Great Family Vacation!

Just got back from a few days in the midwest. Here's what we did at-a-glance, then I'll get into details.

Saturday: Arrived St. Louis late and stayed near airport at Hilton.

Sunday: Gateway Arch in St. Louis. St. Louis Temple and church. Dinner cruise on the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri. Arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois, late Sunday night.

Monday: Baptisms for dead, Nauvoo sightseeing, evening show.

Tuesday: More Nauvoo, endowment session at temple, Carthage, Sister Wives sighting and evening show.

Wednesday: More Nauvoo, last-minute souvenirs and Pappy's BBQ in St. Louis.

Thursday: Home at 1:00 am

First of all, I love leaving for a vacation in the late afternoon. It makes for a restful morning. There were a couple of changes to our itinerary that could have been disastrous if it weren't for luck and Heavenly Father helping us. Our layover in Denver was 1 hour shorter than anticipated, but we didn't realize it until I looked at a boarding pass while we were eating. We inhaled our food and made the flight to St. Louis. We then took a shuttle to the Hilton and enjoyed an evening there.

Sunday morning, Keenan went to get the rental car while the kids and I got ready for the day. We headed to the Gateway Arch first. We had tickets for an 11:00 am ascent. Melia did NOT want to go. She kept looking at the arch and wondering if she could do it. It actually wasn't scary. I am not a fan of heights, but wanted to go up. You enter a small pod-type thing that holds 5 people. There are 8 pods that travel up a chain in the arch to the top. You exit the pod and walk on the top. It is curved. The windows up there are small enough that it's not scary to look out them at all. I remember well going to the top of the World Trade Center in 1981 and that was scary. It had ceiling to floor windows and that was unsettling for someone who doesn't like heights. We could see Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals were playing.

THE ARCH!

Allie, me and Kamiko waiting in line to go up in arch.

Kamiko and Allie goofing around

Kamiko and Melia. Melia does NOT want to go up there!

Melia, Allie and Kamiko in pod that takes you up in arch. Again, Melia doesn't want to go!

At the top. Melia is still unsure.

Melia, Kamiko, Keenan and Allie at top of arch.

me and Kamiko at top of arch

Busch Stadium - the Cardinals were playing that day.
Lots of red shirts at the arch.

more from atop the arch

more from atop the arch

After that, we grabbed a quick snack before going to church. We then drove by the temple and headed to Hannibal, hometown of Mark Twain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. We got to Hannibal around 4:15 and most shops and museums closed at 5. We didn't get to see much inside, but took pictures outside of Mark Twain's boyhood home and we walked up to the lighthouse to see the view of the river. It was really fun. Boy, was it hot and humid, though. We had reservations for a 6:30 dinner cruise on the Mississippi. That was a highlight. It was a one-time-through buffet with chicken, roast beef, green beans, rolls, salad, and macaroni salad. They also served a nice brownie dessert. Dinner was over by 7:30 and we enjoyed the sights as we cruised up and down the Mississippi for an hour. It was lovely and relaxing. We got some great pictures. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, too. There was even a live jazz band that played on the boat. It was run by a family. The dad has been captain of the cruise for 35 years. Mom takes reservations and runs gift shop. The daughter waited on us and was a sweetheart. Has been working in family business since she was 10 years old.

Melia, Allie and Kamiko goof around in a museum. Whitewashing a fence.

Riverboat wheel in museum

Me and Keenan

Allie and Melia ready to join Becky, Tom Sawyer's friend

the Mighty Mississippi

Walking up the trail to the lighthouse...Allie, Kamiko and Melia

the lighthouse

Kamiko, Allie and Melia made it!

Cute yard on trail to lighthouse.

Boarding our riverboat

The price paid for all this greenery...HUMIDITY!

Sunset on the Mississippi

cooling off in front of Mark Twain's home

Keenan, Kamiko, Allie, Melia and me in front of Twain's home

again...Mark Twain's home

Old Downtown Hannibal

Allie and Melia enjoying their dinner

Me, Keenan and Kamiko also enjoyed the dinner

enjoying the deck of the boat

cute little mel

Hannibal

what Melia and Allie did on the boat

What Keenan did on the boat

What Kamiko did on the boat

We got a bit lost trying to get back on the freeway to head to Nauvoo. We really should have brought an atlas. Next road trip, I will make sure I have necessary maps. Got to Nauvoo around 11:00, after stopping in Keokuk, Iowa, to purchase some food. We had heard that there wasn't much in the way of food in Nauvoo, so we got cookies, fruit cups, bread, peanut butter, jam, etc. at the Super Walmart there. We stayed at the Hotel Nauvoo. It was a home built in 1840. We had a great family-sized suite with two very large rooms. One room had a TV and a couple of recliners in addition to two large beds. The kids had that room. Keenan and I shared the other room, which had two beds (one we used to put stuff on) and the bathroom. That way, we could get up early and not bother the kids as we got dressed, showered, etc. It was a nice little place. Glad we chose to stay in an historic building.

Monday began our Nauvoo experience. I fell in love with that place all over again. I had last been in 1981 with my mom and dad, Kris, Jen, and Karen. We had an appointment for baptisms for the dead at 12:30. I knew we would be tired and wanting to get a later start. We had a really nice time in the temple. Since it was early June, the big crowds hadn't come yet and we were the only ones in the baptistry. A member of the temple presidency came and shared a very inspirational story about how Heavenly Father helps guide us, just as he helped the pioneers. He was a convert at 18 and Elders Quorum President at 24. He had been challenged to get 100% home teaching for the quorum and they worked really hard to reach the goal. The last day of the month, he realized he hadn't visited a less-active family to which he was assigned. They never let him make appointments and he would just have to show up. Well, they had told him they were moving a couple of miles away. When he went to their home around 9 pm, the house was empty. They had already moved. He didn't know the new address; just the general direction. So, he remembered how the Lord had guided the early saints and figured He would guide him, too. He got in his car and prayed. He said he would drive straight ahead until prompted to turn right or left. He did find the family. Their truck was parked in the driveway of their new home. He was able to visit them. He said he later wondered if he had found the place himself. He even traced his steps the next day, only to find that the route he had taken was the shortest possible route to their home. He knew he had been led.

After the temple, we took a wagon ride tour of the town. There were tons of May flies by the river. I mean tons! I guess they were a few weeks late. It's June now. It was good to get our bearings and figure out what we wanted to do next. After the tour, we went to the blacksmith shop, bakery, brick maker, etc. We grabbed dinner at Wendy's in Keokuk, then came back to watch "Sunset by the Mississippi" a show outside, followed by the BYU Ballroom Dance Team. They were touring and were in Nauvoo. It was a great day.

In front of Joseph and Emma's home. Emma died here.

Joesph and Emma's first home in Nauvoo

This is where we saw the sister wives...in front of Joesph Smith home

Hyrum, Joseph and Emma graves

Jospeh Smith, Sr., and Lucy Mack Smith graves

Melia holding her bottle of yummy root beer

window in Carthage Jail

Door to room in Carthage Jail 

Allie, me, Melia, Kamiko and Keenan outside of Carthage Jail

Relief Society...outside of home where the idea started (Sarah Granger Kimball)

Melia, Kamiko and Allie...see Temple in background

Home of Sarah Granger Kimball

Keenan and kids in front of temple

our awesome hotel

We had the room on the top right.

Allie's evening ritual...hot chocolate in common room 

Mel and Allie make hot chocolate

walking up stairs to our room

the kid side of the suite

Allie and Kamiko enjoy treats while watching TV

I can't believe I took this! Allie and I were on a walk to old Nauvoo on our last day

Brigham Young Home

John Taylor Home

Kamiko never could figure out what to do with the lottery ticket he bought in Missouri.
He learned early in life that gambling is dumb.

Tuesday had the best weather...not too humid, light breeze off the river, and about 80 degrees. It was a great day to walk around. Keenan and I went to a 9 am session at the temple. We saw some of the missionaries we had seen the day before in the temple. We also found Sherie Ritchie's in-laws, who are serving a mission there. That temple is so lovely. It had furnishings reminiscent of the period and was decorated in shades of greens and yellows. My kind of color scheme. When we got back to the hotel, the kids were pretty much ready to go. We made sandwiches and headed out. We first went to the trail of hope and read quotes from saints who travelled west. I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to look back on the beautiful city that they had built and to leave it all behind, and in the winter! I kept thinking of that. The saints had such peaceful and prosperous years in Nauvoo, then had to leave it all. So sad.

While driving to go on a tour of Community of Christ properties, we turned a corner and there was the family that stars in TLC's "Sister Wives" TV show. It follows a polygamist family that lives in Las Vegas. I guess they were visiting their roots, too, although I'm not sure I want everyone to know they share our roots. It was funny to see them and their camera crew. Who would have thought we would see them in Nauvoo? I guess they were in Hannibal the day before. Crazy.

We then went to Joseph Smith's home and store. They are owned by the Community of Christ church, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our guide was a nice young lady who begins graduate school in the fall. She gave a good tour, but it's too bad the spirit isn't part of her presentation or a testimony. It's a contrast that even the kids noticed. They wondered why the tour was so "weird." It was something special to see where Joseph and Emma lived, their store, etc.

We then went to Carthage and had a tour of the jail there. There is a very nice visitors center there and the grounds are beautifully landscaped. It was interesting to tour the jail and sad to see the room where Hyrum and Joseph were killed. I think the kids enjoyed the experience. It is certainly memorable to be in those important places. We got pizza in Keokuk on our way back to Nauvoo and got back just in time to catch the show put on by the Senior Missionaries, called "Nauvoo Rendezvous." That was funny. It's so cute to see the missionaries put their heart and soul into all they do there. What a service they provide! From the missionaries in the temple, to the tour guides to the shows. They work all day.

Wednesday was our last day. Kamiko still wanted to see some homes in Nauvoo before we left for St. Louis and I'm really glad we did. We saw John Taylor's home and Brigham Young's home. The missionaries told some really inspirational and heart-warming stories. John Taylor had a beautiful home that they only lived in for 10 months before having to leave. He was quite a good woodworker. When they left Nauvoo and got camped on the other side of the river, his young son cried because he had to leave behind the rocking horse that his father had made him. Even though it was a great risk, with President Taylor being a church leader, he went back into town to their home and retrieved the rocking horse. They drove all they way to SLC with the rocking horse tied to the outside of their wagon. Sweet story of a dad prophet. The woman who gave us the tour of Brigham Young's home was really touching. You could tell she loved that home. The last room was a later addition that Brigham built after the death of Joseph Smith. It had access from the outside for visitors. In that room was where the twelve apostles made decisions to lead the church and to head west. Those who held the priesthood keys carried on the work that Jospeh Smith had begun. It has continued in this manner with the passing of each prophet. We are fortunate.

We drove back to St. Louis, with some missteps. Again, I will bring a map next time. We had just enough time to pick up lunch at Pappy's BBQ, a famous spot in St. Louis. We flew to Denver, had a layover, then got to SLC around 10:45. Unfortunately, it took about 50 min for the bag that we had checked to come through. We got home around 1:00 am on Thursday. Now life is back to normal. The house is clean, laundry done and suitcases put away. Time to get back to running, pulling weeds, groceries, jobs, etc.