Alyice on November 11th, 2008

Ingalls Homestead

When I was a little girl, I loved watching Little House On The Prairie, starring Melissa Gilbert and reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls-Wilder. The books and the televised series offered an escape from my every day life, allowing me to experience what it would be like to live a simpler, more carefree lifestyle. And I loved dreaming of being a part of the Ingalls family—a family that seemed to exemplify the very nature of what “family” was supposed to be about: unconditional love, close bonds, and working together as a unit.

Two summers ago we visited the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota with my twin nephews—who were two years old at the time—and it was an amazing experience. The land has been preserved to the point of only being plowed by farm animals and everything on the Homestead can be touched, played with, and used. You can make a hand-spun rope and a corncob doll, ride in a covered wagon, and attend school in the one-room school house.

If you ever happen to be near De Smet, South Dakota, stop by the Ingalls Homestead—just remember to bring along a few toddlers as their excitement is contagious and makes the experience worth it.