Westward Ho

Our 2 nights in Pepin, Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthplace are just about over.  I've tidied up Rosa inside and Ted is outdoors hitching her up.  Yesterday we slept in, relaxed, and did the "homey" thing followed by the "touristy".  I had my hair cut at the local salon.  Elisha is a young mother of 3 year old twins and trained as a cosmetician at the Aveda salon in MN.  For only $17 she gave me a 5 minute consultation followed by a 5 minute head, neck and shoulder massage...I'd like to bring her along for the rest of the journey...and then a shampoo and cut.  Ted had the oil changed in his truck...and they threw in a tire pressure check...and only $5 for about 45 mins labor.

Our first stop of course was "Little House Wayside".  This is the reconstructed 3 room log cabin on the approximate site where Laura was born and the site of "Little House in The Big Woods", her first book in the series.  We drove 7 miles north of Pepin on what was the pathway...now paved...that Pa would have driven the wagon back and forth to town along.  The landscape is beautiful.  Gently rolling hills, undulating corn fields and the occassional church spire gave a pastoral feel to the whole experience. 

Afterward we drove south through some of the other towns along Lake Pepin...which you remember is really just a 30 mile long widening of the Mississippi River.  This area was settled by Scandinavian people and many of the shops and artisans cater to that.  In the town of Stockholm there is a lovely shop in which everything is imported from Sweden.  We enjoyed our browsing through the variety of wares.

In the town of  Alma  we drove up to Buena Vista Park to one of the sandstone cliffs that are along the shore of the Great River.  I had to walk with my "sea legs" because of my fear of heights, but I wouldn't have missed the view for anything.  It was spectacular!  In Nelson we stopped at the Creamery and had a delicious locally made ice cream cone.  Many of our stops are associated with food or drink.  : )

Now we are headed west and will cross the Mississippi this morning and travel into Minnesota along the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Highway, headed for Walnut Grove...site of Plum Creek where the Ingalls lived in a little "soddy" along the banks.  We may find it too far to travel all in one day which will mean a lay-over Mankato or Sleepy Eye.

The weather is still unusually cool but we are managing.  I'm going to attempt to add a photo or two to this.  Success!  The pics are not in the order or place I wanted, but hope you enjoy them.  Talk to you soon.

Love,

Mom/Peggy