We are settling into our hotel near Sandusky, Ohio tonight. It has been a long day, but we are very happy.
We started the morning at 7:30 at the Nauvoo Temple. We were the first group into the baptistry and enjoyed the peaceful spirit of the temple. The font in the Nauvoo Temple is very large. I felt like I had to pick a spot to be. It was a great way to start the day.
We then packed the van, checked out of the hotel and headed for Ohio. It was a long slow drive. The speed limits are slower, the roads aren't as good, and we encountered a lot of road construction. About 30 miles from the destination, there was a problem ahead of us and we came to a complete stop. Jennifer had flown into Cleveland and we were supposed to pick her up, but it was getting late. We had her take a cab to our hotel and we got there just before she did.
We were very excited to see her, fresh off her trip to China with the Collegiate National Team. We walked to a Subway up the block and enjoyed dinner together as a family.
543.6 miles traveled today.
14.5 MGP
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Sunday in Nauvoo
We got up leisurely this morning and went to church in a local ward. It was just like home, except for the 800 visitors like us who filled every empty space in the building. It was a good service with the topic of Christ-centered Homes.
After returning to the hotel to change and eat lunch, we headed to Carthage to visit the Carthage Jail. Carthage is about 25 miles away. At the site of the jail, we enjoyed a short musical tribute to Joseph and Hyram Smith put on by the summer performing missionaries. Then we took a tour of the jail and the room where the Prophet Joseph was killed. There is a sober spirit, but deep spirit at that place. We enjoyed being there.
We returned to Nauvoo via a road along the Mississippi River. It is very full and we stopped along the way to enjoy the river. Once back Nauvoo, we visited several of the historic sites. The kids voted the Browning Gun Shop as the most interesting. It was interesting to see the guns the Brownings invented and to see how guns were made in the 1800s. We also stopped at the brick shop, the post office and the wheelright, wagonright and blacksmith shops. We ended at the edge of the river where the wagons boarded rafts to cross the river. There is a wall there with the names of those who didn't make it to SLC. On that wall is one of my ancestors, Jan C Van Dam. He died of exposure after riding on the roof of an over-crowded train trying to get to Nauvoo with his young family. His pregnant wife continued on with their four children and his aging parents. She died on the plains after giving birth to a daughter and my great-great-grandfather Huibert Van Dam, who was 11 at the time, drove the team of oxen to the valley. It helps my perspective to connect with stories like that.
After dinner at the hotel (and a period of rest!) we attended a fireside at the outdoor stage. It was a musical that co-opted Broadway tunes to tell a story of family, faith and generations. It was fun and the kids enjoyed identifying the co-opted songs.
We drove about 60 miles (mostly to Carthage) today.
The Internet connection isn't good enough to upload pictures. I will add them when we get to a better connection.
After returning to the hotel to change and eat lunch, we headed to Carthage to visit the Carthage Jail. Carthage is about 25 miles away. At the site of the jail, we enjoyed a short musical tribute to Joseph and Hyram Smith put on by the summer performing missionaries. Then we took a tour of the jail and the room where the Prophet Joseph was killed. There is a sober spirit, but deep spirit at that place. We enjoyed being there.
We returned to Nauvoo via a road along the Mississippi River. It is very full and we stopped along the way to enjoy the river. Once back Nauvoo, we visited several of the historic sites. The kids voted the Browning Gun Shop as the most interesting. It was interesting to see the guns the Brownings invented and to see how guns were made in the 1800s. We also stopped at the brick shop, the post office and the wheelright, wagonright and blacksmith shops. We ended at the edge of the river where the wagons boarded rafts to cross the river. There is a wall there with the names of those who didn't make it to SLC. On that wall is one of my ancestors, Jan C Van Dam. He died of exposure after riding on the roof of an over-crowded train trying to get to Nauvoo with his young family. His pregnant wife continued on with their four children and his aging parents. She died on the plains after giving birth to a daughter and my great-great-grandfather Huibert Van Dam, who was 11 at the time, drove the team of oxen to the valley. It helps my perspective to connect with stories like that.
After dinner at the hotel (and a period of rest!) we attended a fireside at the outdoor stage. It was a musical that co-opted Broadway tunes to tell a story of family, faith and generations. It was fun and the kids enjoyed identifying the co-opted songs.
We drove about 60 miles (mostly to Carthage) today.
The Internet connection isn't good enough to upload pictures. I will add them when we get to a better connection.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Sunset in Nauvoo
We are resting in our hotel room finally tonight after a long drive and a fun evening.
We got away from North Platte at 8:10am, improving our on-timeness by 11 minutes! We managed to get the last waffles at the breakfast before the machine broke, so fat and happy we were on our way! Across Nebraska and Iowa we went. Just before halfway, there were two very loud pops and then an electrical smell. A quick stop, and keen noses, narrowed it down to the inverter. It was dead and had blown a fuse in the van. This caused a major crisis in the back seat, since that provided power to the gaming system. We stopped for gas/break in Council Bluffs, Iowa and found fuses and an new, improved inverter - crisis averted!
More long driving brought us to the banks of the Mississippi River. We crossed on a cool, very old, rail and car bridge. It was very narrow, with the cars on the upper deck and the trains below. The river looks to be very high right now. The day, which had been sunny and beautiful up to that point, turned into rain just before we crossed the river. We arrived in Nauvoo in the rain. We made a quick stop at the visitor's center to pick up tickets and then headed off to find food.
We ate at Peter's Place and had Navajo Tacos and Fish and Chips. The food was good, but a fairly small crowd seemed to overwhelm them. We then rushed to our first show of the night. We enjoyed the very funny music review called Sunset by the Mississippi (which moved indoors due to the rain.) We all enjoyed the music and especially the humor - some of it so bad we couldn't stop laughing ("Grandma, don't lean on the screen door, you will strain yourself." and dozens more like it!) From there we went to the Cultural Hall to see Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo. While not as raucous as the other show, it was fun and funny too. By the time it ended at 9:30pm, I was done with sitting and really done with the hard benches.
After a quick trip back to Peter's to retrieve a phone, we checked into our hotel. We are staying at the Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites. We have one room that includes two queen beds and a bunk bed. We will be here two nights and it is a clean, nice place. Our ATT phones have no service here in Nauvoo, but the hotel has nice WiFi.
We are moving at our standard, nutso, breakneck pace, but are having a great time. No pictures today, because my phone doesn't seem to want to join the WiFi.
609.9 miles today
15.725 MPG on the first half of the day.
$3.40 per gallon.
We got away from North Platte at 8:10am, improving our on-timeness by 11 minutes! We managed to get the last waffles at the breakfast before the machine broke, so fat and happy we were on our way! Across Nebraska and Iowa we went. Just before halfway, there were two very loud pops and then an electrical smell. A quick stop, and keen noses, narrowed it down to the inverter. It was dead and had blown a fuse in the van. This caused a major crisis in the back seat, since that provided power to the gaming system. We stopped for gas/break in Council Bluffs, Iowa and found fuses and an new, improved inverter - crisis averted!
More long driving brought us to the banks of the Mississippi River. We crossed on a cool, very old, rail and car bridge. It was very narrow, with the cars on the upper deck and the trains below. The river looks to be very high right now. The day, which had been sunny and beautiful up to that point, turned into rain just before we crossed the river. We arrived in Nauvoo in the rain. We made a quick stop at the visitor's center to pick up tickets and then headed off to find food.
We ate at Peter's Place and had Navajo Tacos and Fish and Chips. The food was good, but a fairly small crowd seemed to overwhelm them. We then rushed to our first show of the night. We enjoyed the very funny music review called Sunset by the Mississippi (which moved indoors due to the rain.) We all enjoyed the music and especially the humor - some of it so bad we couldn't stop laughing ("Grandma, don't lean on the screen door, you will strain yourself." and dozens more like it!) From there we went to the Cultural Hall to see Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo. While not as raucous as the other show, it was fun and funny too. By the time it ended at 9:30pm, I was done with sitting and really done with the hard benches.
After a quick trip back to Peter's to retrieve a phone, we checked into our hotel. We are staying at the Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites. We have one room that includes two queen beds and a bunk bed. We will be here two nights and it is a clean, nice place. Our ATT phones have no service here in Nauvoo, but the hotel has nice WiFi.
We are moving at our standard, nutso, breakneck pace, but are having a great time. No pictures today, because my phone doesn't seem to want to join the WiFi.
609.9 miles today
15.725 MPG on the first half of the day.
$3.40 per gallon.
Friday, June 27, 2014
The Longest Day
Well, we made it to North Platte. We got away at 9:20am, just 20 minutes after our targeted departure time (that might be a record!) When we first put the pile on the sidewalk next to the van, I wasn't sure it was all going to fit. But, not only did we get it all in, there is still enough room for Jennifer and her two more bags when she joins us on Monday.
The first almost 600 miles, through all of Wyoming and into Nebraska were generally uneventful. But, then it really started raining. It poured and poured and we learned that there was a severe thunderstorm warning in the area. Finally, a useful radio person helped by reporting where the warning was by mile marker. Sure enough, we were right there. There were winds in the 30 to 50 MPH range and we couldn't see through the rain at all. We pulled over to wait it out. As we sat there, the water running down the front windshield looked like there were four or five garden hoses on the roof dumping water on the van at full blast. After 10 minutes, it let up and we continued on our way. When we got to our hotel in North Platte, about 1/3 of the parking lot was flooded. There was a lot of water and lightening. The girls amused themselves (and consumed all of my phone space) by trying to video lightening.
Well, a quick dinner at Runza's (which we recommend), a dip in the hot tub and it is off to bed for an early start tomorrow.
710.5 miles today. We put 44.331 gallons of gas into the van for a remarkable 16.027 MPG!
The backseat crowd:
The first almost 600 miles, through all of Wyoming and into Nebraska were generally uneventful. But, then it really started raining. It poured and poured and we learned that there was a severe thunderstorm warning in the area. Finally, a useful radio person helped by reporting where the warning was by mile marker. Sure enough, we were right there. There were winds in the 30 to 50 MPH range and we couldn't see through the rain at all. We pulled over to wait it out. As we sat there, the water running down the front windshield looked like there were four or five garden hoses on the roof dumping water on the van at full blast. After 10 minutes, it let up and we continued on our way. When we got to our hotel in North Platte, about 1/3 of the parking lot was flooded. There was a lot of water and lightening. The girls amused themselves (and consumed all of my phone space) by trying to video lightening.
Well, a quick dinner at Runza's (which we recommend), a dip in the hot tub and it is off to bed for an early start tomorrow.
710.5 miles today. We put 44.331 gallons of gas into the van for a remarkable 16.027 MPG!
The backseat crowd:
Thursday, June 26, 2014
It Begins Again
Apparently, seven years is about how long it takes for us to think that a 5700 mile road trip is a good idea again. And so, here we go. Tomorrow we embark on another cross-country multi-week trip. We are at a fevers pitch in the packing and loading of the van. But the trip booklets are ready and the gear all gathered.
Alan, of course, is on a mission and won't be joining us. Jennifer is flying back from China tonight and will catch up to us on Monday (just in time for Cedar Point!) In addition to me, Tresa, Tim, Sara and Heather, we will be joined by Tana, a family friend.
Feel free to follow along. I am sure you are looking forward to the report tomorrow from North Platte, NE!
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Alan, of course, is on a mission and won't be joining us. Jennifer is flying back from China tonight and will catch up to us on Monday (just in time for Cedar Point!) In addition to me, Tresa, Tim, Sara and Heather, we will be joined by Tana, a family friend.
Feel free to follow along. I am sure you are looking forward to the report tomorrow from North Platte, NE!
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