Nauvoo

We just returned from our big trip to Nauvoo. Sometime in the winter, Lauren said she wished we could go visit Aunt Karen in Michigan. We started talking about it and decided we would go to Nauvoo instead and see if we could meet Aunt Karen there. We had a great trip. We caravaned with our friends the Boyds (who also happen to live across the street from us.)

Denver

We drove to Denver the first day. We stopped and ate at the Denver Aquarium. You actually eat right by the big fish tanks (see photo). It was pretty fun, but the food wasn’t very good.


Independence

The second day we drove across Kansas. Not much to see there, but Ryan really liked all of the wind farms we saw there. That night we arrived in Independence, Missouri. We were all pretty tired, but decided to go to the visitors center. The missionaries were really nice, but we probably needed the fifteen minute tour rather than the hour tour. (The picture to the left is of the visitors center.)

The next day we went back to the visitors center area, but went to several historic sites of other churches. Directly across the street from the LDS visitors center is the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS) temple. On the first floor is a museum containing artifacts from early Church history. They have some original portraits of Joseph and Emma Smith. They also have some of the printer’s manuscript for the Book of Mormon. It was pretty cool to see the manuscript with editors marks on it. While we were at the museum, we ran into Dennis Christensen (Derek's cousin) passing through from Oklahoma. It's a small world. The RLDS temple is a pretty unique looking building (photo at right.) We also went across the street to the temple lot. We talked to one of the Hendrickite Apostles (Church of Christ Temple Lot) who was pretty bent on telling us where the LDS Church went astray. It is interesting to think that we share an origin with these other churches. It is also interesting to see how confused some people can get when it comes to doctrine.

Liberty

We then headed to Liberty to see the Liberty Jail. There is definitely a different spirit at the LDS sites than some of the other sites. The picture at the left is the kids in front of Liberty Jail. In Liberty, we also watched a movie called “Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration.” It is a pretty powerful movie about the life of Joseph Smith.




Far West / Adam Ondi Ahmen

After Liberty, we drove up to Far West to the temple site there. The picture to the right is of us at Farr West. We didn’t spend too much time there, but it was neat to see some of the sites that you read about in Church History. The clouds were gathering and looking ominous while we were at Farr West. We headed out to Adam Ondi Ahmen. By the time we got there, the skies had opened up and we were in a torrential downpour. We weren’t able to get out of the car because it was raining so hard. We stopped by an Amish village called Jamesport where we bought some excellent apple pie and cinnamon rolls.

Hannibal

We then headed to Hannibal, Missouri - the boyhood home of Mark Twain. Saturday we spent going to museums related to Mark Twain. We took some pictures in front of the white-washed fence that inspired Tom Sawyer.

Hannibal is right on the Mississippi River and was very hot and humid. For the afternoon, we went back to our hotel and went swimming. Lauren lives to swim, so she was in the height of her glory.

Later in the afternoon we went on a riverboat ride. It wasn't a real paddle-wheel riverboat. It had a diesel motor, but it was still fun even though it was hot. Where we were standing was underwater two weeks before we were there because of the flooding in the midwest.

Carthage

We went to church the next morning in Hannibal and then headed up to Carthage. The Church has done a great job restoring the Carthage Jail and grounds. There really is a great spirit there. It was really neat to be in the actual room that Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot. It is amazing that there is still so much original stuff left from the jail. It is cool that they have the actual door with the bullet holes still in it.
Mark in front of the window Joseph Smith fell out of.

We were going to meet the Sumpters in Nauvoo, but as we were walking up to the visitor’s center, we ran into them.

Nauvoo

After Carthage, we made the short drive up the road to Nauvoo. When we pulled up to our condo in Nauvoo, it was 99 degrees with about 90% humidity. It was miserable. Luckily the visitors center was air conditioned. We went there in the afternoon. There were lots of good Nauvoo information, exhibits and a movie at the visitors center. Just outside of the visitors center was a sunstone from the original Nauvoo Temple.

For those who haven't been to Nauvoo, it is hard to imagine what a central focus the temple is for the city. You can see the temple from almost anywhere in Nauvoo. It is a beautiful building. The day after we arrived, we left the little kids with the older kids and went through a session in the temple. While we were sitting in the chapel waiting for our session to start, Marsha leaned over and said, "I can't believe I am actually sitting in the Nauvoo Temple." The picture to the right is of us and the Sumpters after our session. After our session, John Boyd and I brought the older kids to do baptisms for the dead. The Boyds have twins that are Mark's age. We had some family names from Marsha's parents to perform the baptisms and confirmations for. It was a great experience to do baptisms and confirmations in the Nauvoo Temple with Mark for people that he is related to.
Later that day we went to the Family Living Center that demonstrated several skills that people living in Nauvoo in the 1800’s would need to have. We learned about rope making (pictured), barrel making, bread making, candle making, weaving and a few other interesting skills. Ryan loved, loved, loved the rope making. He still has his rope that he plays with at home. We also got a picture of Marsha jumping rope with the rope we made. We then went to a bakery and to the Masonic lodge that had the original floor from when Joseph Smith was there. As a side note, the kids did great on the trip. They traveled really well and they were remarkably patient when it came to having to sit through lectures and tours that might not have been their first choice. The picture to the left shows the excitement on Lauren's face about having to learn about how candles are made.

That night we went to a performance called Sunset by the Mississippi. All of the missionaries in the area do some singing and dancing and other performances (playing the saw and hose-a-phone just to name a few). Can't you just see Mom and Dad doing something like this? We heard that this is one of the most entertaining shows in Nauvoo. Before the show starts, they have a children’s parade. Joseph and I marched in the parade. We were a little late and were the last ones in line. Marsha said Joe was really cute marching in the parade but we don't have pictures of it. The show certainly was entertaining. The picture to the left shows Ryan and Samantha Boyd dancing along with the cloggers that were dancing on the stage behind them. Just as we were getting to the best parts, it started raining and the rest of the show was called off. We did get to see some impressive lightning that the kids really liked.



Tuesday we walked the Trail of Hope. As the Saints were driven out of Nauvoo, they walked down Parley Street to the Mississippi river. All along Parley Street they have plaques set up with quotes from the people as they were leaving. It was cool to read all of the quotes. About half way along the route we stopped for a ride in an ox cart. The little boys really loved that. They also loved throwing rocks into the Mississippi River at the end of the Trail of Hope.











After the Trail of Hope, we went on a tour of the Mansion House, the Joseph Smith Home, the Smith Family Cemetery (where Joseph and Hyrum are buried) and the Red Brick Store that are owned by the Community of Christ church (formerly RLDS.) It was neat to see some of these places that I have read about in Church History, but I think the LDS church could have done so much more with the sites.

We stopped by the brick yard to see how bricks were made back then and got souvenir Nauvoo brick. We also went to the John Browning Home and gun shop. There were some impressive displays of some of the early guns invented by John Browning (of Browning Gun fame also a member of the church.)

Tuesday night we went to the Nauvoo Pageant. We got there early for the pre-pageant festivities. They had lots of pioneer activities set up. You could try sawing a log with an old-timey saw, pull hand carts, learn dances of the time, do sack races, pitch horse shoes, play stick ball, go to a puppet show and several other activities. I took Joseph to several of the exhibits. He loved the pioneer games the best. Then I took Ryan to some of the exhibits. He liked sawing logs the best. The pageant was well done. It was nice to let the kids see some of the history of the church through the play. They incorporated actual quotes and stories from church history into the pageant. Craig and Jill Adams and their family in our ward (pictured) were in the pageant. It was fun to see them there too.

Wednesday morning we packed up and went to a few other attractions that we hadn’t seen yet. We went to the tin smith, the post office and the printing office. I was very impressed by the printing office. I think the kids really enjoyed it too.

Council Bluffs / Winter Quarters

We drove across Iowa and stayed in Council Bluffs. We went to the Kanesville Tabernacle the next morning. This was the place Brigham Young was ordained the second prophet of the church. We then went to Winter Quarters (in Omaha) – the place where many of the pioneers spent the first winter after leaving Nauvoo. There were some really touching exhibits there. I think the kids really enjoyed that visitor’s center.


We drove across Nebraska and most of Wyoming that afternoon. We stayed in Sidney, Wyoming that night. We drove the rest of the way home the next day. It sure was nice to get back to our house. We had a great trip and are glad we did it.

Miscelaneous Photos

Below are some more photos that are fun, but didn't really fit into the narrative.


Lauren eating pioneer bread (top) Ryan driving the wagon (bottom)



Lauren trying on hats in the Mark Twain Riverboat gift shop



Ryan loved the water towers along the way. (We don't have many in Utah for some reason.) He would be entertained for hours in the car by watching for the next water tower. We took pictures of several water towers at his request.






Joseph was very intent on writing one night in the hotel. He was cracking us up, so we took some pictures of him.











Top: Carthage jail and well (Top window is the one Joseph Smith fell out of)
Bottom: Lunch at Carthage. We ate most of our meals picnic style on the road.







Ryan fell asleep inside his pillow one night.










Here we are actually riding the ox cart. Our group was big enough that we had to make two trips.



The Sumpters walking the Trail of Hope. They are reading a plaque just in front of the ox ride area.










Top: Ryan and Joe in front of the Mansion House
Bottom: Ryan in front of the gun smith




Top: Lindseys and Sumpters in front of the Wilford Woodruff home
Bottom: Lindseys and Boyds by the Joseph and Hyrum statue in front of the temple




Top: Ryan and Joseph driving a wagon
Bottom: For you Brian Regan fans out there



Ryan (top) and Joseph (bottom) pulling the handcart.
We end with various pictures of the Nauvoo Temple.