A Fulfilling Weekend Away

Hopefully better late than never with today’s post! 🙂 Recently I returned home after a few days away. There’s something about a a road trip and a little break in routine that refreshes the spirits, don’t you agree?

First, my husband and I set out for Pipestone, MN, which is about four hours from home. On our way, we found ourselves driving along the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway and had to make a stop to see the site of the original Ingalls family dugout home outside Walnut Creek.

In Pipestone, I gave a talk about books, research, and writing at the lovely Meinders Community Library. There my husband and I met several kind and friendly people (and forgot to take any photos).

After that, we continued on to Freeman, South Dakota to attend our second Smeckfest, a “tasting festival” that celebrates the heritage and food of the Mennonite Germans from Russia who settled in the area in the late 19th century. My husband is from a Mennonite background, and enjoyed the opportunity to reacquaint himself with favorite foods of his childhood. We tried sausages, twin zwieback buns, poppy-seed rolls, kuchen, pluma moos, and much more.

We also attended a workshop on making German apple tarts (variously called Prieshke, Pirishki, etc.) which included sampling the finished product. Yum!

For me, the highlight was attending the top-notch musical put on by the town. This year they performed “Bright Star,” a poignant but ultimately uplifting story written by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin). Tears, laughter, and much toe-tapping ensued, as the bluegrass music as well as the performances were excellent.

Soon it was time to make our way home, and we visited a few relatives on the way back. It was a short but sweet getaway that left my tank filled–literally and figuratively!

What was the last road trip you took?