Go West, young man

We headed west to Mansfield on our final day in Missouri.

Old Man Winter was a fleeting memory and we relished the 70-degrees and bright sunshine. It seemed appropriate that on such an exquisite day we should venture to Bakersville, home of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

I was a kid in a candy store.

So many seeds … so many inspirations. I imagined huge gardens bursting with fresh vegetables and melons. I envisioned a new flower cutting garden, a prairie garden and a garden for each of my girls.

Thankfully, Farmguy was around to quench my spirited planning.

We came home with a 1/2 pound bag of shallots, currant tomato variety seemingly named after my daughter, another tomato — Henderson’s Pink Ponderosa, Blue Lake bush beans, Lincoln garden peas, Rocky Top lettuce mix, cinnamon basil, Dixie Queen watermelon, Sleeping Beauty cantaloupe, birdhouse gourds and Indiana giant cockscomb. The girls purchased some bachelor’s button and sweet pea seeds.

We can’t wait to start planting … hopefully our enthusiasm holds until May.

Live entertainment while you shop.

These two were pickin’ and playin’ and singin’ and sayin’ things that completely enthralled my nephew. It was the chicken song that finally sent him over the moon. He came home with a souvenir CD.

Bakersville had something to offer everyone.

The kids loved the bakery with free samples. They enjoyed watching heritage breed turkeys gobbling in their pen. They called to the guineas and were intrigued by a breed of chickens they had never seen before.

The boys were particularly interested in the young blacksmith.

We were all smiling when it was time to leave Bakersville.

Then it was on to the final destination of our cross-country trip.

Finally … they could wear their bonnets.

Little House on the Prairie was as much a part of my childhood as learning to walk, talk and ride my bike. I still remember the Christmas I received a set of Little House books. We watched it on television, we enacted similar scenes during playtime. My girls have also been raised on Laura’s stories.

Our trip to the the Laura Ingalls Historic Home was greatly anticipated by all of us … well, at least by the females in our party.

This is the farmhouse Laura loved … the place she finally sat down to write her stories. Inside is a fantastic little kitchen packed with storage, a unique pass-through to the dining table and benches ideal for visitors. They could chat while Laura prepared the meal. The tour guide explained that Almanzo did not want to lug the huge hearth stones from field to house for the fireplace surround … but Laura was adamant and burst into tears. She was right, the stones are the perfect addition!

There were many intriguing aspects to this little house … unfortunately photos were not allowed. We also visited the Rock House — the home Rose built for her parents as a Christmas gift. But Laura didn’t want to live in such a modern, “rich” dwelling and eventually moved back to the farmhouse built to her specifications.

Here’s a short video I found on YouTube that shows Rocky Ridge Farm.

And that’s it!

We had a wonderful time trekking across three states, enjoying new sights and sounds and scenery.

We said farewell to the folks of Missouri and its other inhabitants.

We hit the road around 6 p.m., heading east. It was 70 degrees and tree frogs were carrying on. Through the night we watched the thermometer drop. When we pulled in our driveway about 6 a.m., the temperature read 17 degrees and the world was covered in old snow and new frost.

And that was the hardest part of the trip!

The end.