Nauvoo, Illinois

Another stop along the way to Michigan:

Nauvoo, Illinois!

We met up with my Sister Michelle and her family,

since they were taking the RV option too for the family reunion.

 

 

She amazingly arranged all these tours 

and fun experiences for us when we got there!

 

 

Here we are at Brigham Young's house.

I love these houses.  

Why don't we build houses like this anymore?

Oh yeah, they are small

and lacking indoor plumbing

and wifi

(Colette get off your phone!)

The seventies hall!

We shared this tour with a family we didn't know from Pittsburgh

(can you spot their "cool" teenager?)

too cool for us.

They kept calling us the Swiftons...

I guess they thought we were fast?

Anyway, Richard got to role play as a prophet!

He looks the part, eh?

In fact, we had a couple other prospective prophets, seers and revelators!

Our family bakery!

Scovil's the name... gingerbread's the game...

Except they don't make samples for you presently.

Covid, will your cruelty never end!

Forget making gingerbread,

they had a new exhibit where you can actually make candles!

A lot of dips, a lot of dips...

Hot wax, cold water, hot wax, cold water...

hot water, cold wax, water wax, hot cold... what?

Aaaaaaaaand, maybe I'll put this out for a romantic dinner?

(It looks kinda sad, 

and smells like animal fat)

We also spun some rope!

Round and round and round it goes!

Everyone had to take turns...

and they needed lots of turns!

 

When it was finally spun to tight perfection,

I had the privilege of cutting the "cord,"

and I got to keep it too!

I expected it too unravel immediately, 

but those little rascals sure can spin a rope!

Bring on the COOPER'S!

Now we are making barrels?!

The pioneer fun never stops.

I wish we still made stuff like this.

Maybe someone does.

Sorry, sir, if you do this for a living and we don't know about you.

This team won!

They finished first.

It's about the size of a rubbish bin.

Mo found her dream car.

We are both Jane Austen anglophiles.

And no that's not illegal.

Google it.

TIME TO LOAD THE WAGON AND HEAD WEST!

WHOA!
What a hunk!

What a stud!

Wait a second...

those aren't really 50 pounds!

It still wears Mitchell out!

The last barrel.

I wonder what's inside it.

Wait... have you guys seen Cora?

Oh there she is!

Looking down the barrel of gun.

Phew, everything's fine.

Something exciting must be inside!

Everybody has to try it!

I learned so much about how important these Saints were.

Not just to our Latter-day Saint culture,

but to the progress of so many things in our country.

EVERYONE, even those not of our faith,

owe a lot to the imagination and problem solving of these people.

Solving problems like, not being killed by your anti-religious neighbors.

Downtown Nauvoo!

Big trees probably planted by the Saints.

So cool!

(Literally it was hot and humid, and the trees were a nice, shady refuge)

Lovely place

for his lovely face.

 

Lovely sunset across the Mississippi

I wish they could have stayed here,

but then we wouldn't have the west.

Those are bugs.

Yes, bugs...

I can see now why they left.

Not all the mobs were human.

Time for bed?

NO! We went on an evening show where actors shared stories

of those Saints who were fleeing their homes.

It was recorded from letters and journals.

 

And frogs.

The frog came home with us.

Then Mitchell threw up.

It was a weird night.

While the Saints head west,

we are on our way EAST--TO DETROIT!