Walnut Grove, Sleepy Eye and Mankato (Day 22)

Like a lot of us, many of my childhood memories revolve around television. In our house, after we all got home from school and finished our homework, we'd often sit in the "back room" watching tv. Of all the shows we watched, the one that stands out to me the most vividly, and the one that had the most lasting impact, was none other than Little House on the Prairie. It was on, in re-runs, every day after school at 4:00 on Channel 11. We watched it every single day - we all had favorite episodes, favorite characters, we quoted the show constantly. To say that some of us became obsessed with the show might not be overstating the matter; in fact, as recently as January, Kitty sent an email polling the family on the most intense little House episodes (By the way, with her permission I'm attaching the text of her original email and some of the responses below.)

Anyway - when I was planning my trip, and found that I'd need to drive through Minnesota to get back home, I immediately realized I had an opportunity to visit the place where it all began: Walnut Grove, childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder and setting of possibly one of the greatest TV shows of all time. I've been anticipating this for a while, so I was really excited when I set out from Sioux Falls this morning. On the way, I drove through about 70 miles of Minnesota farmland, and it was really beautiful. The 2-lane roads that had no shoulders so I couldn't stop to take any pictures, but I'll tell you, it's like a storybook. Green fields, high corn, low rolling hills, grazing cows and horses, pretty little picture perfect farmhouses surrounded with trees and flowers, red barns, little blue lakes that pop up seemingly out of nowhere, nestled right within the fields. Every now and then I'd pass through a small town, and if there happened to be someone walking down the street, they'd wave at the car and I'd wave back. I enjoyed the drive immensely - but I was anxious to finally get to Walnut Grove.

When I arrived, I parked the car outside the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum, and entered through the gift shop. This gift shop, by the way, is much better than any of the others I've been in during my travels; rather than having the typical shot glasses and coffee mugs, the souvenir items are really interesting and unique. A lot of the items in the shop, including much of the clothing, food, toys and dolls, are made by the people in the town (which can't be many, as Walnut Grove barely covers one square mile.) They're going to have to stop selling many of the dolls, I was told, since the woman who makes them is 85 years old, and just can't do it anymore! After I left the shop, I went for a stroll through the museum, which is just cluster of little houses, including the old church that the Ingalls helped to build, the little red schoolhouse, an old sod house, and a few replicas of houses like the ones that would have been there back then. Visitors (in this case, it was just me and an elderly couple) are able to enter the houses and look around, and many of the displays, like the old organ in the church, are hands on. There's even a place where little kids can play with old toys and try on old dresses. It's really pretty great. Although there was hardly a soul there today, the woman in the gift shop told me that it gets crazy there on pageant weekends (apparently I just missed the Laura Ingalls/Nellie Olsen look alike contest - damn!)

While I was chatting with the woman in the gift shop, I heard a loud siren begin to wail outside. I jumped, thinking "Oh God! Tornado!" but the woman in the gift shop told me not to worry; the siren goes off every day to remind the farmers that it's time to have lunch. I thought that was pretty neat; anyway, I realized I was getting hungry myself. So I left the museum, intending to grab a bite at Nelly's Cafe. On the way, I stopped into Olsen's Mercantile, where the friendly woman who worked there offered me a cup of coffee when I entered - I can't get over how nice these people are! I bought a few things, and then went into Nelly's for a quick lunch. After lunch, I strolled around a little more; there wasn't much more to see, but I really didn't want to leave Walnut Grove. Folks in the few cars that passed as I walked waved greetings, and as I was heading back to my car I passed an old gas station, where an elderly man wearing jeans and a button down shirt with a denim cap stood outside, tending to one of the flowerbeds that lined the station. He paused when he saw me, tipped his hat and nodded a hello. Being in Walnut Grove was really like stepping back in time to a much friendlier, much simpler, world.

After leaving Walnut Grove, I drove through Sleepy Eye on the way to my hotel in Mankato. Sleepy Eye is a pretty, older town; there were a few shops open but I didn't see a soul on the streets. I got out of my car to take a few pictures of the buildings there, which are obviously very old - I'm don't doubt that they're the same ones that were there when Laura Ingalls was a child. I didn't stay in Sleepy Eye long; and about an hour after I left I arrived at my hotel in Mankato. I got such a kick out of my visit to Walnut Grove today. I'm beginning to feel sad to be heading east and getting closer to home, in part because I'm still having so much fun!! Oh well, I still have a few days left. Anyway - as promised - below is the text of Kitty's aforementioned email, as well as some of the responses.

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Kitty's email:

Happy New Year all. One of my resolutions this year is to really focus on the important things in life. Having said that I pose the following question to you all:

What, in your opinion, was the most intense Little House on the Prairie episode? Don't rush to an answer. Think about it. And, if you are struggling with what is intense? Think about Mary, Mr. Edwards, Pa, Carrie, Keesia, Doc Baker, Almonzo or Zaldamo, however you choose to pronounce his name. The list is endless.

I do ask, that you send only me the answers, so that I may use my Prairie knowledge, to rank accordingly.

I leave you with this thought. What, in heavens name, could have been going through Half Pint's mind when she put the apples in her dress - because she wanted to have 'bumps' like that mean girl Sam had. And when they fell, at the blackboard, while trying to figure an arithmetic problem, and Miss Beadle asked her if she needed to be excused? Ohhh. Riveting. No. Intense.....

Hope to hear from you soon.

In Charles' name,
Kitty

REPLIES:

"Intense you ask for??? One Phrase, from the lips of Caroline Ingalls: 'If thy leg offend thee, then cut it off' That one scared the bejeebers out of me.." - Jeannie

"The one where Nellie pretends to be paralyzed and Laura pushes her down the hill. Also, Albert and that girl Sylvia with the scary father in the mask." - Peggy

"There were a lot of nail-biters, but nothing compares to when the Fonz was doing his motorcycle jump." - Cousin Jim

"Still pondering...one of my resolutions is to think before speaking...anyway, you crazy fans might enjoy the following: http://zunshine.com/home.html" - Cele

"For me, it's got to be the one where the midget with the baby moves to town. Remember how he got a job at the bank, but then got in trouble for stealing from it? (oops...) Harriet wanted him in jail, but changed her mind after he saved Nancy when she fell into the well. Powerful stuff.. Perhaps not as intense, but terribly moving was the one where the Rev. Alden got a girlfriend." - Cousin Mary

"Or the one when Pa lets the old man win the lumberjack contest…unforgettable." - Cousin Jim

"My favorite was the one when Pa cried.................oops, that happenned on each episode." - Cousin Mike