Prairie Journey – Guess What’s Waiting For Us in DeSmet?

Prairie days are getting closer on the calendar.

Last year this adventure seemed so far away as I was hatching it and hoping it would work out.

Actually, this trip has been nearly a decade in the making.

Yeah – life is moving quickly like that.

As we were taking this same basic journey with a bonnet-clad fifth-grader Riley, I knew then we’d do this journey again some day if time and circumstance were on our side.

And, so far, it seems they both are.

The order of travel is The Big Woods, Walnut Grove, Plum Creek and then Silver Lake in DeSmet, South Dakota.

For a large portion of this adventure we will be camping out.  We have a few nights with family and a hotel or two on special birthday nights – plus one evening at a bed and breakfast.

And all of that sounds like sleeping adventures enough.

Except.

Not quite.

On our last trip almost a decade ago we saw these charming covered wagons when we were in DeSmet visiting the Ingalls Homestead.  Covered wagons where people were sleeping!

Sleeping in a covered wagon on the prairie!

Because we made that previous journey pre high-speed internet, those covered wagons as sleeping conveyances were completely a surprise.

Not this time, however.

This time I called early and reserved a covered wagon for the Keigley family!

A.  Covered.  Wagon.  Guys.

We are sleeping a covered wagon!

What should we eat out by the campfire that evening?

Does it have to be beans?

Wild rabbit?

What would Ma be serving over her campfire outside the Ingalls family’s covered wagon?

Seriously – I cannot wait to sleep in a covered wagon.  On a prairie.  It just seems so apropos. (A word I recently taught our poetry class.)

We will be visiting the Ingalls Homestead.  (Where all those years ago my mom purchased tiny London and tiny Mosely their own little prairie cloth dolls.  Piper Finn is anxiously hoping the gift shop still carries the exact same dolls.  I’m kind of hoping they do too.)

DeSmet also hosts an outdoor pageant as well.  We are thrilled to be attending a performance outdoors for that too.

Ah – Little Prairie – homestead of the Ingalls family – covered wagon on the prairie – we are counting down the days to you.

To adventure.

To pretending to be an Ingalls family member for at least one star-filled covered wagon evening.