Laura Ingalls Wilder House

The new batch of photos is up on Flickr, documenting our trip to the Laura Ingalls Wilder House and Museum at Mansfield, MO. She, Almanzo, and their daughter, Rose, moved here in 1894 and she lived here until her death in 1957. All of the Little House books were written at this farm. We also took a quick trip up to Arrow Rock to see family and enjoy the quaint little village. Our cousin there was kind enough to give us a home-cooked meal, a place to stay for the night, and a private tour of Arrow Rock (where she works) the next morning. Tonight is our last night on the road. We'll arrive in Denver tomorrow and I fly back to Oregon on Thursday. We have had so much fun but it will be nice to get home again.

Into each life a little rain must fall...

...and onto each camping trip. We have certainly gotten our share. We were at the Minuteman Campground, just outside of Boston, on Thursday night and had just finished cleaning up dinner when the first drops began to fall. It proceeded to pour for the rest of the night. It rained so hard that it sort of kept us half-awake all night, murmuring about rain in our sleep. In the morning it had not let up but we had to be on our way. We dashed about in the rain in bare feet and our lightest clothes, hurriedly trying to pack the tent while protecting the dry-ish inside as much as possible with the fly. We were soaked and a shower had never felt so good when we drove up to the bathhouse. It stayed rainy all day and we hoped we could possibly out run the weather.

We got to southwestern New York and our hopes rose. There was definite sun peeking out and we got a site. A low rumble of distant thunder made us nervous as we got back into the car to drive to the site. Another rumble greeted us as we finished parking the car and got the rain fly out from the backseat floor, where it had sat, soaked through, all day. A few light sprinkles fell and we tried to start getting unpacked that much faster and then, all at once, the sky opened up and rain pelted down. We'd been out of the car for all of 45 seconds. Mother Nature apparently has a good sense of humor. We dashed the fly and footprint back into the car (all we'd had time to remove) as fast as possible and then sat in the car as it poured on us yet again. Everything seemed soaked - every part of the tent, clothes and towels inside; everything else in the world outside. I just started laughing and laughing. I think I worried Mom for a moment but when she saw that I wasn't having a nervous breakdown she relaxed. What else can one do in such a situation?!

We went up the road to cell service and made calls and when we got back the sun was peeking out. We slept in the car that night and a few rocks slept in the tent as it aired out a bit, although it didn't really get any drier.

Blissfully, when we got to Indiana yesterday the sun was shining and we were actually HOT under the cloudless blue sky. We are again dry although the locusts are so loud here in Missouri that I'm afraid that we won't be able to sleep. It's almost deafening. We made our first camp fire
- and it only took one match!

At our Indiana campground in Whitewater Memorial State Park. They had a horse barn and this mama and foal were very photogenic.

Our campsite at Whitewater Memorial. We were so grateful for sunshine and everything dried from soaking wet to warm and fresh in about an hour.
Overnight the dew was so heavy that the tent was covered in water. This slug was trying to hitch a ride to Missouri.
Drive-by tourism. I took this at 60mph as we crossed the Mississippi River into St. Louis, Missouri. It is an amazing feat of architecture.
Camp in Missouri and Mom feeding the miraculous fire.
Me roasting our smoked sausages over it. Those tasted remarkably good.

When I get home, we need to make a point of going camping more often. I've enjoyed it so much - we've slept in the tent for 10 of the last 12 days (the other 2 were in the car) and I'm still loving it. Besides, I'll have to show my new fire starting skills to Q.

Flickr's Up Through Concord, MA

After a big work binge in the car today, all the photos I have, through this morning, are up on flickr. We are just approaching tonight's camp in Indiana and the sun is shining - finally!

First Trip Flickr Update

I've got the first part of the trip up on my flickr account. More to follow, hopefully tomorrow. Just now going to go make dinner at camp in a beautiful New York twilight.

We made it to PEI

We went to all of the Anne of Green Gables/L.M. Montgomery sights today - Mom and I were in raptures. I love being stupid happy. More pictures will soon follow on flickr of Gene Stratton Porter houses in Indiana, idyllic camping by a New York lake, Maine moose, and many more pictures of beautiful Prince Edward Island. Tomorrow we go to the beach, the dunes, and Charlottetown.

Antiquing in West Des Moines, Iowa

We had a bit of a lazy morning and then, after lunch, all us "girls" (2 aunts, mom, and me) went antiquing on the old main street of West Des Moines. It's a nice little strip of old buildings that houses a mix of art galleries, shops carrying decorating trinkets, and vintage/antique stores. There was one fantastic store that specialized in midcentury modern, A-Okay Antiques, that was really great but I forgot to take a picture of the front. The prices seemed really, really good. It's amazing how much that seems to vary depending on what part of the country you're in and whether a place is metropolitan or rural. I got the pillowcase below for only $1.50. I don't know how old it is but I love the fabric and it's in great shape. I'm pondering if I can make a valance or something for the laundry room and then have some white sheers below, just to dress up that window a little. I hope it's the right turquoise but fear it's too cool.
Afterwards, we were totally exhausted. I was the most tired but I tried to console myself that the older ladies had gone to bed earlier the night before and hadn't run 3 miles first thing this morning. We got to rest in auntie's beautiful sun room.

Mom taking a rest

The other side of the sun room with its cheery nasturtium bouquets

Tired feet. Tomorrow we drive again - on to Geneva, Indiana and the home of Gene Stratton Porter.

We're off!

We did the first leg of the road trip today and drove for 10 hours, from Denver to Des Moines. We're staying with my aunt and spending the day here tomorrow. It's only in the mid-eighties, thankfully, since the humidity is so high it makes me feel a little wilty, even at those temperatures. No pictures yet but I'm making sure I keep the camera close. I don't know what we're actually doing tomorrow but we aren't leaving until Wednesday, when we go on to Geneva, Indiana.