Road trip 2012 - That's a wrap!

We traveled home via Pennsylvania-Ohio-Indiana-Illinois-Iowa-Nebraska-Wyoming-Utah.

 

In the middle we took part of a day to see some historic Mormon sights at Carthage and Nauvoo.

 

 

We visited the jail where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother were killed. 

 

Here is the room they were in when the mob attacked.

 

 

Joseph was shot through this window.

 

 

He fell to the ground outside near this well.  I appreciated hearing the service missionaries tell more detail than I previously knew and I'm glad the kids could see and feel the reality of the sacred ground on which we stood.  I am forever grateful to the prophet and all he endured for the Church.

 

 

Here are the kids in front of the (new) Nauvoo Temple.

And, back on the road. We made it to Nebraska and then Wyoming (with all its lovely scenery) before arriving home.

 

 

What will I miss?

 

 

 

The dozens of bridges we saw and crossed.  Plus the hills and the farms and the trees and the rivers. 

 

Playing the role of navigator

 

 

 

 

Happening upon new and exciting cities on the journey

 

 

 

Spontaneous cool stuff, like a crop duster flying right alongside us, passing trucks full of rabbits, or getting out of the van to throw rocks into the Mississippi for fun.

 

 

 

The rare getting-along moments

 

 

Reaching daily mileage goals

 

What can I live without?

Packing the suitcases over and over and over

(although the hard part was Strider's job)

 

Neverending corn crops

 

 

The oft cramped accomodations (both in the vehicle and some hotels)

 

 

 

 

Truthfully, I had withdrawls before we even reached home.  I didn't mind being on the road nearly as much I anticipated.  I easily could have stayed another week!  

 

Only 5 weeks home now and the reminders of the fighting and squabbling and the whining are fading into the distance while the happy parts remain.  Mostly.  Funny how that happens.

 

But overall it was an amazing 19 days of memories and 5400 miles worth of good times!  Thanks for hanging in there through all these posts. 

 

 

 

 

P.S.  My beautiful photo book of the trip arrived today!!

 

P.P.S. This is my 999th blog post :)