Indiana State Fair begins Friday!

In just two more days, Governor Eric Holcomb will kick off the 2019 Indiana State Fair. It will be 17 days of the best of the best of the state, with animals, plants, midway rides, fair food, tractor contests, bands, a daily parade and more adventures and exhibits than you can shake a stick at! LOL!

Once again I'll be spending extra time at the fair covering stories about local 4-H members and their families at the fair.  I've enjoyed going to the fair each and every year, but this chance to see the fair from a new perspective of two has given me a better appreciation for the vast diversity of adventures waiting to happen.

I'll be real honest here, you probably won't find much here on the blog during the next two or three weeks, but you can see some of the sights of The Great Indiana State Fair by following along on Instagram. Check out the state fair's webpage for details about discount days and the schedule of events. I hope to see many of you at the fair.

Spring Homeschool Day at Conner Prairie ~ April 30th

Spring! It it finally here, and most of our friends are looking for any good reason to get out of the house and go exploring. Here is a great reason: Conner Prairie is hosting its first homeschool day of the year on Tuesday, April 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.!

The idea of a homeschool day at Conner Prairie was launched a few years ago. It is an opportunity for homeschool families to visit Conner Prairie at the school field trip rate, without needing 15 kids to get the reduced rate. It was an instant hit, and over time, a second day was added. Well thanks to popular demand, there will be three homeschool days at Conner Prairie this year: April 30th, August 27th, and September 11th. To see the details on the reduced rate for these days, visit this page on Conner Prairie's website.

If you've never been to Conner Prairie, now is the time to go. If you've been before and loved it - go again! Many of you know that we raised our girls with a huge emphasis towards hands-on learning. I nicknamed it E3 learning: Eclectic Experiential Education. Conner Prairie was always a place where they could touch and do. First as members, and then as they got older, they were even more involved as they each served several years in the Conner Prairie Youth Volunteer Program. Their experiences were second to none. The best part is, whether you visit Conner Prairie one time, ten times or 100 times, you will have fun learning: about Indiana's past, about natural resources, and about yourself! Arlene's favorite was always a tie between the Civil War Journey and the Loom House. When you come on Homeschool Day, keep an eye out, she is sure to be around somewhere!

I highly encourage homeschooling families to get a membership to Conner Prairie because it is such a wonderful resource, and the membership is a way to benefit both the museum and your family. For those who live far away, or who have never visited Conner Prairie and are not sure if it would be a good fit for them, a chance to take a road trip for homeschool day is ideal. 

Sometimes people ask of homeschool day is too crowded. The short answer is No. Conner Prairie does not schedule other school tours on these days, so it is just you, a thousand or so of your closest, or soon to be, homeschooling friends, and a reasonable number of daily visitors. I've never found the grounds to feel really crowded unless there are more than 5000 visitors... and so far, they've not reached that number on a homeschool day. Imagine if the state homeschool convention took place outdoors, and had more games and less books,... you will see homeschooling families from all around the state having fun and learning about Indiana's past.

If you already have a membership to Conner Prairie, I challenge you to invite at least two friends (and their children) to join you on homeschool day. Be an ambassador and show them how much fun hands-on learning can be. Offer to be the one to bring lunch to eat outside the Welcome Center on the picnic benches, or treat them to ice cream at the Cafe on the Commons. You already know you love visiting Conner Prairie, so tell your friends about it!

Still wondering if you should come? The answer is YES! In 2016 Conner Prairie added Treetop Outpost, one of our favorite places to hang out on the grounds. Imagine if your dad had actually built you the treehouse of your dreams... that comes close. You can read more about it by visiting this post I wrote a while ago about Treetop. It is a little bit like Tedd Tripp meets Richard Louv when you get out there. So much to do and see, and lots of time to interact with your children.

Lest I forget to mention it... there are already a LOT of new baby animals in the Animal Encounters barn this season! This is one of the working farm parts of Conner Prairie, where they strive to preserve and expand their heritage breeds of livestock. You might see the new Arapawa kids (goats) or the Tunis lambs! They are so cute! I've already shared a couple pictures on our Instagram feed, and I know there will be more soon. :)

So stop wondering if you want to come to the Spring Homeschool Day and get busy planning for it! Text your friends, facebook message your groupies, and get ready to pack up your car, van or SUV for an unforgettable day of fun and learning at one of the most unique historic places you will ever visit!

It is only two weeks away! 

See you on April 30th! We will be there, will you?

My Picture My Story ~ West Baden Springs

another look back at life through a picture

Today's look back is from May of this year. The girls and I were headed to southern Indiana for a friends' graduation open house. While mapping out our route, we realized that we would only be about half an hour from the historic hotel at West Baden Springs. Simply put - our road trip took on another stop or two. :)

I love my kids, and their friends. They keep me young and remind me to find  joy in the everyday things of life. Since Arlene will be graduating soon, I decided to try to take at least one selfie with her each month of her senior year-ish of high school. Well, this was one of those times when she said "Here Mom, give me the phone, my arms are longer." This picture was taken near the end of our detour to West Baden. We planned an extra hour or so for this part of the trip. The girls and I had read a lot about the restoration work that had gone on at the West Baden Springs hotel over the past 20 years, and we wanted to take a step back in time and think about what it would have been like in its heyday in the 1920's.

Since we were headed for a graduation open house later that day, we planned to stop early and pick up one of their other friends along the way. Their friend Zed is about as chill as they come. He enjoys life, and likes mostly everybody, so off the four of us went to peek back into the 1920's lifestyle of the rich at West Baden. 

We were not disappointed! The hotel is a great place to stay (or so I've been told by friends!) and welcomes day visitors to the restaurant, gift shops, spa, and golf course, so we blended right in - LOL! We never really blend in, we just don't mind sticking out. :)

The mosaic work in the lobby floor was amazing, the open atrium was a feat of engineering, and the detail work on the furniture was inspiring. We took time to look around the gardens some as well. The great thing about exploring somewhere new is doing it with friends, so you have someone to reminisce with later. :) I am so thankful to be able to call our daughters friends.

I would really like to return again next year and spend a couple of nights as a guest at the hotel. I think it would make a great spot for a writing retreat! Let me know if any of you want to underwrite my trip ;)

The graduation open house? It was fun too! But that is a story for another picture to tell.

If you would like to see more of our trip to West Baden, check out the pictures on our Instagram page!

Road Trip ~ Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium

Have you ever been lost in a maze, but were having so much fun you did not care? That could be one way how I describe our family's trip to Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum Aquarium. This place is massive, and awesome, and we all want to go visit again!

If you have been following along on Instagram, you know that we went to the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium over Memorial Day weekend. It was so much fun! Normally I would have posted this Road Trip feature sooner, but I was struggling to figure out how to describe this adventure to you - it was just so overwhelming - in a great way! It most definitely is an adventure destination!

First off, the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium is located in Springfield, MO. It is attached to the Grandaddy Bass Pro Shop that has been there for a really long, long time. Hopefully you remember our road trip post about the Wildlife Galleries. If not, pause, go read that one, and then hop back in here.

Don't worry, I'll wait for you.

We heartily suggestion get the combo pass so you can see both the Wildlife Galleries and the Aquarium. If you are seeing both, plan for 6-7 hours. I know, the website says the average journey time is 3-4 hours for both, but I just know you are going to want to spend the day, so get your tickets ahead of time online and choose an early start time so you can enjoy yourselves! They are open 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. daily through Labor Day, then 10-8 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10-5 the rest of the week. The Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium will be closed on Christmas Day, but they will have extended hours the rest of Christmas vacation.

If you can still swing a road trip for this upcoming weekend for Labor Day- super - do it - you'll really enjoy it! If not, start thinking ahead to when you can visit, because this is definitely a destination you want to visit. The Combo ticket for both the Wildlife Galleries and the Aquarium is $39.95 for adults and $23.95 for children 4-11. There are discounts for seniors and military veterans, while children 3 and under are free. FYI - they offer memberships as well, and if we lived closer, we would definitely get one and go often!

If you had been touring the Wildlife Galleries, and were continuing your adventure to the Aquarium (like we did) you would have finished with the African animals and gone out the door into a cool, dark blue room, with all sorts of aquatic things, where you would go down the ramp, some illuminated steps, and enter through the front of the Aquarium (top left picture in the collage below.) Don't worry if steps are not your thing, there are elevators!

When you first enter the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium, you enter what our family has dubbed the cylinder tank room. I'm sure the staff has an official name for it, but I forgot to ask. ;)

Imaging standing inside of a giant tin can. The walls are made up of a giant aquarium, and the fish can swim wherever in it they want. Up to the top, down near the bottom, switch directions, whatever they want. The top right picture in the collage below is looking up at one of the upstairs windows from the middle of the floor of the room. I could have stayed in this room for at least an hour. So cool! Please go watch this video I posted to get an idea of how amazing this room is!

Right now I am going to let you know that I had to be highly selective when choosing photos for this post because there were SO MANY of them, and if I tried to show you even 10% of them it would take forever for this post to load, so feel free to go check out our posts on Instagram to see more! Really, I've been sharing photos all summer long - there are plenty more to see, and even if you saw all (probably 500) of the ones I took, know that you still missed a lot of what the aquarium has to offer, because it's just that full of awesome fish, and animals, and other neat things! (35,000 animals from 800 species!)

This aquarium is a delightful maze of seeing various huge tanks from multiple viewpoints, plus a whole lot of smaller ones, plus other animals. You naturally are drawn to the next spot, so you don't even realize you're in a maze until you see the same tank from a second (or third) vantage point. While this makes it even cooler than expected, it also makes it a little harder to keep this virtual tour in order. (So if you're one of the lovely staff from the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium, don't cringe if I get something out of order, just send me a helpful little comment.) Thx!

The other two photos in the above collage are of the wall tank outside the Fishing Hall of Fame, and the rays at the bottom of the shipwreck room.

We actually visited on Arlene's 18th birthday, and she said her favorite part was "That it was so big and kept going on and on with more cool stuff." She liked all of it!

In the collage below you can see the moon faintly shining in the background when we finally exited the Aquarium at 8 p.m., just a part of the awesome room of shells, a pretty pink and black fish I really liked, and just one example of some of the really expressive sculpture work from the museum.

Soon after you exit the cylinder room, you will see this amazing wall aquarium outside the entrance to the Fishing Hall of Fame. I'm not great at guessing sizes, but it must be about 40 feet tall. This is another one of those areas where you will want to linger. I appreciate how this aquarium was designed to make it accessible for everyone. Look again in that first collage and you can see how even the littlest visitors can walk right up to the window and 'see the fishies.'

In the Fishing Hall of Fame you will see all sorts of cool awards, fishing equipment and photographs. We all really liked the wall dedicated to US Presidents and fishing. Included on the wall is this quote from President George H.W. Bush "It is with a rod and reel in my hand that I tend to count my blessings."

Next you will travel to the outside, upper deck level of the cylinder aquarium. This is a unique experience as you can watch the fish and rays from the outside windows of this aquarium feature, and see into the main room where you started. It was really cool to stand just a few inches from rays and fish that were circling the tank. Mesmerizing!

Just in case you were wondering, yes, your little (or not so little) kids will see sights that remind them of Dori and Nemo. There is a medium-fish tank with those little silver fish. You know, the ones that made the arrows in Finding Nemo? You get to see them from up above, and again from below. Super cool to see them swirling and moving as a school from both perspectives! Yes, there are clownfish, and anemones, and even an octopus!

Next you are going to get your first view of the Shipwreck room. And this is where my memory gets a little fuzzy, because while there is this MASSIVE tank in the middle of this room that you see from every possible height and angle, there are also all of these off-shoot areas, and so, just enjoy your time here, look to your hearts' content, and then call your teens (or your spouse) on their cell phone to find out where they went while you were watching the rays in the main tank or the sparkly piranhas from the pop-up tube!

In the collage above (middle right) you can see what I mean by pop-up tube. There are several of these throughout the aquarium so kids (and brave adults) can go underneath the smaller tanks and get a really close look at the various aquatic life. Emily and I both enjoyed these sparkly piranhas. I have had a picture of this particular tank as my lock screen on my phone all summer.

The Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium has several tanks that would be considered large at any other aquarium, but because of the massive size of the cylinder, wall tank, and shipwreck room tank, we will now refer to these as medium-sized tanks. You get a lot of viewing time for the medium sized tanks. There are ones with brightly colored tropical fish like the parrot fish above (bottom left) and others with freshwater fish, and turtles. 

This aquarium adventure needs a break/snack point somewhere, and you will be happy to know that a part of the Shipwreck room has a snack bar. Unlike most other aquariums, the snack bar is roughly the middle of your journey, not right before the gift shop, so if you're hungry, take a few minutes and have something from their menu. It is reasonably priced, and much cheaper than eating at a sporting event. :)

As you are looking across the way from this upper level of the Shipwreck room, you'll see all sorts of fish and rays in the center tank. You'll also look down and wonder "Hey! How do I get down there where people are petting the rays in the bottom pool?" That is a part of this deliciously fun maze mystery!

As you finish up your snack and decide to open those doors into the next area, you will find conveniently located bathrooms... and an entire section of other animals. Folks, this place has more than just fish! This might have been one fo Kurt's favorite parts because there were birds of prey (an eagle and some owls), flamingoes, beavers, alligators, turtles, some kind of medium-sized sharks in a tank, and more! 

This area winds gently downhill and you end up visiting the National Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. This museum part has quite a bit of the history of competitive bass fishing, a room full of lures and memorabilia, and a couple videos. There was a boat too. It was a nice side-stop for us, but if you're really into bass fishing, you'll want to add an hour to your time estimate just for this side-area.

Then, on to the jellies! I love watching jellyfish float around. It is so relaxing. I posted a video of just one of the tanks in this area. If I had had more time, I would have spent some of it in here, and let Kurt go on to shark alley without me, He wanted to spend a lot of time in there with all the shark things (jaw bones, videos, etc.) I prefer jellies, but shark alley was really cool too.

Maybe you remember the picture up in the second collage of the wall of shells. That is actually a hallway/ room with shell collections on both sides. If you have ever wanted to know what that one shell was that you found at the beach on vacation... it is probably here!

Then there are the caves. A really cool walk underneath of tanks that let you look up at fish that you hardly ever see anything but the tops of. You can see the bottom of a longnose gar, a huge catfish, and other cave or bottom dwelling fish. You can also walk alongside the tank with the arapaima, an Amazon freshwater fish that Emily has liked for years. The arapaima in the tunnel part of this caves area was only about 6' long, but it will keep growing!

Just when you thought you might be underground forever, you turn a corner and find yourself looking out a cabin window. And looking at the fuzzy face of a bear! I told you there were more than fishies here! I'll have to go find that short video and post it on Instagram or Facebook for you to see soon!

Shortly after the bear encounter, you arrive back at the bottom level of the Shipwreck room. Here you can talk with the staff and ask them your questions about the fish and rays in the main tank, or you can pet the rays swimming in the bottom pool. These rays have all had their barbs removed, so just follow the instructions from the staff and be gentle when you pet them.

Are we done yet? Almost!

The very last area before your adventure at the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium ends is an interactive area with a green screen wall. You might have glimpsed this from the upper level and wondered about it. It s a fascinating area for kids (and those brave adults) who want to draw a picture of one of the aquatic animals they saw today. Then the staff scans your picture into the computer and your creature ends up in the virtual tank along with the other sea life drawn by today's visitors. 

You get to take your drawing home, but everyone gets to enjoy watching your sea life swim around the virtual tank wall. The technology to have this happens is way beyond my understanding, but super neat! Your fish, shark, turtle, seahorse, jelly, etc. gets to join in this screen tank adventure and you can watch it travel all around. 

How much fun was this road trip? Tons! We were probably only halfway through when Em called one of her friends and said, "you will not believe how cool this place is, we need to get (their other friends) together and make a road trip out here!"

By now I hope you can see that this aquarium adventure is worth way more than the cost of admission. All of the staff were super friendly, from the admission desk to the horseshoe crab petting tank to the final virtual aquarium wall and everywhere in between. I could tell they enjoy working here, and that always makes it more fun!

If you are looking for a place to stay while in Springfield, Bass Pro Shops has a hotel called the  Angler's Inn. We did not know about it before this trip, but we have decided to check it out for our next adventure to Wonders of Wildlife. The rates are comparable to other local hotels, but this one is right across the street from Outdoor World and the Wonders of Wildlife experience. The rooms are done in Bass Pro Shop style decor. Plus, I want to see their pool, where the walls were painted by some of the same guys that did the paintings for the museum!

If possible, plan to visit Wonders of Wildlife on a weekday, when the crowds tend to be smaller, and you can spend more time gazing at the wildlife and sea life! If not, know that the timed entry is a great thing so everyone can enjoy their adventure. Buy your tickets online and choose your start time.

Get ready for your next road trip, and head to Springfield, MO, to visit the Wonders of Wildlife Nation Museum and Aquarium. Tell them you heard about them from Carol @ Home Sweet Life. 

Enjoy your adventure!

The Indiana State Fair

It has been busy couple of weeks around here,  as we've spent a lot of time at the Indiana State Fair. As I scroll through social media and see first day of school pictures from our friends, I am reminded once again how freeing it is to choose to homeschool and set your own school schedule. In case you're wondering, we always start the Tuesday after Labor Day and finish before Memorial Day. 

Local schools give excused absence to the kids who are showing their 4-H animals or otherwise competing at the state fair. I am really glad of that because it is a truly educational experience, and a whole lot of fun!

When I think about our State Fair, I wonder if it is sort of like when our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations attended the World's Fairs. So many new things, so many shows to see and experiences to explore. I haven't ridden anything on the midway yet, that's not really my thing, but I have seen a whole host of animal competitions, talent shows, dance routines, and I'm looking forward to attending the big top circus show. 

I'm working on some feature articles for our local newspaper about some of the 4-H kids from our county who are showing animals at the fair. I've learned a lot, and met some really awesome kids!

You really should consider taking a road trip and visiting the Indiana State Fair, and if you live too far away to get here before the fair end on August 19th, then figure out a state fair that is closer to your home and go there this fall. There is a good reason why the fair's hashtag is #greatest17daysofsummer !


Whether you're coming to our state fair, or attending your own, check out our post from Sunday afternoon about tips for attending the fair!

Stay tuned for more updates :)

Indiana State Fair Tips

Everyone loves attending the Indiana State Fair. There are animals, midway rides, talent shows, 4-H projects, and of course - fair food! To help make your trip the most fun with the least amount of headaches, I stopped by one of the Indiana State Police info booths and asked them for their top tips for fairgoers.

The men and women of the Indiana State Police force work long hours to ensure all the 900,000 expected Indiana State Fair attendees can enjoy their visits safely. They get asked the same questions over and over. These four agreed that the number one question is: Where is the nearest bathroom? The answer: in any of the permanent (brick or concrete) buildings on the fairgrounds. More FAQ's can be found on the Indiana State Fair website.

While at the fair, you can stop at either of the Indiana State Police info booths, or the State Fair Safety Office, to ask them your questions. They also want to remind fairgoers that there are numerous officers on patrol by foot and in golf carts all over the Indiana State Fairgrounds that are ready and willing to help you. 

Here are their top tips, in no particular order, for enjoying the Indiana State Fair safely with your family.

Brief your kids before you arrive 

Set up a rally point where you will reconnect with your teenagers if you get separated. Make sure everyone knows where and when to meet. Pick a specific part of a well-recognized building to meet and set a time before you leave the car.

Wear comfortable shoes

There is a lot of walking at the Indiana State Fair. Loose fitting sandals or flip-flops can cause a lot of blisters and sore feet. Choose comfortable shoes for everyone.

Take a picture of where you parked

With an expected attendance of over 50,000 people each of the 17 days of the Indiana State Fair, there are a lot of cars. Once you have parked your car, stand at the front of it and take a picture facing a large fairground landmark, such as the coliseum, or the Big Top Circus tent. Then take a second picture of what is behind your car, so you can check those pictures on your phone to help locate your car when it is time to go home.

Make sure your children know Dad + Mom's name and phone number

For small children, the Indiana State Police offers free info cards at their booths. Fill it out and tie it to your child's shoelace, or put it in a buttoned pocket. An alternative is placing your business card with your cell phone number circled in their pocket.

If you get separated, ask for help quickly

The Indiana State Police officers know that parents and kids get separated sometimes. If you cannot locate your child, do a quick (they emphasize quick) search of the immediate area, and then ask for help. Look in a circle around you, you should be able to spot an officer. If not, find the nearest Indiana State Fair worker (you will recognize their blue shirts with the fair logo) and ask them to help you locate an officer. Most children are reunited with their parents in just a few minutes, but as a parent, I know those can be scary minutes, so ask for help right away.


As a parent who has taken their children to the Indiana State Fair for the past 19 years, I have one more to add...

Take a picture of your children when you first get out of the car. 

Every year our girls groaned at having to stop for a picture before we had enjoyed anything yet at the fair. But every year I felt better knowing I had a recent picture of their faces, and a reminder of what they were wearing that day, right at my fingertips! 

When you see those officers around the fairgrounds, give them a smile, they're working hard to keep you and your family safe at the fair.

Enjoy your trip to the Great Indiana State Fair!

Road Trip ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder's Rocky Ridge Farm

Do your children have favorite authors? Did you when you were growing up? One series that I enjoyed as a child and then our girls read and enjoyed were the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. That is why we were so excited to get to stop at Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, MO recently and visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum. This was a road trip worth remembering!

The last time we traveled through this Southwestern part of Missouri was 2013. At the time, we did not realize just how close we were to Rocky Ridge Farm until we were on our way home again and simply could not fit in a visit. This time, when Arlene learned we were planning another trip through the area, she stated “WE HAVE TO visit Rocky Ridge this time - no matter what else we do!” 

Our trip began on Arlene’s 18th birthday, and after almost an entire week of amazing stops around Missouri and Oklahoma we arrived at Mansfield, MO and Rocky Ridge Farm. On the property are Laura and Almonzo’s Farmhouse, and the Rock House. These two homes were where Laura wrote all nine of her Little House series of books, including Farmer Boy. Getting to learn more about Laura and Almonzo’s life was a real treat for all of us, even Kurt. For Arlene and I, who both write regularly, standing inside Laura’s homes provided extra inspiration to keep writing, keep refining our writing skills, and to remember that we each have a story to tell the world.

When you first arrive at Rocky Ridge, you will stop at the new (2106) museum center. Here you will purchase your tickets for visiting the homes, see a fantastic museum filled with Wilder and Ingalls family memorabilia, and visit the gift shop. This museum center is a welcoming sight for the 30,000 annual visitors to Rocky Ridge Farm. The staff are warm and welcoming, the museum displays are well done, and the restrooms are clean and bright. We were especially excited to see Pa Ingalls’ fiddle on display. Each September the farm hosts Wilder Day and Pa’s fiddle is brought out and played. How exciting that must be for visitors since so many of Laura’s childhood memories were centered around her Pa playing music on his fiddle. The tickets are designed as souvenirs and make excellent bookmarks to remind you of your visit.

Take your time on your trip through the museum. Enjoy the movie that tells about the history of Rocky Ridge and the Wilder family. On the day we visited there were a variety of guests. Some families with younger children, and several older couples, as well as singles. While it still would have been interesting to go by myself, I am really happy we took the whole family to enjoy the adventure! If you are headed to either Springfield or Branson, MO you should definitely make this a stop on your trip! Mansfield is 45 miles East of Springfield, MO and about an hour and a half Northeast of Branson.

Once you are finished in the museum you can walk the path over to the farmhouse. For those with mobility issues, there is a limited mount of handicapped parking near the farmhouse. The museum and homes are open from March 1- November 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday- Saturday, and on Sundays from 12:30-5:00 p.m. (Closed  Easter Sunday)

For the historic Farmhouse there are guided tours every half hour, which begin at the back of the house in the kitchen (the first room built) and end in the room by the front porch. A huge thank you to our docent Sarah, as our entire group had questions and she patiently answered all of them that she could. You are not allowed to take any photos in the historic homes or the museum. But you are allowed to take as many of the outside of the homes or in the gift shop as you want. Even if you could take photos in the homes, the photos would not do justice to your trip. I’m so glad we made these family memories together - for those will last a lifetime! 

On a side note, to those interested in historic preservation and museums in general, I was amazed, yes, amazed at how well this historic site runs! They do not receive any royalties from the Little House book series, due to a decision made by Laura and Almonzo’s daughter, Rose, to gift the rights to a family friend upon her death instead of back to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association, as Laura had wished. Having spent several years volunteering at a living history museum, I understand just how expensive it can be to maintain and interpret historic homes. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association has done a fantastic job stewarding the resources they have, caring for the homes and making this a phenomenal road trip destination! They operate on ticket sales, donations, fundraisers, and gift shop sales. Truly amazing! They are to be commended for their hard work and diligence to continue to make this adventure possible for Little House fans of all ages. Tickets are reasonably priced at $14 for adults and $7 for children 6 to 17. Five and under are free.

Back to the farmhouse…

For those of you who have read the Little House books, or watched the TV series, you remember that Pa called Laura his Half-pint. That name was so appropriate when you realize Laura only grew to be 4’11” tall. While not a particularly rare height at the time, the life-sized cutout of her in the farmhouse kitchen gave us all a moment’s pause as we thought about the home. As she and Almonzo built their beloved farmhouse, they had it scaled for themselves. That means all of the counters, cabinets, doorways, and chairs looked a little small when my 6’4” tall husband was standing next to them. Almonzo had Laura’s Adirondack-style chair built with extra wide arms because she loved to sit in it and write her newspaper columns and books. Laura wrote with pencil and paper, something not many authors do anymore, but a habit I find refreshing because it causes me to stop and think about my words, instead of typing aimlessly. Laura’s daughter Rose was also a writer, and probably preferred a typewriter, since Rose was rather progressive.

The farmhouse was built room by room as Laura and Almonzo saved enough money. So many things inside reminded me of my great-grandparents’ home. The Wilder Home Association preserved the home after Laura passed away in 1957, so they entire feels is late 1940’s to early 1950’s farmhouse. You’re probably wishing I could describe it all, but I just cannot - you have to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it! Amazing - simply amazing. It’s like Laura and Almonzo just stepped out for a bit and will return any moment.

At the other end of the property, just a few minutes away by car, is the Rock House. This home was a gift from Rose to her parents, a Sears Roebuck catalog house (The Mitchell) that was built on Rocky Ridge Farm, covered in stone, and dubbed the Rock House. When Laura and Almonzo moved in, it had all the latest conveniences. While living here Laura wrote the first four of her Little house books. Later, Laura and Almonzo returned to their beloved farmhouse where she wrote her other five books. The Rock House is a self-guided tour with a docent available to answer your questions. Rhonda was there during our visit and shared some interesting stories about the Rock House and the Wilders’ time living there. 

As a family we agreed that you should set aside at least two hours for your visit, but three would be preferable. There are several benches around the museum grounds, and we stopped to have a picnic lunch after viewing the Farmhouse before we visited the Rock House. The Association is working to raise funds to restore the Wilder family walking trail between the two homes. I would like to return after the trail is finished and walk the ground that Laura and Almonzo called home, while thinking about my own writing. Before she wrote her books, Laura was well known locally for her articles in the Missouri Ruralist, a farm journal. Visiting her homes in Mansfield opened up a better understanding of her adult life, past her book, The First Four Years.

After we were done at Rocky Ridge Farm, we drove back into Mansfield to the cemetery to see where Laura, Almonzo, and Rose are buried. It was encouraging to see how the town where Almonzo and Laura lived more than 60 years ago still loves them and honors their memory today.

Later that afternoon we drove about 15 minutes north to visit the Baker Creek Historic Seed Company. As I was looking at all of the heirloom seed varieties, I wondered how many of them Laura and Almonzo had grown. All in all, it was an excellent day filled with adventure!

You can help keep Laura’s legacy alive. Visit Rocky Ridge in person, purchase gifts from their online gift shop that is open all year long, or donate to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association. 

Keep up with the happenings at Rocky Ridge Farm by following their Facebook page.

A big thank you to Jean Coday, Anna Bradley, and all the amazing staff at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum for helping us plan and enjoy our visit!


To see more of the pictures from our road trip to Rocky Ridge, visit our Instagram account.

Hands on Experiential Learning Round Up

Happy Friday morning! 

I wanted you to know that today over on the Homeschool Review Crew blog there is a round up all about experiential (non-book) learning! 

Since we are BIG fans of learning by doing, and having fun while learning, we've got a few of our most-read posts featured there. I also want to get some ideas for more hands-on activities we might want to do together this fall before Arlene graduates. Will you come join us for what is sure to be some fun, happy, messy learning?

Awesome! See you over there!

Road trip ~ Wonders of Wildlife ~ Wildlife Galleries

In September of 2017, Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium opened in Springfield, Missouri. These two destinations are attached to the famous GrandDaddy Bass Pro Shop in Springfield. Our family has visited this awesome Bass Pro Shop before as Springfield is a great overnight stop between Indiana and Oklahoma. For those of you who have been to Branson, MO, or are planning a trip there soon, Springfield is about one hour north of Branson.

When we learned that the Wonders of Wildlife - Wildlife Galleries were already open, we knew we needed to include a stop there on our recent family road trip. We are so glad we did! We also visited the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium, but that will have to wait for another Road Trip post because there is simply too much to tell you all in one day!

If you’ve ever visited a Bass Pro Shop I’m sure you’ve seen some taxidermy animals in their displays. Bass Pro Shops are known as  destination shops for all sorts of outdoors things, not just fishing. They are also a place where families can enjoy seeing mounted, stuffed animals, as well as live fish, and often alligators as they wander the store. (The people wander the store, not the alligators - LOL! ) The Wildlife Galleries go even further than the typical store displays. I know I won't be able to do justice to just how awesome of an adventure this was for us, but I’m going to try.

So let’s jump in and get started! The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum Wildlife Galleries have over a mile of galleries to walk through. This is the largest collection of taxidermied animals I have ever seen, but it is SO much more than just stuffed animals! To begin with, these are immersive displays, many of which include sounds and or smells. The African display was amazing… but more on that later! This huge collection of wildlife galleries walks you through the history of the conservation movement. It highlights some well known conservation groups like The Nature Conservancy and the National Wild Turkey Federation, as well as some lesser known ones.

To begin our journey, we entered the main doors of the Bass Pro Shop and went up the escalator to the museum entrance behind a huge bronze statue of a buck. Feel free to use the elevator if that is more your style. Upstairs you will walk through a small museum gallery about the history of Bass Pro Shops and then be greeted by the friendly staff who can help you choose your adventure for the day. Go for the combo pass so you can see both the wildlife galleries and the aquarium. Trust me on this one - you will want to see both! 

The staff will explain the timed entry system they use when the galleries are busy that helps ensure every visitor gets to enjoy their adventure. On the Wonders of Wildlife website they recommend allowing at least one hour for the wildlife galleries. As a family we all agree you should plan for 2-3 hours for this part. If you order your tickets online you can choose your time in advance. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends. 

Your trip though the museum begins with tribute to the Indians who lived here first and includes displays of native dress and artifacts, as well as quotes from native leaders. 

Then you will travel through the Lewis and Clark exhibit. This interesting collection was made after plein-air artist Charles Fritz travelled the route Lewis And Clark took on their historic voyage. His experiences, combined with Lewis & Clark's journals, were the inspiration behind many of these pieces.

Your next encounters will be in the North American Wildlife Galleries. This section of the museum has many excellent tableaus celebrating our National Parks and the wildlife found therein. Each scene is tastefully done with excellent attention to detail from the main taxidermy specimens to the painted backdrops and foregrounds filled with rocks, logs, and small game.

Your enjoyment of the displays has obviously been on the minds of the set designers. The fronts are done with anti-reflective museum glass and placed at an angle so visitors of all heights can get a front-row view of the action packed scenes. If you are wanting to practice your nature photography skills, or teach some to your children, this would be an excellent location to practice. The scenes are designed to fill you with wonder and awe of the magnificent wildlife that surrounds us.

Lighting within the hallways is purposefully dimmed (but not dark) to draw your eye into the action, like in this scene of a grizzly bear chasing wolves at Denali National Park.

I never realized just how huge a Bull Moose was until I rounded the corner and found myself face to face with one. This museum lets you get up close and personal with the wildlife. 

After the National Parks you will enter the Heads and Horns Big Game room. Here you can learn more about conservation, big game hunting through the years, and even have a chance to take a selfie or two with some bears or a musk-ox.

By now you may be wondering “just how big IS this place?” It is huge! Fear not, there are benches placed in larger galleries, and in front of the video screens where you can sit and rest a spell if needed. There are restrooms discreetly placed throughout the Wildlife Galleries, and there is always a staff member nearby if you have questions or need help finding a specific gallery.

Think you are having a bad hair day? Check out the porcupine or beaver exhibits and you will immediately feel better. :) 

There is a rather large gallery of Bucks and Bulls that showcases an amazing range of deer and elk from North America, both those you might be used to seeing, and some that are a little … unusual.

Along your trip through the Wildlife Galleries you will learn more about various conservation groups like including those I mentioned earlier, and some lesser known groups. There are areas that talk about each group’s beginning, mission, and current scope of service. 

If you make it to the Wonders of Wildlife Museum by July 5 of this year, you will have the opportunity to view the traveling Portraits of Courage exhibit. This is an excellent collection of paintings done by President George W. Bush that honors America’s military servicemen and women.

Even with all of this there is still more to see. We all enjoyed the room with the live Gentoo penguins and the stuffed narwals. There is an area dedicated to the Inuit and the northern-most animals they live amongst. Kurt enjoyed the walrus scene. I liked the narwals best. The girls both laughed at the antics of the penguins.

The last area you will travel through is the African exhibit. I read online that the creators spent a year on this area alone. It really shows. It not only looks like you just stepped off of a plane to go on safari, it smells like you are in Africa! I am pretty sure that if we let her, Emily could have spent an entire hour just in this one gallery. She has always loved African animals and would wander from scene to scene and then come back and get me to “come see this one.” This gallery is one huge room where you take a winding path past zebras, elephants, and giraffes and end up face to face with a male lion. Amazing!

We give this museum an A+! The attention to detail, the friendliness of the staff, and the sheer amount of awesomeness contained within the walls is amazing! When we finally made it back to the car, one of the girls commented "Worth every penny of admission and then some!" I could not agree more. We will be back to visit again, and we are planning to bring friends! 

We want to give a huge Thank You to the staff at Wonders of Wildlife who hosted us for the day. When you take your own road trip, be sure to let them know you heard about them from us here at Home Sweet Life, it will let them know just how much their hospitality was appreciated!