Goodbye good Nauvoo

Our ward took a youth trip to Nauvoo.  I feel like it was a success, even though I had people backing out and not giving me notice.  There will be no trip next year, too much work.  It was very frustrating at first, but I'm grateful to those that came and those that helped.  The last time I was in Nauvoo, I was 6. Mark went about 10 years ago, so we were both pretty excited to go and with the church financially funding the trip, we were even more excited;)  I had to drive by myself with three of the YW and it was scary, luckily the way we went had minimal traffic and I got the GPS.  On the first day we went to Carthage and then to the Nauvoo Temple.  The second day was packed we went to many of the houses in historic Nauvoo and to all the Joseph Smith houses owned by the Community of Christ.  We ended our night with a missionary variety show and then they put on this thing called the Trail of Hope.  They had lanterns and Tiki torches and missionaries that read small passages from pioneer journals and we walked along a path that led to a spot in front of the Mississippi River, where the saints crossed that cold, February morning.  It was a really amazing day.  The last day we got up and checked out.  I have a cousin who manages some condos out there and they were great.  I highly recommend you stay at the Nauvoo Villas and Condos.  After we checked out we left for the Iowa State Fair.  It wasn't as good as I hoped.  Just too many people, much too stinky and pretty hot, but they did have some pretty cool animals and good food!  We didn't stay there that long.  Everything, except for maybe the fair was a huge success, I know I felt the spirit being in the place where my Mormon ancestors gave up civilization, a temple and great living, so they could follow the Lord and their Prophet Brigham Young into the unknown.  I love this gospel and was gratified by this experience!

 Carthage.

The YW and YM on the trip.

 Us outside of the Nauvoo Temple.  There was another

couple that also came, they just weren't in any of the pictures.

 The statue of Joseph and Hyrum taking one last look, 

before voluntarily heading off to Carthage.

 Joseph, Hyrum and Emma Smiths' Gravestone.

The house that Joseph and Emma first lived in, in Nauvoo.

The Mansion House, where Emma and Joseph lived next.  

It was so big, so they could allow many guests to stay with them.

The Red Brick Store, this is where the RS was formed.