I'll take "Southern Minnesota" for $200, Alex ...

I made a few more calls to gather information for my trip today. If I play my cards right, I could get to check out Walnut Grove, Minnesota. The Ingalls family spent time in the area, some of it living in a dugout - literally, a home made from a cave dug into a hillside (<- preposition-palooza). Now, I've managed to live in some crappy-assed apartments in my time, but, sheesh. I suspect this'll put manners on me. The original Ingalls dugout has collapsed (not on the family, of course .. well, at least, not entirely), but the site and surrounding area have been preserved. Like De Smet, the town of Walnut Grove presents a pageant during several July weekends each summer.

Yes. I said pageant. To be honest, I'm rather enthralled by the notion. I suspect it's more of a play, since it seems to include dialogue and doesn't appear to take place behind a scrim curtain that sweeps back during a stirring eight-part rendition of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, revealing a crystal-clear scene of a manger in Bethlehem and .... yeah. My Catholic roots are showing. Then again, maybe the pageant does include such a moving crescendo - I guess I'll only know if I see it in person. And, truth be told, who am I to define "pageant"?! So here's my thinks: fly into Minneapolis mid-week. Drive to Walnut Grove, MN. Spend Wednesday through Friday there. Check out pageant on Friday evening. Get the show on the road to De Smet on Saturday afternoon. Catch De Smet pageant on Saturday or Sunday evening. Can I express my glee at the very mention of Walnut Grove? I mean, this was the town in which the Little House on the Prairie TV series was set. Sure, television's prairie was mountainous and surprisingly snow-less (aka California), but - come on! There's a definite '70s cheese factor involved here. I loved that show. In fact, I still do.

I received payback on a small loan I'd given last week - $50.00. I've also got a small can of change to deposit. Since neither have been put in the bank yet, my cash remains the same.

Days until trip: 320-350
Cash saved: $100.00