And all the rest...

Okay, I think one more before calling it a night.

Well, I just couldn't resist. Of course we will be seeing other things along the way.

First, I started realizing how many state capitols we would be going through or near, so we are going to see as many as we can... Cheyenne WY, Lincoln NE, Des Moines IA, Topeka KS, Jefferson City MO, and Pierre SD.

Second, The reason we are going to Des Moines anyway is to go to the Living History Farms. These are living enactments of the prairie farms over the last two centuries. It will give us a chance to see what living like Laura might have been like.

Also along this line we will stop at the Sod Houses just outside of Walnut Grove.

Third, And as long as we are there ;-) we will take the afternoon to visit the "Bridges of Madison County",,, just south of Des Moines.

Fourth, LDS church history. Well we will be following the pioneer trail so we are going to see a few of the places we haven't seen yet- like some of the actual wagon trails, Winter Quarters and some of the camps in Iowa and the Nauvoo Temple which wasn't open last we were there.

Fifth, we will be on tour on the Fourth of July. This was hard to plan for and still get us in Walnut Grove that weekend for the pageant. But I hope my plan works out. We will be in Independence Iowa in the morning for their parade. That sounds pretty patriotic. Then we will end up the day in La Crosse WI, which has a big party with fireworks at night over the Mississippi. Sounds fantastic.

Sixth, Indian stuff. I have always been interested in the Mississippi Mound Builders, so we'll be seeing some of those on the way to La Crosse. We will also see a couple places in MN, the Jeffers Petroglyphs (petroglyphs on a prairie??) and the Pipestone NM where they mine the stone for pipes.

Seventh, heavens- there is more? Well, have to add in the Badlands, and Mt Rushmore. We'll be right there.