Oh heavens! Catch-up time again! Two summers ago we had a grand trip across the country from Texas to Delaware for a family reunion, and I never documented it! I kept putting it off since it was so overwhelming to try and write about such a big trip all at once, then life became busy and I never came back to it. I just have to record these memories!
We drove all day/night until we reached Nashville, Tennessee for a break. We stayed in a cute little KOA cabin overnight and enjoyed exploring the area for a bit. We really enjoyed this campsite and played together for hours before bedtime. The campground facility was packed with family activities, games, and a fun juke box.
In the morning, we stopped for several hours at the local children's museum to let our Littles run and play and learn before driving again for another long day. They really loved exploring this facility, there were so many fun things to do. I didn't pull out the camera very much, since most of the time was spent climbing tunnels and exploring tight little areas where the angles wouldn't work for a photograph. It was such a great day spent together though, and we all enjoyed playing together in such a unique setting.
The children's museum took up most of our free time this day, so we drove without stopping until we reached our next campsite next to a lake in northern Ohio. We arrived after sunset and had the delightful fun of pitching a tent in the low light of dusk. We cooked marshmallows over the campfire and enjoyed telling stories while the stars emerged above us. Oh, and swatted mosquitoes. There were a lot of bugs at this site!
We LOVED driving through Amish country in Ohio. I was glued to the window for hours just watching the passing scenery. The landscapes were gorgeous and the farm houses were so picturesque. I thrilled at seeing horse-drawn carriages in the roads, and was delighted to stop at Amish bakeries and grocery stores along the way.
At one quick stop, a young Amish family was parked in their buggy next to our van in the parking lot. The children from each vehicle were equally fascinated with each other, gaping a bit at each other's clothing and transportation. I wish I had a picture of it, but knew it was too rude to ask. I'll remember it forever though- these sweet children each getting an unexpected glimpse into an alternate reality. I wonder what conversations they would have shared, if they had been given a chance to talk with each other. (From what I understand, most Amish children don't learn English until they are 9 or so, so a conversation was impossible anyway.)
We stopped in Kirtland, Ohio, to see some important church history sites. The Kirtland temple has such a fascinating history behind it, and I loved visiting the site. My heart takes such delight in visiting old buildings and imagining the lives that have passed within their walls. The grounds were lovely and we enjoyed exploring.
We drove like maniacs across several states and made it to Niagra Falls in the afternoon. We were surprised how far away the parking was from the waterfall, but luckily the weather was gorgeous and the hike was pleasant. The place was crazy-packed with tourists, but we were able to enjoy the view. The Canadian side of the Falls looked so appealing, and we were wishing we had documentation to cross the border. The view on the Canadian side must be spectacular since they face the Falls, while we are perched along the top of the Falls.
We still appreciated the mind-boggling beauty and intensity of our view, and marveled over the size of this waterfall.
After hiking quickly back to our car, we trekked onward to Palmyra, New York to see the Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah. The snarled traffic in Niagara Falls made us arrive in Palmyra right at sunset, so we just missed the closing times of the visitor centers and historic buildings. We were sorely disappointed, but enjoyed exploring the outdoors portions of each location.
Here are glimpses of our walk through the Sacred Grove:
And pictures of our visit to the Smith family farm and home sites.
Our last stop was the Hill Cumorah, which we hiked up to the top for a lovely view of the countryside.
I've always been so fascinated with the life of Joseph Smith, and have loved researching and reading accounts of his story....and it had long been a dream of mine to visit these locations where history happened. It was such a pleasure to be here, even though the buildings were closed. We had some great family talks about the events that happened here and how Christ's true church was restored again on the earth.
There was a special spirit I felt here, and my heart was filled with gratitude again that the Lord speaks to us today through modern prophets. What a priceless gift it is to have modern revelation from God! I can't bear the thought of living without this communication, and my heart aches for the millions of people on this earth today who live their lives without any idea that they can talk to their Creator and He will answer. I know God lives and loves each of His children, and I'm so thankful to live in a time when His full gospel has been restored! This life is such a blessing!
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