Traveling in Time

In this month's Family Fun magazine, there is a large article about traveling Laura's paths. The author's family traveled from Pepin, to Walnut Grove, and then to De Smet. While it was interesting to hear about the journey in a slightly professional manner, it got me thinking about my own travels to many of Laura's homes.
The first Laura monument I can remember was De Smet. I must have read the books, they must have meant something to me, for I can recall names and such from the place we visited. I don't remember what the place was called, but it was on quite a bit of land. They had an old school house, and a dugout, and a barn, and the horses were all named after horses in Laura's books. There was a covered wagon that people could ride, and children were even allowed the privilage to help drive the horses. I remember being so scared, but my little sister jumped right up to do it. There was also a small little buggy, with a pony in front, and a teen who would drive them. That pony knew its route around the barn so well, it let any child get behind the reins and never ran off. I remember jumping in again and again. There was also a scavenger hunt there, that for free I believe, you would find different things or answer questions, and in the end they gave you a popsicle. As a seven year old(I think thats how old I was) a popsicle was a great prize, especially on a warm summer day. And it was there, after seeing a dugout, and playing school, and riding in a covered wagon, that we bought our set of Laura's Little House series. Without those books, I do not think my love for Laura would have bloomed as it had.
Now, I know that this sounds like an old woman looking back on happy days gone by, and in a way, it is just a jumble of memories. However, I believe that these memories lead up to the lover of Laura that exists today. So pick up a copy of Family Fun, and read the organized version of a person's visits. However, unless you go and make the memories of your own, the article will never mean anything else besides another person's own opinion.