Westward Ho! A Turning Point: Heading East to the Little House! (Day 40)
For weeks, whenever the kids asked where we were going, the answer was always "West." Today, for the first time, the answer was "East." A strange and wonderful feeling as we drove all day across the big state of South Dakota.
Our destination? De Smet, the final homestead of the Ingalls family. We've been listening to the "Little House" books this whole trip, and arriving here was magical. It far exceeded our expectations! The homestead is privately owned by a passionate family who have created the most amazing pioneer experience for children.
And you can camp there! We pulled "Buzz," our modern-day covered wagon, right onto the Ingalls' actual home site, overlooking a replica of their little house on the wide-open prairie. It was an incredible feeling. Even though things were closing down for the day, the kids had the time of their lives just running and running and running on the prairie until dark. A perfect, simple, joyful end to the day.
