I went alone last year as my daughter was sick so this year I wanted to share the experience. Deanna's daughter Liv is as much of a Laura Ingalls fan as I am so I was thrilled they could make it. She even reminded us that today was Laura's 143rd Birthday! What a perfect way to celebrate it!
We stayed inside this beautiful (heated) building and enjoyed complimentary hot cocoa/tea and cookies while we waited for our ride. The girls also got a "sleigh" bell.
The rides were 10 minutes long and we went around the homestead and through the woods. It was 20 degrees out today and there was no wind. We had lap blankets and a lot of layers on and it was still quite cold. Our driver told us that we were in actual antique sleighs, not reproductions, which tickled me to no end... She told us the history of jingle bells on the horses but our particular horse did not have bells as it was her first day on the job!
We had to drive about 40 min to get there so we packed lunches for the car. The cost of the ride for me was $5 and it was $3 for my daughter. For $8 we had a pretty awesome afternoon doing something you don't get to do every day!
I'm really thankful that there are people in the world who make things like this accessible to the general public. At $8 per ride, no one is getting rich doing this for 2 hours. In addition, the woman who manned the tickets inside told me that the horse owners had probably started at 8am this morning brushing the horses and getting them ready and transporting them to the museum for the 1pm rides. Our driver told us her fingers were numb and at that point she had only been driving for about 45 minutes. (The rides are from 1-3 on Sunday afternoons). And yet they do all of this because they love it and so my girl and I get a little slice of the past. Amazing! Inspiring!
Tonight we read the Laura Ingalls First Little House Books, Dance At Grandpa's because they ride there in a one horse open sleigh! It was neat to be able to read the book and think about what it felt like today.
5 comments:
We had a great time today. too! Never thought to get out that book (which, of course, is on Liv's shelf!) -- I'll have to try to remember that for tomorrow!
Sounds like a great time! I always feel the same way. If it weren't for people doing things like this because they love it - and not for the money - just think of all the things that would disappear.
Exactly Krista!
Sounds like a magical time and I too love that these people are offering these rides because they want to share what they love with others.
how awesome-love laura ingalls wilder--what fun to ride in a sleigh-we have that here but only in dec at a local christmas tree farm-sounds like so much fun!
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