On the Banks of Plum Creek

From Walnut Grove we headed out to the actual site of the dugout the Ingalls lived in on the banks of Plum Creek. 

The dugout has long since collapsed, but there's a depression in the landscape and the description of the banks matches Laura's memory and writings. 

If you can only do one thing in Walnut Grove, this is what we'd recommend. 

Plum Creek is very cute and we all enjoyed wading through the clear and cold water. There is definitely something cool about being where she was, and playing where she played. 

One by one we each joined Matt until we were all happily frolicking in the creek. The girls would have been happy to play there all day. I can only imagine Mary and Laura playing in the creek on a hot day and how refreshingly wonderful that must have been for them, especially living a life without AC! 

This site is also on a private farm, and just like the replica, they do an honor system payment. We had to get a group shot as we crossed the little bridge over Plum Creek. 

Oh Laney. 

The dugout site has done a nice job. There are plenty of signs and well marked paths, and they've even planted native grasses to make it more authentic to Laura's time. 

There's a trail around the site, but we'd played so long in the creek and seen so much, that we needed to get on our way. The girls are sad here because they wanted to wade in this section of creek by Laura's rock. Actually, only Addie is sad, Frankie is being adorable, and Laney is being Laney. 

Soda break. 

One of Laneys fav things to do is pick grass...

And throw it up in the air (like she just don't care).

She could do this all day. Everywhere. All the time. This day she was yelling "boom!" as she carelessly tossed the grass. There are definitely worse things she could be doing, but especially when we are not at home and she's picking at leaves or grasses she shouldn't be, it gets annoying. 

And this was our fun mid-morning break on the banks of Plum Creek.