Our Little House on the Prarie at Golden Gate National Park

The girls had a mid-term break for a few days and we packed up and headed for Golden Gate National Park, it is in the Free State Province, about 4 hours from our house.   Our neighbors had told us about this cool farmhouse you can rent inside the park.  It was set way back off the main road, between some beautiful hills.  We saw tons of animals on the road to the farmhouse. 

That's the farmhouse in the back, no neighbors here!

We unpacked and enjoyed checking out the cool house, it had a wood burning stove and cool antique furniture throughout.  

Katie in the farmhouse kitchen.  

Charlie plays dominoes with his sisters and LOVES it!

There were amazing hikes inside the park, this one was to Echo Ravine.

We loved hanging out in the cozy farmhouse at night, playing scrabble and reading stories, we cooked in the big "braii" area outside.  

Charlie running back to the house.

No heat, other than the stove but we discovered electric blankets and they kept us toasty in the night, although it was warm during the day, at night it was chilly due to the altitude.

After a big breakfast we headed to a Basuto Cultural Village and had low expectations because the last one we went to in Lesotho didn't have much to see, we were pleasantly surprised by all we could see and do in this village!

After we had "permission" to enter the village, Greg got to drink a traditional beer beverage with the Chief.  He wasn't looking for a take home bottle so I don't think it was that tasty!

Then Greg got dressed in traditional clothing of the Chief and Charlie was so excited to hold the spear.

In the hut of the "First Wife" I was dressed in traditional garb, the kids were laughing and saying I never would have made it due to the hot clothing, I would have melted if I had to wear them for a day, much less every day.  A Chief had 3 wives, the first was chosen by the community, then the first wife chose the second wife, then the Chief got to choose his third wife.  (Greg was not a fan of this thinking, he feels one wife is enough to handle!)  We also visited the medicine man, who the girls said looked like the guy in the "Thrift Shop" video, I sadly forgot to snap a picture, but he really did look like the video!

I was too chicken to ask the medicine man the question I really wanted to... I'm reading this amazing book called Apes and Ivory written in the 1950's by a South African woman who was the wife of the British Admiral assigned to Cape Town.  She had a chapter on the people of Lesotho and as recent as the 1950's human sacrifice was still occurring if the medicine man told you that was what you needed to do to solve your problems.  I hope that tradition been phased out!

Here is Katie grinding toasted corn, we got to taste it and it was pretty good!

There was great scenery and overlooks in the park, this one is of the view of the Drakensberg Mountains where we plan to go on a future trip.  This is Greg teaching the kids to yell, "The South Will Rise Again".  (that should make Papa Hughes proud)

After the village we went to a charming village of today, called Clarens.  It was a beautiful little town with a town square and a park in the center of town.  Lots of little shops and restaurants, here is the view from our dinner place where Brad Pitt and Prince Harry stayed when they came to Clarens.

On our final morning we all got to go for an amazing horse ride, all of us went even little Charlie who didn't like going downhill and we did a lot of ups and downs.  The freakiest part was when we rode to the top of ridge and the horses walked along that for a bit, you had to have a ton of faith in your surefooted horse!

 Coming down the ridge...Katie was in the lead, then me, then Kelly, Charlie, Greg.

Cowboy Charlie about to descend the last bit and cross the little river. 

It was a great trip with beautiful scenery and good adventures!  The Hughes family gives Golden Gate Highlands very high marks!