The Ingalls homestead in De Smet, SD

Last night we camped at Laura Ingalls homestead and today we are visiting a school similar to the one in which she taught. Two of the desks in this room are original and so is the bookcase which is not shown in this picture. All of the kids had to where outfits that children would have worn when Laura was a child. Mommy thought I looked adorable in my bonnet and apron :)). All the girls had to wear them and the boys had to wear hats. To get to the school house, we all rode in a covered wagon. There were ten kids on the wagon, not mentioning parents, and we all got to steer the horses. The horses were huge!!! 

This is the school house. See the bell on the top? Well, everyday after Laura was done with school, the teacher would pull on a string inside of the school and that would dismiss all of the students. Children's parents were also able to hear the bell so that they would know when their children were on there way home. On the way out of the school, all the kids got a chance ringing the bell. It was fun!!! (You can see the string in the first picture at the doorway.) 

Here is mommy and me in an old stage couch. We are in the upstairs part of an old barn where they keep the horses and ponies. They have several exhibits up here to look at!

This a picture of the welcome sign to the homestead.The homestead is the original 160 acres that Pa claimed in 1880.

The sunset last night.

Laura's travel exhibit is in this building. It shows her books along with the name of the town where the book took place. "Little House on the Prairie" was actually in Independence, KS. "By the Shores of Silver Lake" starts her life in De Smet, SD. See the seesaw on the  left of it?  Again, the beautiful sunset is in the background. :))

The prairie with the horse barn that was mentioned earlier. The first tiny building to the left is Ma's house that Pa built.

 The prairie in the early morning. It is so beautiful!

Here I am with a guide at Ma's house. I am experiencing  how people had to wash clothes at the time of the Ingalls.

After the wash, I got to clip the sheets to the clothesline. It was much different than the washing machines we have today!

Some of the pages from Laura's books that took place here at the homestead.

This is mommy at Ma's  garden. Last night I met the young women who tends it. I helped her pick veggies and in return, she gave me three tomatoes and a cucumber. We ate them with dinner and they were yummy! I met her dad this morning and he gave me fresh chicken eggs from the barn. The barn also has a cow and 7 cats. One of which is a baby kitten!! I played with all the cats for hours last night. They were so cute and they followed me everywhere!

Had to throw this in the blog! It's Jen now. I was driving and suddenly heard a rattling, scraping sound. As good fortune would have it, we were two miles from a rest stop so I pulled over. Two hanger straps broke on the muffler and it was dragging on the ground. Probably loosened them up from all those dirt roads at the Ingalls! Anyway, some wire cutters, two coat hangers and 20 minutes later, we were on the road again! :))

My over mitt came in handy with a hot muffler to handle!