LHOP Adventure Day 8 - Heading Home

I had packed most of my belongings before going to bed, so when we woke on the final day together, I just had to wash up and get dressed. We packed all our luggage into the car and headed out to breakfast at Walker's. To our great surprise, our honorary diva, Dorothy, arrived while we were there, so we got a chance to say our final goodbyes to her before driving to the airport in Madison.

It was tough for me to say goodbye to Divas Beth and Lorrie, but I was also eager to get home and see my family. We had chatted via FaceTime every night, but it's not the same as talking face-to-face.

Divas Marilyn and Martha and I made it into the airport and decided we would hang out at each other's gates until each of us left. Marilyn flew out first and then Martha a while later. Then it was just little ole me in the Madison airport waiting to head home. Once I arrived at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, I still had to wait for the valet to pick me up and get my car before I could drive home. By the time I pulled into my garage at 8:35 p.m., I was beat, but the reception I received at home was exhilarating.

Reflecting upon last year's Little House on the Prairie adventure, I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was. I had always dreamed of visiting these places, but it seemed impossible. The Little House on the Prairie cast reunion gave me the incentive to take the kind of road trip I never imagined I would have the chance to embark upon. My girls don't share my love of Little House, and I had never taken a vacation without them.

So, what did I come away with from my LHOP Adventure?

First of all, I have the greatest friends in the world. They had all met each other before, but this was the first time I had been able to join them. From the moment I first landed in Wisconsin until the moment I left, they made me feel like the most important person on the face of the planet. They were so excited to meet me in person...though I was equally as excited to meet them. For a kid who endured more than her fair share of teasing (what we now call bullying) growing up, it was so strange to be met with such enthusiasm and kindness. I wasn't sure how things would turn out when we had never met in person before, but those ten years of being online chums made it so easy to fall in step with each other.

I re-learned how to read a map. If I have never told you this, I'll admit right now that I am directionally-challenged. I could get lost leaving my backyard. I never, ever drive to a new place without using my GPS. These friends don't use--I don't even know if they own--a GPS. At night, the map would get pulled out and Lorrie and Beth--the main drivers--would discuss the route to take the next morning.

I'm now eager for more road trips and to do something like this with my girls. A tiny challenge will be to find somewhere we all want to go because the girls and I like very different things. Their tastes are also very different from each other's. But a road trip to a new place doesn't sound so intimidating as it once did.

There are two sites I would definitely like to visit one day: Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri and the Wilder Farm in Burke, New York. I also wouldn't mind paying a visit to the home of Rose Wilder Lane, which also happens to be for sale right now. I would love to see someone come along and turn it into a museum, but the Danbury Museum and Historical Society is located about 10 minutes from her home on King Street, so there really doesn't seem to be a need for it.

My road trip last summer was truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of adventure. It was eight days filled with laughter and friendship; the memories of which I will never forget.

To read Day 7 of my adventure, please click here.

LHOP Adventure Day 5

I can't believe it has been six months since my last LHOP Adventure update. You will have to excuse my tardiness, because my new career as a real estate agent is booming and I haven't had time to blog much.

If you want to remember what happened on Day 4, you can check it out here.

We started the fifth day of our adventure by having breakfast at Nellie's "Little Cafe on the Prairie," where they only accept cash. I really didn't think my friends were serious when they told me to bring a lot of money. Who doesn't take credit cards? Well, now we know Nellie doesn't.

It had been raining, so some of the cast got a bit wet before sitting down to sign autographs. That morning, I waited in line for Hersha Parady (Alice Garvey), Radames Pera (John Sanderson Jr.), and Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle). All of them were so pleasant. 

Divas Beth and Lorrie get their autographs.

We did more sightseeing and had lunch in the park. I chatted with some local authors and collected their business cards. We also waited in line to get autographs from Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson), Dan McBride (Henry Riley--the guy who always ate at Nellie's Restaurant, but always complained about the food), and the Turnbaugh Twins who played Grace Ingalls. 

Nasty Nellie Oleson (but Alison is very nice).

We ate at Red Rooster for supper and then we hung out together until bedtime. Another day of traveling awaited us. 

LHOP Adventure Day 4

The fourth day of our LHOP Adventure was both sad and exciting. As I mentioned in my post about Day 3, we had to leave De Smet early in the morning to make it to Walnut Grove, Minnesota on time.

Not sure whose camera this is from. Photo snapped by the B&B owner.

After a couple days in De Smet, my fellow Divas and I were truly comfortable with each other. Did I mention that three of us had to sleep in one bed? While driving around town and hanging out in the parlor and dining room of the Prairie House Manor Bed and Breakfast, we learned the story of the owners and met some fellow Laura fans with whom we became fast friends. We had also explored downtown and met some nice people.

Not being a morning person, eating breakfast at 7 a.m. to be on the road by 8, was not the highlight of my adventure. But it was all worth it once we arrived in Walnut Grove.

We arrived shortly before noon and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and grounds were packed. If I didn't know how popular Laura, her books, and the Little House on the Prairie show was, I did the minute we drove up.

The town and museum staff had everything organized so well. Autograph sessions were taking place in three different locations. In the park were several activities, local authors and artists, and food vendors. Being members of Dean's Divas, we decided to head over to the area where Dean Butler was signing autographs with Lucy Lee Flippin (his TV sister, Eliza Jane Wilder) and the Greenbush twins, who played Carrie Ingalls.

Here is where it gets exciting. Though several of the Divas had met Dean before, I never had. I'll do my best to paint this picture for you, because it is one of the highlights of my trip.

The morning autograph session was just about over by the time we made it to where Dean, Lucy, Lindsay and Sidney (real names Rachel and Robyn) were signing autographs and chatting with fans. Lindsay had gotten married just a few weeks prior under the oak tree at the Ingalls farm where the show had been filmed. Her husband, Danny, was also in Walnut Grove. When he caught sight of six ladies in pink shirts with Dean's picture on the front walking up, he immediately started calling to Dean to get his attention. Dean looked in our direction and waved. Lindsay, however, got the biggest kick out the Divas in their pink shirts.

Not sure whose camera this is from, but Diva Beth and Honorary Diva Dorothy are missing from this shot.

As soon as the autograph session ended, she walked over to us and insisted upon having her picture taken with Dean's Divas--many of whom she had met before. Then Dean came over to greet us and we got pictures with Lindsay and Dean. Not only that, a multitude of complete strangers took our pictures because two LHOP stars were standing between us. Talk about making a grand entrance.

We visited the museum quickly and made it over to the park to get some food. Later that night, we attended the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, which was preceded by a Little House on the Prairie cast reunion. All the stars in attendance fielded questions from the audience. For once, I didn't ask any questions.

Thanks to Diva Lorrie for this shot.

The Divas had bought their tickets early--plus we were traveling with an Ingalls relative--so we had fabulous seats. After the cast reunion portion of the program was over, the stars sat in the audience to watch the pageant. Lucy Lee Flippin, Hersha Parady (Alice Garvey), and Radames Pera, who played John Sanderson Edwards (the love interest of Mary Ingalls) sat in our row.

Thanks to Diva Marilyn for this shot: she is also the one taking the picture.

It was late by the time the pageant was over, and we knew we had another long day of fun ahead of us, so we drove back to our motel (the worst part of the trip because the motel was disgusting) to get some shut-eye.

Home Again

Back home from the most amazing trip I've ever taken. Lots of fun with friends. And I finally got to meet Dean Butler! What a wonderful guy. Lindsey Rachel Greenbush (one of the twins who played Carrie Ingalls) got a huge kick out of Dean's Divas arriving in Walnut Grove. She asked to be an honorary Diva. This picture was taken on Friday soon after the Divas drove into Walnut Grove.

I'll share more memories from my eight-day trip that brought me through parts of Wisconsin, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa over the coming days. Right now, it's about 3 a.m. and this Diva is tired.

40 Anniversary Little House Cast Reunion

I'll be headed out on a Laura Ingalls Wilder adventure next Tuesday. I am meeting a group of my friends--including a relative of Laura's and one of Almanzo's--in Wisconsin. We'll be traveling around to some LIW sites before heading over to Walnut Grove, Minnesota for the Wilder Pageant and Little House Cast Reunion July 25 - 27. We'll visit a couple of other places before I head home on Tuesday, July 29.

I AM SO EXCITED! I have never done anything like this before. I haven't even been on my own overnight since the girls were born. I'm nervous about flying alone, but I'll meet one of my longtime chums in Detroit before getting on another flight to Wisconsin and we're flying out the same day to go back home too.

You can check out the Wilder Pageant and Cast Reunion event schedule at http://www.walnutgrove.org/Reunion.htm

Dean Butler Welcomes You to Walnut Grove This Summer

Happy 40th Anniversary to Little House on the Prairie!

Happy 40th Anniversary to Little House on the Prairie! This now classic family television series first aired on March 30, 1974. The pilot episode featured the Ingalls family (Charles, Caroline, Mary, Laura, and Carrie) leaving the Big Woods of Wisconsin and settling in Kansas. Viewers also met their neighbor, Mr. Edwards, who would be seen from time to time once the family moved to Walnut Grove in the first episode of the first season of the show.

To celebrate, there will a cast reunion in Walnut Grove this summer. For details, visit http://www.walnutgrove.org/Reunion.htm For more details on the history of the show, visit http://prairiefans.com/ and go to the TV Adaptations tab.

Thank you to all the talented actors who brought the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder to life for her fans. While many have gone home to their Creator, we will never forget the joy these stories brought us; a joy that we now share with our children and grandchildren.

2014 LHOP 40th Anniversary Cast Reunion in Walnut Grove

Next year is the 40th Anniversary of Little House on the Prairie. Talk around the Internet says several reunions are planned. The only one I have any real knowledge of is the one taking place in July in Walnut Grove. It coincides with their annual Wilder Pageant. A Facebook group has been set up for anyone who is interested in learning more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/555880417812526/ 

Here is the current list of stars scheduled to appear:

Hersha Parady - Alice Garvey
Charlotte Stewart - Mrs.Eva (Beadle) Simms
Alison Arngrim - Nellie Oleson
Dean Butler - Almanzo Wilder
Lucy Lee Flippin - Eliza Jane Wilder
The Greenbush Twins - Carrie Ingalls
The Turnbaugh Twins - Grace Ingalls