This is Hunter and Grandpa playing on one of the 'electric' skateboards before we leave on our Voyage... We're really like having fun....
We got to Keystone (Mt. Rushmore) and came through a raging snow storm... As we checked in the gal at the front desk asked us if we were planing on taking in the "Sunrise, non-denominational Easter Service" that was taking place at Rushmore...
Here's a bit of a travel log for the past 10 days or so... Let the Games Begin...
Our overall plan is to join up with the "Mormon Trail" in Wyoming and follow it east, then take a detour up to Mt Rushmore and on to Nauvoo, Carthage, and to our final destination of San Antonio Texas for a business meeting, and back home.
We start our voyage on Friday afternoon March 21, "Good Friday".... It was a good friday.
Our travels take us to Rigby Idaho to drop off some business stuff. We got to Rigby about 1am and then move on to Jackson Hole Wyoming and over a pass that takes us to the prairies on the east side of the Rocky Mountains.... Tons and tons of snow at the top of the pass. We push on through the night and get to the prairies.... it's Saturday when we get to the LDS interpretive site at the 6th crossing of the Sweetwater river. When we arrive its a little snowy, the temperature is hovering around freezing. We go in to the site listen to the explanation of the significance of the site, look at the displays and watch a couple of videos... This was a good site and worked well to prepare us for what we were going to experience at Martins Cove, a few miles down the road.
We got a full on view of what the pioneers experienced. This stop "Martins Cove" is life changing. We saw, we were shown the displays, 
we watched some videos, we walked around, and were given a ride out to the actual site of Martins Cove and the crossing region of the Sweetwater river. It was around freezing while we were outside, the wind was blowing consistently but not out of control... As we contemplated the plight of our forefathers and the rugged spirit of the pioneers we became humbled to think of the hand cart companies that endured -20 F with over 12" of snow. The real miracle here is that any of the fated hand cart companies survived! Even at 32F it was COLD. The spirit of these sites are palpable, we felt humbled and felt the spirit of reverence for the many individuals that came to the Salt Lake Valley to build what is there now, and to lay the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints.
we watched some videos, we walked around, and were given a ride out to the actual site of Martins Cove and the crossing region of the Sweetwater river. It was around freezing while we were outside, the wind was blowing consistently but not out of control... As we contemplated the plight of our forefathers and the rugged spirit of the pioneers we became humbled to think of the hand cart companies that endured -20 F with over 12" of snow. The real miracle here is that any of the fated hand cart companies survived! Even at 32F it was COLD. The spirit of these sites are palpable, we felt humbled and felt the spirit of reverence for the many individuals that came to the Salt Lake Valley to build what is there now, and to lay the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints.
Notice the babe in arms inside this rescuers Jacket. Auz at Sweetwater crossing Martins Cove.
After leaving Martins Cove, we decided to go to Mt. Rushmore, and then pl
an to continue east to Nauvoo. We got to a place called Hot Springs SD and the Auz needed to find a comfort station, it was late so we found a gas station/convenience store with it's lights on and pulled over. The proprietor had locked up but opened up for Auz and he did his business. I drove away once Auz got back in, and dropped the front wheels of the truck of of a 3 foot drop off.... " I hate it when that happens!" ..... 3 police cars and 6 officers were there in minutes... a feller stopped with a pick up truck and we pulled the white truck off of it's frame and back on to it's wheels... Fortunately no damage was done to the truck, however my pride is still hemorrhaging from the stupidity...
an to continue east to Nauvoo. We got to a place called Hot Springs SD and the Auz needed to find a comfort station, it was late so we found a gas station/convenience store with it's lights on and pulled over. The proprietor had locked up but opened up for Auz and he did his business. I drove away once Auz got back in, and dropped the front wheels of the truck of of a 3 foot drop off.... " I hate it when that happens!" ..... 3 police cars and 6 officers were there in minutes... a feller stopped with a pick up truck and we pulled the white truck off of it's frame and back on to it's wheels... Fortunately no damage was done to the truck, however my pride is still hemorrhaging from the stupidity... 
We got to Keystone (Mt. Rushmore) and came through a raging snow storm... As we checked in the gal at the front desk asked us if we were planing on taking in the "Sunrise, non-denominational Easter Service" that was taking place at Rushmore... 
March 23, 2008
We went to the Sunrise Service and were edified by a great message and a wonderfully sweet spirit that was there that morning... We then continued on to Nauvoo through the Bad Lands and Wall Drug. Wall Drug. Wall Drug. Wall Drug. It was closed however...
It's a long road. I think you could watch your dog run away for about 3 days. So of course Nola and Auz went to sleep. To my surprise I saw a Semi Truck (about a 1/2 mile away) facing us and in our lane. I was startled at first and tried to figure out what was going on, as we got closer it became apparent that the truck facing us was being towed... Hmmmmmm.... knowing that it kind of startled me... I thought... Hmmmm. So looking for some excitement and perhaps even more... I gently, (so as to not wake any one up) approached the "head on" facing Semi, and bumpered up pretty close..... then SCREAMED ... and touched the brakes... "NOLA Swears".... I'm still laughing now when I think of it. Nola got the humor of the whole situation pretty quickly, with in a few seconds we were all laughing to distraction. We got with in 30 miles of Nauvoo and took a hotel, around 2am.
March 24, 2008
Nauvoo is really a fantastic place. We got there about 10am and checked into a Hotel. We immediately went to the Visitors Center and the first people we saw were Clark and Deanna Hardy, who are serving a mission there in Nauvoo. Clark was Nola's grade 6 teacher, and his brother David married Nola's older sister Rita. It was a very pleasent surprise. We stayed for 2 days, took in a Temple Session, and had a great time.
There's lots more to tell... I'll get at it again in the next week or so... mb
