road trip – Car Full of Harmony

Laura Ingalls Wilder Road Trip!

While my husband was off on a Guys Weekend, the girls and I decided to have an adventure of our own. We chose to do a Laura Ingalls Wilder road trip, hitting up 8 states and covering thousands of miles!

We started off in our very own state first – kicking it to Pepin, WI for the Little House on the Big Woods. This site is a wayside off of the highway, so you really don’t ever have to worry about the hours of the house. We’ve visited before, but it was a great spot to kick off the trip! We had not been to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in town, though, and that was the perfect place to buy some bonnets to carry us through our trip, and look at some artifacts from Laura and her family.

Reading “Little House on the Big Woods” at the Little House on the Big Woods!

Playing a game at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum

Our next stop was all the way in Deborah, IA, but it was a pretty drive along the Mississippi into Minnesota and down to Iowa. It also didn’t feel like a long drive, as it was a little less than 2 hours from Pepin. We got to see Laura Ingalls Wilder’s real height and try hard tack. You can see it was a real hit….

My fourth grader is almost as tall as Laura Ingalls Wilder was

Next it was off to Almanzo’s church in Spring Valley, MN, where we just made the last tour of the day.

There was a museum inside the church, and through the tour, we got to take part in a bucket brigade. Seems like a crazy way to have to put out a fire!

We drove past the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, MN and then off to Sanborn, MN for the Sod House on the Prairie. This was really interesting to see, as you could see the layers and layers of sod. We definitely got the prairie vibes at this stop, which was actually at a farm. When we pulled in, we felt like we were visiting someone’s house!

Our final spot of the day was in Walnut Grove, MN, where we stopped at the Laura Ingalls Dugout Spot. This stop was beautiful! It also is Plum Creek, from the book “On the Banks of Plum Creek.”

Reading “On the Banks of Plum Creek” while actually on the banks of Plum Creek!

The next morning, we got up and hit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN. This museum was really fun, as it was set up like a town, with a lot of areas for the girls to explore their imaginations. We went for lunch in Nellie’s Cafe, which was across the street.

Playing in the kitchen, while wearing the dress up clothes

They were excited to play the pump organ!

Then we drove to De Smet, SD for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Homes Tour. We also visited the DeSmet Cemetery to pay our respects to the Wilder family. We then visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead also in DeSmet, which was a very fun place to visit, as well, as you could learn to do laundry the way people did during this time period, go to school to see what that was like, and make your own corn dolls and jump ropes. We stayed overnight at the Homestead, getting a covered a wagon as our lodging for the night.We even got an intense prairie storm featuring hail and hefty winds. We took shelter in the bathroom because we weren’t sure how the canvas of a covered wagon holds up to hail, but it turns out we were the only ones concerned!

Someone didn’t like her pretend teacher (me)!

At the school in the Historic Homes Tour

Grinding the wheat on the Historic Homes Tour

Playing a fiddle similar to Pa’s on the Historic Homes Tour

Cart ride! At the Laura Ingalls Homestead

Driving the horses and cart for our ride to the schoolhouse!

Now it’s her turn to tell the horses where to go!

Our next day did not feature any Laura Ingalls Wilder sites, as we had to drive all the way down to Independence, Kansas. However, we did stop to see things because I don’t like driving that long without some fun stops. We went to the Oz Museum in Wamego, as both of my girls are fans. We also stopped at the Tallgrass National Prairie Reserve to imagine what the prairie looked like during Laura’s life. We saw the biggest grasshoppers, and felt the intense summer heat.

We followed the Yellow Brick Road in Wamego, KS

The next morning, we were back at it, checking out the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites in Independence, KS. We also jumped over the state line into Oklahoma to visit the Mickey Mantle childhood home. This whole day was an interesting collection of dirt road driving. Good thing I got a rental car!!! We then went on to Mansfield, MO, where we visited Laura Ingalls Wilder Home. After that, we drove to the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis to view the special nighttime showing of the Chihuahua sculptures.

Little House on the Prairie in Independence, KS

More spots to explore at the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites in Independence, KS

Petting the donkeys at Laura’s sites in Kansas

Standing next to a full-size replica of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura’s favorite house in Mansfield, MO.

Our final day of our trip was spent in the City Museum in St. Louis – a favorite of our family’s. It was fun to climb and jump and frolic after so many days in the car. We then drove all the way home to WI again. It was a great car trip, and the girls read the Laura Ingalls books in the car throughout the trip. It was a very fun road trip that was fun to do just as us girls! ❤

These fish tickle! (At the City Museum in St. Louis)

Lots of fun to be had at the City Museum

Climbing on the roof at the City Museum!

These bugs made it all the way from Kansas to WI on the front of our rental car, surviving a rainstorm between St. Louis and WI!

August 16, 2023November 16, 2024

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American Sign Museum in Ohio

The final days of our trip to Tennessee were very enjoyable. Because we were staying in the mountains, it was a little rough to get to and from our cabin, particularly in the rental minivan we had. The 3rd day of our adventure it was supposed to rain ALL day. Since we weren’t sure we would make it back up the mountain to our cabin as the path was very steep and only made of gravel and sand, we decided to stay put. We had plenty of things we could do, as watching the storms from on top of a mountain is pretty fun. We also had an air hockey table and a hot tub in our cabin, so no need to feel bad for us at all!

This is the tiniest bit of pavement we had once we were more than 3/4 of the way up the mountain to our cabin….however, you can see the incline and the curves that would make this stretch treacherous in heavy rain!

My bro and I LOVED watching the storms from our back porch – nice and covered, full of rocking chairs, and a FANTASTIC view!

The next morning was time for us to start heading home. It’s roughly an 11 hour drive, so we started packing up right after we woke that morning. We did stop to take in the view one last time. It was hard to say goodbye to our cabin!

Luckily, starting out early helped get us through the traffic of Pigeon Forge relatively easily, as well. Both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have so many attractions that are open until at least 9 pm so not many people get up early the next day! Our drive was pretty uneventful, though we decided to take a brief leg stretch/road break in Cincinnati, Ohio for the American Sign Museum. My bro & his wife had been there before, and I had always wanted to go.

This museum is filled with beautiful neon signs that were used at some point in the last few decades. They are all lit up, and it is so much fun to just walk around and appreciate the artwork.

There was even an area where they repair old neon signs while you watch, and a video on how neon signs are made. We all found it fascinating, and the signs are just so beautiful.

The museum doesn’t take overly long to visit – I think we might have been there for an hour or so. It is a fantastic leg stretch, and a great way to break up a long drive in dreary weather!

March 27, 2022March 29, 2022

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Pigeon Forge in December

For our second full day on our trip, we spent the day in Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge was just as busy as Gatlinburg, so we aimed for an early start. We started the day at the Moon Pie General Store, which was fun to see the different flavors (and sizes!) of moon pies. It is also a GIANT bookstore, so I wasn’t sure we were ever going to be able to pull Wormy and Squid out!

I’m no expert, but it appears someone is trying to escape…

After that, we all moved on to the Alcatraz East experience. It was a fascinating crime museum, and had a lot of neat interactive experiences inside. The girls learned some important life skills, like how to crack a safe and hack an internet account. Squid learned how to drive in a police chase, and Wormy learned how to walk the white line while wearing beer goggles. They both rocked at disarming explosives and escaping from a jail cell! I’m not sure what to think of that…We all also really enjoyed the laser maze experience.

Once we all finished committing, I mean solving, crimes, we headed outside to “The Island.” This area is a shopping and restaurant area that also has a giant fountain in the middle that is surrounded by rocking chairs. We had a blast looking at the giant Christmas tree and soaking in the ambience here.

Pigeon Forge’s version of the Bellagio water show!

By this time, we were STARVING, but we had a plan to avoid the crowds and long waits at the restaurants in town. We drove to the Busch’s Baked Beans Visitors Center in Dandridge, which was only a half hour drive or so (plus traffic). This is where they make the beans, and they have a cute museum and cafe onsite. We started at the cafe for lunch. When you arrive, they give you a small cup of the ‘Bean of the Day’ for you to try. For us, it was the Taco Fiesta beans, and they had lots of awesome flavor!

The cafe food was really good – I had pulled pork with sweet potato fries, and LOVED it. Wormy was excited because she got a big bowl full of (non-box made) mac & cheese along with some onion rings. Squid ate grilled cheese, and my hubby had a fish plate (that came with hush puppies). I think my bro got the same thing I did, but I don’t remember. However, my sis got chicken fingers and she said they were amazing. The most interesting thing about the cafe was the desserts – they had a pinto bean pecan pie. Of course we had to try it, and it was DELICIOUS. You couldn’t tell there were beans in it, and they shared the recipe with all the customers. The beans basically took the place of the corn syrup you would normally add, so I keep telling myself it is a healthy pecan pie!

After lunch, we went into the museum and learned about how the beans are made and canned. There were interactive spots for the girls (and us!) to play while learning, and there were a lot of photo opportunities. It was a great spot, and not crowded at all! It was a refreshing break from the craziness of Pigeon Forge, and we were all so glad we went.

We had wanted to go to the Titanic Museum, but they did not have any tickets available for the entire 4 days we were in town. I’m posting a picture of the museum here, though, because it looked so cool!

Doesn’t that look awesome?!? Like you’re boarding the great ship itself!

The other neat thing about Pigeon Forge at this time of year is that they have Christmas decorations everywhere! We got to see the 12 Days of Christmas in the median of the main highway running through town. I had heard Dollywood is full of amazing lights and shows, but we just couldn’t fit that in with the cost and the amount of people in town. It’s not like we can’t come back again some day….

March 26, 2022March 29, 2022

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Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains

This year, after Christmas, we took a driving trip with my brother and sister-in-law to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area in Tennessee. It was so nice to feel warm weather, as they were having well above average temperatures. We had sunny weather in the 60s and 70s! So much nicer than back home in WI, but also not something anyone going to this area can expect during December normally!

Sunset from our cabin on the first night

We rented a beautiful cabin in the mountains, and if you ever have the opportunity to do so, definitely check it out. We did not know it when we booked our trip, but apparently the locals call the week between Christmas and New Year’s “Hell Week,” because they have the most tourists of all year round during this time. We definitely could tell when we were in town, but it was so nice to start and end our days in the calm and peaceful cabin. We only spent December 26-30 at the cabin, but it felt like a nice long vacation, thanks to the peace and quiet!

For our first full day of our adventures, we drove to Gatlinburg. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are really close together, and they both have a lot of different experiences in the towns. There is definitely something for everyone in either town – from outdoor adventures, to museums about different things (Titanic, Alcatraz, etc), to whiskey and moonshine tasting, to mini-golf and go-karts. You name it, it exists in both towns! Because of this, it can be difficult to figure out what to do, as there are almost too many choices. It is not possible to do everything in either town in one visit!

This one smelled like an Almond Kringle!

In Gatlinburg, we checked out the Ole Smoky Distillery. My hubby did the tasting and tried many of the whiskey flavors. I enjoyed smelling them! (I tried them later after my hubby and bro decided which were the best ones to buy). After that, we split up – with my bro and sister-in-law walking around town, and us choosing to do the Gatlinburg Skybridge.

Doesn’t that look fun?!? And the view was amazing!

The Gatlingburg Skybridge had an intimidating looking line, but it went pretty fast, and it was totally worth it. The views from the ski lift ride up were amazing, and it just got better as you got to the bridge.

Pretty awesome view of all of Gatlinburg!

Once you get to the top and are on the Skybridge, there is a section that is made of glass panels, so you can see directly below you as you walk across. It was really neat, as long as you don’t mind heights, as it does sway a bit as you walk across! Hubby wasn’t so thrilled, but after we did it once, you have the choice to go back across the bridge, or you can take a hiking path back to where you started. Hubby decided we should cross the bridge again! I was surprised and impressed! The girls loved it!

By the time we got done with the Skybridge and reunited with my bro & sis, we were done with the crowds, so we moved on to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The girls and I love to do the Junior Ranger program at the National Parks, so we first stopped at the Sugarlands Visitors Center to get our booklets. Next, we drove to the trailhead for Laurel Falls. This trail is an out-and-back trail, totaling 2.4 miles (or as I sold it to Wormy and Squid – 1.2 miles to get to the waterfall…wink, wink).

The waterfall was beautiful, and we hung out there for probably at least 20 minutes to take in the views.

Plenty of water falling, despite it having apparently been dry in the area for awhile…

The views coming back from the waterfall were beautiful, too, as on the way back you have a view of the mountains around you. For some reason, on the way to the waterfall, you don’t see these views since they are happening behind you due to your focus on the trail!

Plenty of haziness in these Smoky Mountains

There obviously was an incline to the path to get to the waterfalls, but it wasn’t horrible. Definitely doable with a 12-year old and a 7-year old, even after spending most of the day walking through Gatlinburg (we parked in one spot and hoofed it the whole time while in town). According to the trail guide, you have an elevation change of 396 feet.

After we finished up at the trail, we drove around the park a bit more. Unfortunately, since it was winter, Clingmans Dome was closed. However, we did go check out the Appalachian Trail and stood on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. The views over there were beautiful, as well. I can only imagine how amazing it is at sunset and when the plants/trees aren’t dormant due to winter!

The view from the Appalachian Trail, along the TN/NC border

March 25, 2022March 29, 2022

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Fun Sights Along Route 66 – Getting Our Kicks and Takin’ It Easy!

I’ve been a big fan of the song “Route 66,” and since we were in the area, we drove some of the stretched of Route 66 from the Petrified Forest National Park around the Meteor Crater area.

I really badly wanted to stay at the Wigwam Motel, but they didn’t have any availability the days we were in the area. Instead, we drove past it. The girls were so excited, as it looks a lot like the Traffic Cone Hotel in the movie Cars.

Love the old cars outside of the Motel, too!

I really wanted to sleep in one of those air-conditioned wigwams!!!

After leaving Holbrook, we went in search of dinner in Winslow (another Route 66 town). We had fun “standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona” like in the Eagles song “Take It Easy.” They even had a corner set up to take pictures on.

Winslow has a huge Route 66 in the middle of the road

We stayed in Winslow for the night, but the following day, after Meteor Crater, we went in search of lunch and found ourselves in Williams, AZ. This was a cute town that had a lot of restaurants and shops, along with plenty of Route 66 charm. This is also the town that the Grand Canyon train leaves from (which is definitely on my list now!).

And the last town we visited off of the Route 66 path, as well!

Route 66 was a fun area to travel. We even met a couple who was traveling all of Route 66. Sounded like a fun vacation! Now I can’t decide which song I have stuck in my head – “Route 66” or “Take It Easy.”

July 22, 2021

Lisa Werner1 Comment

Hoover Dam – 2008 vs today!

We HAD to stop at the Hoover Dam on the way back to Vegas from our Arizona adventures. Squid had just read the Percy Jackson series, and had remembered a scene that took place in the Hoover Dam, so she was looking forward to seeing it. Unfortunately, due to Covid, there weren’t any tours for us to take, but we definitely enjoyed the views!

Hubby and I had been there in March of 2008, and we were surprised by how much it had changed! Before, you used to have to drive straight through the Hoover Dam to get to Nevada from the Grand Canyon. Now, it was an exit off of the highway. And speaking of that highway, there was a fantastic pedestrian portion of the bridge over the dam so that you could get this amazing view:

It was crazy to see the new parking garages and gift shop. We were bummed we couldn’t take a tour, but we knew that going into the visit. The girls were not thrilled about the heat….

This sign looks awfully permanent…is every day an excessive heat warning???

Hubby and I had a great time comparing the dam with last time’s visit. We felt bad for the guards standing in their black uniforms and masks performing the vehicle checks of every car, truck, etc that went through their checkpoint!

Here’s what the bridge looked like as they were working on it in 2008 vs what it looked like finished and running on our trip:

June 2021…all done and functioning! This bridge is the freeway and holds the pedestrian walkway to take pictures of the dam from as well.

The water levels were interesting to compare, too, as this area is in a dangerous drought.

Overall, it was a fun stop, though the girls were less than thrilled about the heat and the stairs/walk to the pedestrian portion of the bridge. However, they loved getting their picture taken with half of their bodies in Arizona and the other half in Nevada!

July 21, 2021

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Walnut Canyon

On the way back to Las Vegas from Meteor Crater, we passed the Walnut Canyon National Monument exit. Hubby and I had been there the last time we were in Arizona before we had kids and enjoyed the stop. We took a short detour to visit the park and show the girls.

Walnut Canyon is only 3 miles off of I-40, so it is also a quick and easy stop. Walnut Canyon is most known for the cave dwellings from the early people who used to live in the sides of the cliffs. You can view the dwellings from the giant glass windows in the Visitors Center, the outdoor overlook, or by hiking around them. We went into the visitors center, and checked out the overlook. Last time Hubby and I were at this park, there had been a giant landslide that had damaged the hiking trails, so it was good to see it all repaired this time.

You can see the dwellings in the lower part of this picture.

Because we hadn’t planned on stopping here, we didn’t spend very long at Walnut Canyon. It was maybe a half hour stop, but we didn’t do any of the hikes. Eventually, we would like to take the girls back here. For now, though, they were pretty impressed by the idea of living in the side of a mountain!

Doesn’t look like the most hospitable area I’ve seen, but it worked for the early people in this area!

July 20, 2021

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