used were from right there as well. We walked through a gorgeous wooden front door and into the living room. It was light yellow and had an abundance of natural light that made it feel so inviting. One wall was a large set of french doors that they would open to let the breeze in. We then walked through the dining room and looked into the kitchen. There was the original 1929 Westinghouse stove that I fell in love with and desperately wanted for my own kitchen. It was all so very quaint! We saw Laura's and Almanzo's bedrooms and in one was a chair he made himself. The only bathroom still had the original tile, fixtures, and push button toilet. What was really interesting was the extremely low shower head. The tour guide informed us that they were both very short, Laura was 4'11" and Almanzo was only 5'4", hence the nickname "Half pint" that Pa gave Laura. This property had beautiful views of the surrounding hills and felt very serene. When we left this home we drove down to the town square where there stands a figure of Laura from her bust up. I had to have a picture with her as this was the closest I will ever come to standing next to my childhood hero. Due to the kiddos needing to potty and eat dinner we didn't stop at the cemetery where Laura and Almanzo are buried. I do wish I could have seen it but I will just have to save that for another trip. I told my hubby that my heart is full, it really touched me to be able to get a glimpse of Laura's life and see her history which has had a huge impact on my life. On the way back home to Kansas City we stopped in Springfield and visited the Bass Pro shop which is apparently the largest store in the nation. It was pretty awesome! They have a National History of Archery museum, a soon to come National Museum of Firearms, quite a few amazing aquariums, a restaurant, and a coffee bar among many other features. We didn't stay long as we were all ready to eat and get home! It was a wonderful family day and we made life long memories there in Mansfield.
lauraingallswilderhome.com
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