Today we woke up at 6:30, had breakfast (cereal, fruit, orange juice), loaded the car, and headed for Walnut Grove, Minnesota, at 7:45. It was a pretty drive through prairies and slight hills. Once in Walnut Grove, we took pictures of "Pa's bell" at the English Lutheran Church. This is the original bell that Charles Ingalls ("Pa") donated his last dollars to instead of getting new boots for his walk to find work after the grasshoppers destroyed their crop. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek for more; it was pretty amazing to see that exact bell all these years later!
The reason I planned my Little House trip for July was because the pageant season was happening and the Little House on the Prairie TV show cast reunion was occurring (just this weekend!). The reunion involved autograph sessions throughout the day and the actual reunion in the evening, before the pageant, so I really wanted to do this...and we did! There were three different tents set up for the autograph sessions (three per day) and a total of 11 stars were set up throughout the tents. With only three tents, that means long lines...really long lines. To add to the fun, we picked the slowest-moving line to stand in first...in pouring, soaking, cold rain...for two-and-a-half hours. In case you're wondering, yes, we did stick it out and made it up to get the desired autographs. Fortunately, the rain cleared out and sunshine broke through so we could go stand in the second line (shorter and much faster moving). Our "lunch", eaten in the second line, consisted of Pop Tarts, crackers, and juice. And to entertain us while standing in the second line? We were standing in the Walnut Grove park, which was home to Family Days, a huge event with many vendors. So we could watch demonstrations and listen to music, and Victor French's (Isaiah Edwards on the show) kids were presenting a program on his life and career while we were waiting, too. The second line was bearable, definitely! After that success, we headed into the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, a mix-match of buildings housing Walnut Grove-area artifacts, items related to the real Laura, and TV show memorabilia. Once we came out of the final building, we noticed the third tent for the final autograph session. I wasn't necessarily planning on getting the final three autographs, but it really worked out perfectly. That line, although the shortest, did take awhile to move and we were in the hot sunshine. But it was worth it to get all 11 autographs...and the final three stars signing there were super nice; they actually wanted us to take pictures and talk with them awhile! Once we had our papers signed, my mom and I raced into the store to get our bonnet/apron sets. Then we headed out of town to the dugout site, which is just a big dent in the ground now -- the real dugout was washed away by a flood years ago. We read the sign, my mom and I ran around a big field on a walking path (I also ran down a hill of wildflowers, reminiscent of the show's opening credits), and we waded in Plum Creek, just like Laura. We then ran back to our car and hurried to the pageant grounds, the site of the TV show reunion (and the pageant, after the reunion). At 7:30, the 11 stars filed onto the stage area and began their reminiscing. The stars present were Radames Pera (John Sanderson Edwards, Jr.), Lucy Lee Flippin (Eliza Jane Wilder), Sidney and Lindsey Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls), Hersha Parady (Alice Garvey), Charlotte Stewart (Miss Eva Beadle), Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson), Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder), Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh (Grace Ingalls), and Dan McBride (Henry Riley). They were all very gracious, kind, genuine, unique, interesting, and downright funny at times, evidenced by Alison Arngrim and Dan McBride replaying their humorous "Where's my coffee?" scene and Alison immediately making the "Nasty Nellie" face when asked by an audience member. The question-and-answer time was handled very professionally, with each star answering their respective questions with humility, even when they were quite odd. Overall, it was just incredible to see everyone together again after 40 years. I will never forget this night.
After the reunion presentation (as if that wasn't enough!), the pageant, Fragments of a Dream, took place. This two-hour-long play chronicles the Ingalls' Walnut Grove story and is so, so, so well done. From the scene changes (the sets actually fold up and roll back behind curtains) to the live animals (I paid more attention to the horses than the dialogue sometimes, haha) to the professional-level acting (they're all locals, though), it was perfect. There were good dancing scenes, singing, live fiddle music, amazing special effects, and great lighting. Everyone works so hard to pull this thing off and I give them 10 out of 10 stars! We bought our supper from the Walnut Grove Fire Department (hamburgers, Sun Chips, water) -- that's about all we could get at the pageant grounds -- and enjoyed an ice cream cookie sandwich for dessert in between the reunion and the pageant. When the pageant ended, we raced back to our car to beat the traffic (there were bad reports from previous nights) and drove through the star-lit evening to the Guardian Inn in Windom, Minnesota. Everyone hurried through showers and nightly routines to snuggle in bed at 1:35. Yes, it was a very long and hectic day. Yes, we got soaked, cold, hot, and generally uncomfortable. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. It may have been one of the busiest days of my life but overall, we succeeded in all we did and actually got more done than I imagined at the beginning of the day. Couldn't have done it without God, most importantly, and my wonderful and understanding family. Thanks!
Pa's bell at the English Lutheran Church in Walnut Grove, Minnesota
Near the Ingalls dugout site
Wading in Plum Creek (L-R: Me, my mom, my godmother Val)
~Anna
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