Family fun at Brookings, South Dakota

It's not all tame at the Children's Museum of South Dakota. T-rex Jr. (above) provides a thrill, as does big mama.

T-rex, prairie playland create one-of-a-kind fun 

Photos and story by Lisa Meyers McClintick

To the right, kids line up shoulder to shoulder to fish in a pond, squealing as they haul out and net realistic trout and sunfish. To the left, beyond willow twig tunnels and mazes of prairie grasses and flowers, there’s a roar building behind Brookings’ former school building.

A towering, protective T. rex mama snarls and twitches her tail as kids get too close to her or her offspring. That only ratchets up the shriek factor and adds to the thrill fest created by the Children’s Museum of South Dakota. Opened in 2013 in the historic 1920s school, it combines the fresh fun of an interactive, modern museum with a distinctive South Dakota setting.

Kids not quite brave enough to face the T. rex in person can watch the roars from inside for the former school gym where they can climb clouds up two stories, play house in a sod home, explore a tepee or harvest potatoes on a farmstead.

With the museum as the star attraction and a variety of laid-back family-friendly fun, the town of 22,600 residents and home to South Dakota State University provides a fun stopping point for a trip west or a hub for exploring the town and getting a glimpse of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s legacy in De Smet, about 45 miles west on Highway 14.

Get a little wet

It may be tough to get Children’s Museum of South Dakota visitors indoors when a 1.5-acre whimsical outdoor play area beckons with a stream for splashing and collecting buckets of water for activities such as rock-filled cyclinders that teach about filtration. Word to the wise: Bring a towel or change of clothes ($6; 1-605-.692-6700; prairieplay.org)

Here are some other top things to do Brookings, SD:

McCrory Gardens

Stop and smell the flowers

Junior green thumbs will enjoy a long romp through the 25 acres of McCrory Gardens, an arboretum run by the university. Among its draws are gardens dedicated to daylilies, sensory plants, new varieties and seed trials, and an eco building made of straw bales with a living room planted with sedum (Technically free, but donations of $3-$6 requested).

South Dakota Ag Heritage Museum 

Tractors and big machines

With no admission, South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum shows off the evolution of tractors, threshers and other technological advances that changed farming from the 1860s through the 1960s. It’s best for anyone who can appreciate engines or grandparents who can lightheartedly point out the farm chores and responsibilities older generations had. It's a perfect time to trot out those "When I was a kid..." stories.

SDSU Dairy Bar

Cookies and cream team

 Less than a block from the agricultural heritage museum, the modern Dairy Bar at Alfred Dairy Science Hall offers affordable ice cream and a sweet afternoon pick-me-up. Look for flavors such as butter almond or playful variations of cookies and cream, which the university claims to have invented.

 Prairie art

"The Prairie is My Garden"

Before leaving campus, stop in at South Dakota Art Museum anchored by Harvey Dunn’s painting, “The Prairie is my Garden.” His idyllic prairie works were inspired by his memories as the son of South Dakota homesteaders. He went on to illustrate World War I as it unfolded and to be one of the most prolific artists of his time. Other exhibits include works by Native American and South Dakota artist

Oscar Howe and an area dedicated to art that appeals to children.

Take a field trip

It’s less than 45 minutes to reach tiny De Smet, pop. 1,100, where kids can wander through barns, play with kittens, see newborn foals and take a buggy ride to a one-room school house on the 1880s Ingalls Homestead which inspired stories in “By the Shores of Silver Lake.” It’s open Memorial Day through September. The town also has additional historic sites and the cemetery where several members of the Ingalls family are buried.

Generous landscaping livens up Brookings' downtown.

How to get to Brookings

It takes just under four hours to reach Brookings from Minneapolis. Follow U.S. Hwy. 212 west to Granite Falls, then head southwest on Minnesota Hwy. 23 for 50 miles. Take U.S. Hwy. 14 west to Brookings, S.D. 

Brookings lodging

Several chain hotels can be found in Brookings (especially along Interstate 29). Hampton Inn and Suites ranks among the newer properties with 87 rooms ($114/night and up; 1-605-697-5232; brookingssuites.hamptoninn.com).

Brookings dining

Pheasant lettuce wraps

 

Handcrafted ice cream

The Pheasant Restaurant may look a little ho-hum on the outside, but it’s a

winning blend of creative and sophisticated on the inside with an oil and vinegar tasting room, a wine cellar and frequent live musicians. Fresh twists on comfort foods range from bison burgers with Thai flavorings and crisp pheasant salad wraps to homemade dulce de leche ice cream floating in a frosty, foamy mug of oatmeal stout. Daily ice cream flavors catapult past usual standards with combinations such as peach and Riesling sorbet, coffee ice cream with candied bacon and saffron ice cream with pistachios and pomegranate ripple.

Old Market Eatery

Coteau Cafe grilled cheese

Within view of the children’s museum and Brookings’ main street, Old Market Eatery and Bar serves refreshing salads, Mediterranean pitas, basil hummus, hand-cut market fries and desserts such as rhubarb upside down cake.

For the ultimate in kid-friendly dining, grab a seat in the sunny atrium of the children’s museum where the Coteau Caféserves grilled cheese sandwiches that look like owls, plus plenty of salads and pastas.

Need more info? Contact the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention Bureau,

605-692-6125.

Insider's guide to Mall of America holiday shopping

With more than 500 stores, free concerts and coffee plus valet parking, Mall of America bustles all December.

Enjoy MOA's festive Christmas season 

Feature & photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

If you’re want to brave the crowds for holiday shopping at Minnesota’s Mall of America, there are plenty of reasons to join in the festivities.

Mall of America's Disney store

Here’s what you should know to be a savvy holiday shopper at the Mall of America and to make the most of your experience.

Best bit of advice? Take a day or half-day off and make it fun. Why? Because some of the best services are Monday through Wednesday from 1 to 7 pm, which is this year’s MOA Holiday Happy Hour.

Make MOA parking easy:

If you can get your shopping done during Holiday Happy Hour,Mall of America offers free valet parking at the mall’s north entrance. Follow valet parking signs from 24^th Avenue. Valet parking also is available from 7 pm to closing Monday through Wednesday and 10 am to close Thursday through Sunday, but it costs $10.

Besides not needing to troll for a good parking spot, you can text the valet crew to get your car and have it warm and ready when you’re ready to go.

Grab free coffee

Hair salon at Mall of America's America Girl store.

Stop by one of five Caribou coffee locations in Mall of America and use the secret code (“Happy Hour”) for a free 12-ounce cup of coffee. It will give you the pick-up you need when shopping energy flags. If you’re really lucky, you might catch a surprise giveaway, free treats or gift cards given out by holiday helpers.

Sit with Santa

 Kids can visit Santa at the Sears Court from 9 or 10 am to 7 or 8 pm daily through Dec. 24 without any appointment. Avoid the 1 to 2 pm or 5 to 6 pm break times. You also can schedule a more intimate photo session with Santa through www.professorbellows.com.

Let the kids play Nintendo

 If you or your kids need a break or a distraction from the shopping hubbub, head to West Market Square for the Mall of America’s Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience. It’s a chance to try out its new 2DS, Wii U and 3DS XL, as well as sample new games.

Shop MOA, earn ride wristbands

 

If you spend $250 between late November and Dec. 24, you can earn two free wristbands good for all rides at Nickelodeon Universe. That, too, makes a great gift for grandkids. To get the Nickelodeon Universe wristbands, take receipts to the park’s north entrance. Wristbands must be used by Feb. 28, 2014.

Enjoy a new light show

 Grab a spot on the second or third floor overlooking Nickelodeon Universe to see the new Universe of Light show. The nine-minute presentation with lights, music and smoke effects runs at 7 pm and 9:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 7 and 10 pm Friday and Saturday and at 7 pm Sunday. Universe of Light is staged from Nickelodeon’s South Entrance.

Enjoy holiday songs and carols

Mall of America mirror maze

The Rotunda fills with music 10 am to 8 pm every Saturday throughout the holidays with a variety of school groups, church groups and professional musicians that make it festive to stop and take a break. You can grab seats in the Rotunda or watch from the upper levels that overlook it. Don’t miss registering to win a Goo Goo Dolls autographed Fender guitar and album or a necklace set courtesy of Chapel of Love.

Check for other MOA holiday events

There’s truly always something happening throughout December at the Mall of America, so check the events page. You can catch a booksigning by Minnesota Vikings legend Bud Grant, test out Anki DRIVE racing games, test out Canon’s PIXMA Facebook app or gather ideas for Bisquick holiday pancakes.

Read more about the Mall of America's top attractions and enjoying a memorable holiday here with children.

Duluth, Minn: Top Things to Do for Holiday Fun

Bentleyville lights up Duluth's Bayfront Park. Photo by Lisa MeClintick

Duluth, Minnesota, with the magical backdrop of Lake Superior, has always been a favorite summer and fall getaway for Twin Cities residents and others across the state.

If you need another enticement to head north, here are the top things to do for the holidays in Duluth. It’s a winning weekend getaway with its own Christmas train, a superb Christmas light show with Bentleyville, excellent shopping and the always scenic allure of Lake Superior. Here's a run-down of Duluth's best holiday events:

1.    Stroll through Bentleyville Tour of Lights.

“Five…four…three…two…ONE!”

With a visual whoosh, Bentleyville Tour of Lights lights up as a waiting crowd cheers. Three million lights in a carnival of colors transform damp foggy December evening at Duluth’s Bayfront Festival Park into a festive wonderland.

Duluth Christmas lights with Up North themes

Volunteers pass out cups of cocoa and cookies, and crowds amble forward through tunnels of lights to gaze at the 12-story tree that looms above Bentleyville. It occasionally flashed in patterns, pulsing to holiday music that ranges from acoustic guitar carols to Jimmy Durante’s “Frosty the Snowman.”

The Bentleyville light displays outgrew founder Nathan Bentley’s Esko home and debuted in Duluth in 2009. It takes more than 900 volunteers almost two months to set up decorations that fill nine semi-trailers.

Displays range from dinosaurs and erupting volcanoes to the Nativity scene and Noah’s Ark. There’s a distinctive Northern flair, as well, with Santa on snowmobile, ore tankers and tall ships, a dogsled team that seems to surge forward, fish and frogs that appear to jump from lakes and a moose and an elf that portage a canoe.

Nice surprise--halfway through Bentleyville you can roast marshmallows while wrapped in the warmth and wood smoke from several bonfires.

Duluth's shipping celebrated at Bentleyville.

Bentleyville opens the week of Thanksgiving and runs nightly through Dec. 26. It takes about 45 minutes to see the displays, but you’ll need at least an hour if you have kids under 10 who want to visit Santa. The first 15,000 kids receive free knit Bentleyville hats. Admission is free (including cookies, cocoa, popcorn and marshmallows), but monetary donations are welcome, as well as food or unwrapped toys. Nearby parking is $5.

2. Ride the holiday train

Duluth's 2012's Polar Express pulled into Fitger's.

A conductor yells “All Aboard!” and kids (sometimes in pajamas) scramble to climb into the illuminated train cars of North Shore Scenic Railroad. The event has been known as the Polar Express in the past few years, but includes a new story as the Christmas City Express in 2013. The journey begins with boarding at the landing below Fitger’s where you can hear Lake Superior’s waves. The train then rumbles to Duluth’s 1892 Depot. Inside the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, a Lionel model train set whirs to action and a full-size steam engine chugs to life, spewing smoke and blowing its whistle as kids gather for an interactive reading of the book, “The Christmas City Express.”

Each child gets to visit with Santa before heading back to cookies and cocoa at Fitger’s ($16/person; 1-800-423-1273; www.northshorescenicrailroad.com).

North Shore Scenic Railroad also runs trains from Fitger’s to Bentleyville several times a night for $6/person.

3. Kick off season with a parade

Duluth’s holiday events kick off with a Christmas City of the North Parade the Friday before Thanksgiving. The illuminated parade with about 70 units begins around 6:20 p.m. and heads up Lake Avenue.

A.G. Thomson House, Duluth.

4. Duluth mansions dress up for the holidays

December may be the best time to admire Duluth’s many mansions, a legacy of boom years when it claimed more millionaires per capita than anyplace in the United States. If you’re traveling without kids, you can stay in one of seven historic homes operating as Duluth's bed and breakfasts.

Each has its own charm and characteristics, but among our favorites are the Firelight Inn for its fireplace and spacious porch; A. G.Thomson House for its overall charm and hospitality and Olcott House for its unique music room. Solglimt offers another spectacular option with modern, artsy décor and fantastic location along the lake just past the Aerial Lift Bridge on Park Point Drive.

Firelight Inn B&B in Duluth.

5. Glensheen holiday tours

Glensheen Historic Estate, Duluth’s most famous mansion, opens for holiday tours through Jan. 5 with volunteers in period costumes and a self-guided tour that recreates a guest’s holiday visit to Glensheen in 1912. There’s a photo area also set up for families who want a memorable portrait and good excuse to wear fancy Christmas dresses.

6. Savor scenic slopes

Overlooking the city and the lake, Spirit Mountain offers 22 downhill ski runs and claims the Midwest’s largest terrain park. The resort also grooms 22 km of Nordic ski trails and tubing runs and operates the Timber Twister alpine coaster and double-seat Timber Flyer zipline year-round. Just be aware of the windchill.

Bentleyville

7. Hit the Edgewater Waterpark

Edgewater Resort and Waterparkprovides free bus shuttles to Bentleyville, and you also can board the Bentleyville train here. All rooms include passes to the tiki-themed activity pool, lazy river and slides, and you can pay extra for lakeside suites with balconies.

 8. Shop at Fitger’s and Canal Park

The easiest place to stay if you’re riding the train is Fitger’s Inn, a converted brewery above the tracks and overlooking the lake. The Fitger’s complex includes a few levels of boutique shopping, including a toy and book store, outdoorsy gear stores and women’s fashions. You’ll find more shops and a handful of impressive galleries at Canal Park, as well.

9. Learn about shipping

Ore tanker, Duluth, MN

If the lake hasn’t iced up—and chances are it won’t by early December—you can watch for iron ore tankers heading east from the Duluth Harbor. Let kids get behind the wheel in a pilothouse and explore the rich legacy of shipping at the free U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Maritime Museum.

10. Check out the new children’s museum

Check out the new location for the Duluth Children’s Museum, which moved from its location at the historic Depot to Clyde Park in 2012. It’s an up-and-coming area of the city with funky converted warehouses and lots of space for colorful, hands-on learning.

For more information and details, check out Visit Duluth.

St. Cloud-based Lisa Meyers McClintick wrote the guidebook “Day Trips from the Twin Cities” and “Minnesota Lake Vacations” mobile travel app.

Minnesota's northern lakeside resorts embrace bigger luxuries

Around since the 1930s, Clamshell Beach Lodge north of Brainerd has new luxuries--like newer cottages and a pool.

 

Minnesota cabins get bigger, modernize

By Lisa Meyers McClintick

My daughter jumps into the pool.

On a Minnesota resort trip last June, my 7-year-old daughter barely glanced at the sandy beach on Whitefish Lake north of Brainerd. Instead, she couldn't wait to cannonball into the pool and slurp a neon blue slushie at Clamshell Beach, a resort near Pequot Lakes, Minn.

With her focus on such pleasures, my daughter was benefiting from the gradual upscaling of Minnesota resorts. Many of them, established in the late 1920s through the 1930s, are evolving to meet expectations of modern vacationers.

They expect luxuries from heated pools to plush bedding. While the big resorts with deeper pocket books have been adding on for the last 15 years, many small, family-run resorts have also added perks and nudged up their level of convenience and service. The bonus: They often maintain a folksy mom-and-pop resort feel.

Meanwhile, Minnesota state parks are steadily adding camper cabins for those in the market for a lower-price, more rustic option.

 From cabins to two-story cottages

Cottage bedroom at Clamshell Beach Resort.

At Clamshell Beach, whose website boasts "lake cottage charm, luxurious amenities," a handful of original 1930s stucco cottages border the Whitefish Lake beach, but most guests want one of the Minnesota resort's spacious new cottages with second-story screened porches. Inside, large bathtubs, northwoods quilts and flat-screen TVs add to the comfort.

But still, there are the homey touches. A dry-erase board at Clamshell Beach Resort's main office welcomes guests personally and lists where they are from. An awning above the refreshment counter is made of dock planks, each autographed by guests and painted with scenes depicting their time at Whitefish Lake. It is dubbed the "Dock of Fame."

Dave Moe, who grew up at a resort near Park Rapids, and his wife, Lisa, purchased Clamshell Beach in 1997 and have methodically upgraded it, selling fractional ownership in the new cottages to fund the work.

Clamshell Beach Lodge and its Dock of Fame.

"It used to be people just wanted a bedroom and a bath and to look onto the lake," Moe said. "Things have evolved like any other industry. People have higher expectations for vacations because they have a limited amount of time."

Resorts expand and evolve

Statistics from Explore Minnesota show that an estimated 2,527 resorts in 1970 numbered only 1,400 by 1985. Today, the figure is down to about 880 resorts. In some cases, one resort may have expanded and absorbed another. The shift has resulted in destinations with more polish and space.

The average size of a mid-century home was 1,000 square feet. Today's average is more than twice that, Moe said. New vacation homes and cabins reflect that change.

According to Tom Proulx, who runs Big Sandy Lodge and Resort in McGregor, Minn., with his wife, Elisa, said that vacationers "want that Up North Minnesota rustic feel, but to be in the lap of luxury and have the best of both worlds."

The resort's nearly century-old Carefree Pines cabins were replaced with luxury lake homes fewer than 10 years ago. The 100-year-old lodge, with its original lobby fireplace, remains, as does one original cabin, albeit with a refurbished interior.

"It had so much character," Proulx said of their so-called Rustic Retreat. It lacks air conditioning, space is cozy and guests share a single bathroom, but that makes it perfect for some vacationers.

Sibley State Park near Willmar has added three camping cabins.

State parks upgrade camping experience

The most rustic of all cabins -- a camper cabin, with no plumbing -- has likewise boomed in popularity. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has built more than 40 camper cabins in the past four years, bringing the total to almost 80.

The DNR charges $45-$50 a night for the cabins, roughly a third of what resort cabins can cost.
Although guests must bring their own bedding and linens and cook most meals outdoors, a stay there doesn't require setting up a tent or trailer or maneuvering an RV. The cabins offer a solid shelter with four bunks that sleep five to six people, plus screened porches, a table and chairs, and heat that makes them popular year-round.

Newer ones include lights and outlets at each bunk for plugging in smartphones.
A survey of the DNR's new reservation system shows cabins book quickly on weekends. It's best to make reservations at least six months in advance and a year ahead for holidays.

"They're beautiful cabins," said Dana Banks, who stayed at a newer one in Sibley State Park near New London for a family gathering during Mother's Day weekend. "It's a nice place for people who don't have campers but still want to get away."

For more photos and details of northern Minnesota resorts and destinations, check out Minnesota Lake Vacations, a mobile travel app, or Day Trips from the Twin Cities, a new guidebook available in August 2012. 

Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Family travel tips for MSP Airport

Plan ahead during the busiest travel times

It's the busiest time of year for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) as Minnesota families head out for the holidays or spring break. It's wise to arrive at least two hours early for your flight, even if it's domestic and there are no threats of snow storms.

Another way to make travel go more smoothly is to download MSP's airport app through the goHow airport series. It just added Android capability this week, in addition to previously offered iPhone and Blackberry applications. The MSP airport app offers:

• Up-to-date information about flight and gate check-in times directly from the airport and from FlightStats™, providing full domestic and international flight coverage
• Real-time flight updates and airport operational alerts via push notifications
• Real-time parking and security line wait times, where available
• Weather information for both departure and arrival cities
• Promotions customized to the traveler’s gate location, time of day and departure/arrival cities
• Real-time ratings of airport concessionaires and facilities – and the ability for travelers to add their own.
  

In addition to goHow native applications for BlackBerry, iPhone, and now, Android, goHow is also available as a mobile-friendly web site at http://www.goHowWeb.com <http://www.gohowweb.com/> .
Here are some other tips to make everything go more smoothly: 

Be ready for security

Double check that you have everything well-organized for security points with the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. Go to www.tsa.gov for specifics and exceptions such as baby formula and medicines. Put kids in easy-to-remove shoes so you're not held up tying shoelaces. It's hard enough to be collapsing strollers and taking kids out of carriers.

Travel light

Know your airline’s luggage weight and size restrictions. Everyone does seem to fudge the carry-on rules these days. You, too, may get away with it, but you also run the risk of being trapped in the aisle with no place to put a roller bag. If the crew does need to check your bag due to a lack of space, there is some consolation in not paying the check-in fee. Keep all your essentials in a bag you can fit beneath a seat.

Have documents ready

Print boarding passes at home and have identification double-checked and handy. Keep them with other documents on reservations, car rentals and maps. If you are a Delta Air Lines customer flying out of gates C10 through C27, G14 through G22 or Concourses A or B, check your bags at the Delta counter on Level T and take the tram to Checkpoint 10  midway on the C/G Concourse Connector Bridge. Concourses A & B are the longest walk. Take the tram until you reach the end of the line. 

Be assured of parking

I usually use Park 'N Fly (www.parknfly.com), but it may fill up on busy weeks. Make a reservation online to assure a space and get a better rate. If you're parking at the airport, use SurePark® to check  availability (www.mspairport.com/parking/surepark). You can save $4 over parking at the Lindbergh Terminal by using the lot at Terminal 2, the Humphrey Terminal.  Reach the main terminal with a free ride on the light rail transit line.

Bring tippy cups and empty bottles

Don't get stuck paying $3 for a huge bottle of water. Bring normal-sized but empty bottles through security. You can fill them at drinking fountains and add a drink mix to flavor it if you want. If you have any kids under 5 with you, free drinks on the flight are not worth it when flailing hands and knees inevitably sends cups flying into your lap or someone else's. I've worn tomato juice spilled by an adult. It isn't pretty.

Pack a meal
If you have room in your carry-ons, stash a packed lunch. Even if you want to eat at the airport, it's a wise backup in case of delays on the runway or long restaurant lines during busy flying weeks. Baby carrots or pea pods, peanut butter and jelly on a denser bread, single-pack Pringles, granola or energy bars, dried fruit, apples and nuts all pack well and can take a little beating.


Get more info
Stay up to date on airport info with Twitter (follow mspairport). If you download the goHow Airport app you can also peruse menus for full service restaurants.
--Lisa Meyers McClintick

Take the kids on a farm stay vacation

Mary Veraguth helps our girls collect fresh eggs for breakfast.

Story & Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Join in with farm chores and fun at Wisconsin's Room to Roam

Want to hear your kids shriek with joy? Let them run loose at Room to Roam, a working farm perched along the picturesque Mississippi River bluffs near Fountain City, Wis. 

Katie and her favorite kitty.

You can wear them out the old-fashioned way: chasing chickens, scampering after farm cats and dogs, weeding and raiding the garden, picking berries and giving goats a fresh green stalk of corn.

We enjoyed their down-home hospitality on our son's 8th birthday a few years ago. It was one of our most memorable trips ever. In an era of waterparks and fancy resorts, it's easy to forget the freedom and magic of a simple place in the country.

Farm expands to haycation fun
Guests are free to do what they want, but some are up at 5 a.m. when farm kitchen’s bird clock chirps and announces the day’s first milking. They can head down the dirt road to owner Jess and Mary Veraguth’s farm, where they milk about 50 cows, four at a time for two to three hours. 

Jess shows us how to feed calves.

Veraguths have farmed on this land above the Mississippi River Valley for four generations. When they expanded to 300 acres about 15 years ago, they opened the adjacent farmhouse to guests. It became the Room to Roam experience, which bales together a field trip, farmer’s market and country vacation.

Step back in time
The guest house feels like a time warp with crocheted knick-knacks and bright flowered wallpaper in the kitchen. And it wasn't just the farm-inspired fun that made them shriek. The house's crickets did, too--the one part of country life that rattled our city kids. They wouldn't sleep on the floor, so they passed out in a pile of three on the bed.

Piled together, safe from crickets.

After morning chores and a break for breakfast, Jess Veraguth takes guests on a hayride, bumping through the fields past lush stalks of corn to the edge of the bluff and a breathtaking view of the river valley. It’s only a few minute’s drive to Winona, Minn., or the small town of Fountain City where you can grab an ice cream cone and enjoy meandering along the Mississippi.


Feed calves, collect freshly laid eggs

When evening rolls around, families hold on to two-quart bottles of milk that hungry calves greedily empty in minutes. Then it’s time to collect a bucket of eggs from Black Star hens. 

We loved the brilliant yellow eggs for breakfast.

Guests are welcome to raid the garden, too. Our girls would eat the sun-warmed tomatoes like apples while our son climbed the super-sized round bales of hay.

The peaceful country setting and heavy dose of nostalgia keeps several families coming back regularly. For others, the farm offers a rare chance for kids to roam free, feel connected to the land and to learn about farming in an era when the county’s number of dairy farms has dwindled from 50 to a handful.

“I do this for the kids,” says Jess Veraguth. “The things we’re doing now are almost part of the past. This is like a trip back in time.”

Room to Roam's guest house.

Read more about it
 For more information, you can call Jess and Mary at 608-687-8575. No e-mail. Remember, they do things the old-fashioned way.
You can also watch KARE-11's recent Gopher Getaway on the farm or go to Farmstays.us.com for more information. If you want a farm experience for your family, read the entries at Farmstays.us.com carefully. Many places run more like a B&B and do not allow kids under 12.

Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, SD, has onsite camping

More farm vacation experiences for families

South Dakota also has two excellent farm experiences for families. The bonus? They let kids follow in the footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

You'll need to be a camping family or game for sleeping in converted sheep wagons at the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, S.D. Sleeping in the wagons are on my wish list, especially with the gorgeous wide-open prairie views. You could see a storm roll in for miles or watch a fabulous sunset. 

Sisters get in the spirit of DeSmet's Wilder Pageant.

Little House on the Prairie

Of course, you don't have to spend the night to enjoy this magical place. It's open all day to visitors who come to see the horses and colts, ride in a horse-drawn buggy, see a sod house, play with kittens and visit a one-room schoolhouse. There are more Laura Ingalls Wilder sites in town, along with two B&Bs. Prairie House Manor B&B does a delightful job with children, even making special pancakes from "Little House in the Big Woods."

Camp in a wagon at the Homestead.

For a non-camping farm experience, it's about 25 miles to Possibility Farm B&B in Carpenter, South Dakota. It has many of the same experiences as Room to Roam, but it's more of a ranch atmosphere. 

If you're looking for more inspiration for hands-on, unique "Trips You'll Talk About," check out the feature in Midwest Living.