- Joined
- Apr 11, 2021
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 15
I just finished a two-week trip with the family (my wife and our four daughters) in a 1980 Saratoga SP. It was the most ambitious airplane travel we have undertaken to date. We departed from Dayton, OH, and flew out to stay with other family near Cut Bank, Montana. On the way back we made a planned stop at Wilder Airport (6E5) in De Smet, SD. Our daughters are huge fans of the "Little House on the Prairie" books. Although the television series was set in MN and filmed in CA, the Ingalls lived in several places to include De Smet. If you are looking for action or adventure or opulence, this is not the destination for you. But it was a very family friendly place and we all enjoyed it. The airport is about 3 miles from town. We got a ride to the hotel from Kingsbury County Transit. The airport is a small affair with no fuel but the runway was is great condition. The Ingalls sites in town are mostly within walking distance. You will need a ride to get to the homestead. It is on the location of the original homestead but none of the buildings are original. There are a lot of activities for the kids. It's beyond walking distance so you will need to get a ride there. Before I had a chance to call the county transit the lady at the motel loaned us her car for a day! As we were about to depart she added, "I think I left my purse in the front seat, can you bring it in for me?" Got to love those midwest values! One day was enough time to see the homestead and the few things in town. I am glad we stopped and my girls loved it. As a bonus, when we departed early the next morning we did a couple circles around the homestead and then followed (in reverse) the trail that the Ingalls family took from their previous home in Walnut Grove, MN. Of course it only took us about 30 minutes. It was a very satisfying way to harness the opportunities provided by GA. I doubt I would have driven all the way out of my way had we been in the minivan, but it was a very convenient stop that was close to our route of travel between OH and MT.
