We all have them. The husband who just doesn’t understand why his wife is so wrapped up in “children’s books.” The sibling who grumbles and complains about being dragged across the Midwest on summer vacation when he really wanted to go to the beach. The child who, no matter how much you talk Laura up, has absolutely no interest in picking up a single book, let alone traveling to Little Houses scattered across the countryside.
So when you have a lifelong dream of visiting the Little Houses, but have family members such as these who either refuse to go at all or who go but put a damper on the entire trip, what do you do? You entice them. And enticement is what this post is all about.
You may need to add some extra time into your trip to accommodate your reluctant loved one. And depending on where you’re driving from, some of these may not work for you. But here are just a few ideas of places to visit along the way to interest your loved ones. I would also highly recommend requesting tourist information from each state you’re visiting; you may find activities that speak to special interests of those in your family that you’d wish to include. After all, it would be impossible to include every fun activity anywhere near a Little House site in this guide. But here are a few we’ve incorporated in some of our Little House ventures:
Branson, Missouri: A popular tourist location, Branson is a mere hour and a half drive from Laura’s home in Mansfield. With country music shows, fun museums, and Silver Dollar City for the kids, you’re sure to find something to interest everyone, thus making your dream of visiting Mansfield a happy reality.
St. Louis, Missouri: The Gateway to the West, St. Louis is three and a half hours from Mansfield, but most people driving in from anywhere northeast of Missouri will be going right through it on the way. Six Flags makes a great family attraction, you won’t want to miss the Gateway Arch museum, and your drive from St. Louis to Mansfield will make you aware of just why they call Missouri the “Show-Me State,” with roadside attractions including caves, toy museums, and Route 66 historic sites dotting the landscape every mile of the way.
The Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota: Moving northward, Rapid City, South Dakota, is five and a half hours west of De Smet, but those coming from the west can easily work it in, and those coming from other directions may find it well worth the additional driving time. See Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave, Deadwood, Wall Drug, the gold mines, and the glorious beauty of Badlands National Park. One unforgettable experience for our family was our drive through Custer State Park — not only did herds of buffalo walk right past our car, but a friendly burro put his head in the open window looking for food! It’s also worth noting that the Keystone Historical Museum features a large display on Carrie Ingalls, who lived in the area many years with her husband, David Swanzey. The Prairie Homestead in Philip also makes a great stop for the Little House fan.
Oregon Trail sites: If you live west of the Little Houses, or if you do the full tour and include the Black Hills, and are therefore traveling from Independence, Kansas, to Rapid City, South Dakota, or vice versa, you may want to work in some of the stops on the Oregon Trail, especially those in Nebraska as you’ll be driving through the area anyway. One of the best adventures I’ve ever had was with the Oregon Trail Wagon Train in Bayard, Nebraska.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Time to work our way eastward. Minneapolis can almost be considered a Little House hub, with Walnut Grove 3 hours southwest, Pepin a couple of hours southeast, and Burr Oak two and a half hours due south. From the Mall of America to baseball to high culture, Minneapolis abounds with things to do that will make everyone in your traveling party happy.
About 10 years ago, I spent a week as a camp counselor. The director was my church’s associate pastor. He and the other director arranged for a room for the counselors to chill out. They got on the topic of why is Wall Drug a stopping point. I said it was because you need a break in between DeSmet and Mt. Rushmore. Both looked at me going “DeSmet?”, I pointed out that it was the most important thing to see in South Dakota. Ray then looked at the other guy at said his wife wanted to take a tour of the homesites. Being helpful, I said that William Anderson had written a guidebook about where to stay & eat while doing this. Both guys looked at me shocked that their wives weren’t wierd, or maybe that I was as wierd as their wives anyway that there were enough of us out there that books had been written. So yes, other interests need to put out as a carrot to get our families to agree.
I am fortunate, in that I don’t have family members to worry about entertaining on my LIW holidays. It makes things much easier, although it took a couple of trips to get used to not having the man of the place with me. He really doesn’t want to go, but encourages me to go and have a great time.