Nauvoo Trip part 2

DAY 4

Monday, July 4th

The biggest heartbreak of the trip was that Olive left "Pinkie" at the hotel and we didn't realize it until we had gotten to Nauvoo. Pinkie is her little, stuffed Owl with a small blankie attached. She's had it since she was a baby and sleeps with it every night. I've never seen Olive so sad. She was sobbing like her mother had just died. It honestly broke my heart. Pinkie was her best friend. Months later, and she still talks about it and how much she misses her. 

The housing options in Nauvoo aren't great. I found that you either have large, lodge type places for family reunions or there are motels but they are just rooms and I wanted a kitchen. There are also some glamping places... basically cabins but the kitchens were more less just a microwave. So the Airbnb I found seemed to be our best option. I booked it not seeing pictures because it was under renovation. I figured if it was getting remodeled, that had to be good. Nothing in Nauvoo is new. Well, as it turned out, the "remodel" was essentially some paint and new flooring. The furniture, bathrooms and kitchens were original. The place was very old, which wouldn't have been a big deal, in and of itself, but it SMELLED. Like old pipes that were mildewy or something. It permeated the whole house and we never got used to it. We rented the upstairs which had one bedroom, two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen. Collin and Weston slept on a pull out sofa in the living room, Olive slept on a twin bed that was in an alcove attached to the living room, separated by a curtain, and Tanner slept on a blow up mattress in the living room. There was a family living in the downstairs area. Luckily, we had access to our level from outdoor stairs. The main plus was that it was very close to Nauvoo. Just down the street, even within walking distance if needed. It had a dollar store next door so that was nice to walk over and get some paper plates and a few items.

We started the day at the Visitor's Center! There is a replica of the Nauvoo temple in the center, which is cool to see. 

This is an original sunstone from the actual Nauvoo temple!

I downloaded an app that had all the tour times and maps so we could plan our day. Didn't really know what order to go in, so we were basically just winging it. Figured a wagon ride around Nauvoo would help us see the layout. 

The area with pioneer games was a hit. Dressing up like pioneers, walking on stilts, running while pushing a hoop with a stick, doing stick pull contests, etc. 

From there we walked up the street a little bit and took a tour of the Browning Gun Shop.

We learned about bustle ovens... brick ovens that protruded out the side of the house. Collin later admitted he thought they said "bussin' ovens". Bussin' is a slang word right now that means cool. We laughed and I made him take a picture next to one.

The post office was closed but the print shop was right next door. That's where we learned that the term "upper case" and "lower case" came from the type set being located either in the upper or lower boxes in the shop. We also learned that the phrases "cut right to the chase" and "dingbat" come from printing shops!

In the John Taylor home we saw a shaving stand and old fashioned mouse trap!

Then we went to the Family Living Center to get out of the heat. It's a big building where we tried out barrel making, candle making and rope making! There are also displays of pottery making, wool carding and spinning, and weaving. I learned that flax makes linen!

 

On to the Cultural Hall which was used for social and cultural events.

Several Church leaders had been members of the fraternal order of Masonry for many years. With three lodges and nearly 1,400 members in town, one lodge decided to build a large hall. This building was completed in early 1844 and became a hub for all kinds of activity. Its design is similar to other Masonic lodges of the 19th century.

In our tour of the Cultural Hall we saw this artwork, which is made completely from human hair. Blech!!

We ended the day at the boot shop then drove to the other side of town, where the Gardners were having a 4th of July BBQ with all the other families who were in the pageants. We got to meet a lot of their friends and were really touched by how grateful they were to Trav and us for providing a way for Quin to be able to leave his job and be here. Quin even got everyone's attention before the prayer was said on the food, to introduce us and especially sing Travis's praises. I mean, I had people come up and thank us with tears in their eyes like they were thanking an organ donor or something. And truly, after seeing the pageants, I know what they mean. Quin was amazing. He was obviously the main role in the Nauvoo pageant and also a big part in the British pageant. He played Joseph so so well. 

After dinner we went to "Sunrise on the Mississippi". When I came as a kid, this was actually done on the banks of the river. I think we accidentally left a door to the RV open and when we got back, mosquitos had filled the place. But they've since built an outdoor theater and that's where they perform. We played a few games of Ninja while waiting for it to start. It was so hot and humid that they almost canceled the show, but I'm so glad they didn't! It was amazing! All these performing missionaries are so talented. I think we all had semi-low expectations because after the prayer was said, the missionaries came blasting out of the side curtains, running up the aisles in the audience, singing their hearts out and jumping around and dancing and our jaws hit the ground. Olive, with a gaping mouth and bug eyes, turned to me and said, "I did NOT see this coming!" Haha. She, of all of us, was the most enthralled and is now determined to be a performing missionary when she grows up! Their leader, so to speak, was an older man... in his 70's... and even he was spritely and shocked us all by jumping up and down in a way you'd never guess a man his age could! They sang old fashioned songs like "Grandma's Feather Bed" but all jazzed up and with such fun dancing. It really was an entertaining show. The poor performers were absolutely drenched in sweat. But they were smiling and happy and seemed to be having the time of their lives!

Annie's custard was a bit disappointing and we had many tears and upset kids over sizes and flavors. All while Collin tried to hush everybody and bring order to the situation. You got to be a spectacle at least once on a family trip, right? 

We thought maybe there would be a fireworks show but I guess Nauvoo did their big celebration on Saturday, so we missed it. We went back to the fields by the temple, overlooking the Mississippi and watched the sun set and saw a few fireworks out in the distance. The kids played games and did races. They also tried laying in a line, holding onto each other's ankles, then rolling down the hill. I thought FOR SURE someone would get hurt, kicked or cry but surprisingly they just laughed and laughed and kept trying different configurations. Like laying in a pile and rolling. It turned into a really nice evening. It's not very often that we're just together, without distractions, enjoying each other's company. 

July 5th

DAY 5

Had to giggle waking up to see Tanner on a partially deflated bed, hanging off the edge. 

Long ago, I made sure to get an appointment at the temple for Collin to do baptisms for the dead. Then he forgot his temple recommend so that held us up a bit, but they got him cleared and in we went. I'm really glad he got to experience this. Afterward, he walked home and Trav and I stayed to do initiatories. We didn't want to be gone too long from the kids. This temple is set up kind of strange. The initiatories are kind of like little closets, added onto the dressing rooms. We were told there was a hallway off the entrance that had historical items you could look at. I don't know if it was ok that I took pictures, but I did anyway. It was fun to see that Mary Fielding Smith and I share a birthday!

Anyway, it was special to be able to do temple work. It's such a gorgeous temple. 

Oh, the blacksmith shop! A favorite of all. They used to fashion nails into "prairie diamonds"..rings you could wear on your fingers. I remember keeping mine for many years. Well, I guess too many were getting dropped around town and puncturing car tires, so they stopped that. Now they just make a little horseshoe for each family to keep.

The Community of Christ owns Joseph Smith's homes so we had to sign up and pay for their tour. Our tour guide was a really enthusiastic, young girl.  We got to see the Homestead, Mansion House, Red Brick Store and Smith Family Cemetery. There was another family from Gilbert on the tour that we met and visited with quite a bit. I feel bad I can't remember their names now! The wife's maiden name was Olsen because she mentioned her brother is the famous, Gilbert plastic surgeon, Josh Olsen haha. 

Then we dropped Travis off at the fields where the pageant will be tonight, to get in line to save our seats! While we waited, we went back to the visitor's center so the kids could do a scavenger hunt and earn their Nauvoo brick! The brickyard is shut down right now so this is how you get your iconic brick.

It was very toasty outside, so we were happy to have a 30 minute, air conditioned car drive to Carthage Jail. In the tour, the sister missionary described the day that Joseph was martyred. When I was here as a teenager, I remember them playing an audio recording with sound effects and a reenactment of the events. I'm not sure which I preferred. I think the recording might have painted the picture better. But I thought the tour guide did a good job explaining everything and it was a very sobering experience. It's hard to believe that the original door is still in place, complete with the bullet hole. The flooring is original too... but I swear I remember blood being highlighted on the ground when I was a kid. Travis feels like he remembers that too, but there was no blood when we went. 

My favorite scripture again!

Back to Nauvoo for more tours!

Learning more about Heber C. Kimball was sad. He bought land but lived in a log cabin for 4 years waiting to be able to build a house. It took 6 months to build his home, but they only lived in it for 3 months before leaving to go west. Heber is often known for the story of him and Brigham Young being called on a mission to Europe, but when they had to leave they were both so sick. They were leaving their families in terrible situations and as they were leaving, laying in the back of a wagon, they determined to give a cheer. So they both sat up and yelled, "Hurrah for Israel!" to their families. My heart breaks hearing these stories. 

Apparently these glasses are Wilford Woodroof's actual glasses.

Terrifying doll.

I have the best memory of eating at the Hotel Nauvoo's buffet as a kid! Then, 10 years ago when Trav and I stopped in Nauvoo for a night when we were driving across the country after dental school, we had dinner here and I remember loving it. It felt fancy and gourmet. So I was SO excited to be able to eat here with our family. However, I quickly realized this place had either drastically gone downhill or else my tastes back then were much much more primitive. It resembled my grandmother's home but not in a good way. It was so old and dusty and the food was bland, mass produced, poor quality or just straight from a can. I was so disappointed! The kids did not notice a thing. They loved it and were so excited to keep going back and getting more pudding or rolls or whatever slop was being served, haha. So, in that sense, it was a win! 

All the tours stop by 5pm for the Country Fair! It's basically a big field full of pioneer games and activities for the whole family to enjoy before the pageant starts. This only happens in the summer. They even have a brass band! We had a great time learning a dance, sawing logs in half, racing in handcarts and making puppets. 

It was so fun to see the Gardners in their costumes! We loved being able to tell people throughout the day that they were the reason we had come. It felt like we knew celebrities! I was disappointed in our seats.. we were so far away and couldn't see their faces like I had hoped. But I loved the pageant. We had a small idea of the work and effort behind the performance which made the whole thing even more meaningful. Often, whole families give up two months of their lives to rehearse and put on these pageants. It's amazing. And so cool to see the actual temple in the distance until the sun sets. 

Then the end.

They pull up fabric panels of the temple set as they are "building" the temple until they finally bring up the top spire from the back and it's all lit up while they sing Praise to the Man. Oh my gosh, I have goosebumps remembering! It was SO powerful! Tears were streaming down my cheeks and the Spirit enveloped all of us. Then, as if that wasn't enough... at the very end, the whole cast changes into white clothing and the temple set is taken down and they light up the real temple in the distance. They all sing The Spirit of God and then Joseph says my favorite scripture! "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony last of all which we give of Him, that He lives! For we saw Him even on the right hand of God and we heard the voice bearing record that He is the only begotten of the Father. That by Him and through Him and of Him the worlds are and were created and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." I cannot adequately describe how beautiful the whole experience was!!! If you have never been to Nauvoo, go! Take your family! It is 100% worth it. The Spirit will be there and your testimony will be stronger for it.