Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pepin, Wisconsin

My husband had a week off, so we decided to go camping for a few days "up north".  We had a pretty tight budget, so camping and low-cost entertainment were on the agenda.  We had a great time--fished (caught enough to eat), boated (row boat), camped (yes, in a tent, and, yes, at a place that had flush toilets and hot showers--the kids just loved being in that tent), popped Jiffy Pop popcorn over the campfire (even though the label says not to), ate marshmallows losing a few in the fire, swatted mosquitoes, gold panned (didn't find any gold, but did find a few teeny, tiny garnets), picnicked, saw lots of wild life, and just relaxed!  It was fun.  The weather was good--thankfully not this hot, humid, stifling weather we are having this week.  One thing we did was visit the little town of Pepin.  We have read all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and, well, being "Wilders" we thought it was appropriate to visit the reproduction of the home where Laura was born.  It was a lovely wayside in the hills outside Pepin (loved the blooming lilies against the weathered wood of the cabin).  It certainly didn't have any "big woods" around it.  It was on a hill surrounded by cow pastures, but the area and view were quite nice.  The drive into Pepin was scenic, and in town was an interesting little museum and gift shop.  It was all very nicely done, and we had a good time.