Sunday, June 12, 2005
Get Thee to theTemple on Time
We started out our first full-fledged sightseeing day of the trip with a visit to the sight of a lynching! Do we know how to have fun or what? Actually, we were driving through Hancock county Illinois and the county seat Carthage. This is where the locals, not to keen on the newly established Mormon settlement in nearby Nauvoo, murdered the Smith brothers(founders of the Mormon church not the cough drop manufacturers) in the county jail over a century ago. Sister Marty, Sister Phyllis and Elder Sleep Walking Bear(combining my native American and now Mormon heritage) then traveled on to Nauvoo where the Later Day Saints have built a beautiful temple commemorating their former settlement. Brigham Young would lead the Mormons on their westward migration from this point to the promised land of Utah and national football rankings for the school that would bear his name.
The Temple is beautiful and, of course, off limits to even Elder Sleep Walking Bear because you have to "really" be a Mormon to go in. Now, I'm not sure how they tell but that just seems to be part of the mystery that surrounds what goes on once inside. Perhaps it involves a secret handshake or something? We were "invited" to view some movies at both the Nauvoo visitors center and at the Temple visitors center which were informative but somehow historically incomplete. There was quite possibly some very benign idea of recruitment going on here but everyone was so pleasant it didn't really seem to matter. However,I do think we were being watched, and, quite possibly followed. Elder Sleep Walking Bear was on high alert!
What a beautiful site for a town, overlooking the mighty Mississippi River! The flower gardens were immaculate and there were many spread throughout the town. Still, I did not really understand what went on in the Temple and what truly made Mormons different from other Christian sects except for the fact they had some additional prophets in their church. I should have asked the Elder dressed up as a shrub that was stalking us about the town. I can't help but feel it is something like Amway that seems to be a really good idea and it works for some people but most of us would regret joining up in the end. God forbid you don't meet your quotas!
Still, I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful little town with the amazing Temple and historical(although don't depend on your hosts for details) sites. And for those of you whiners who think Illinois is "ugly", get your butts over to the Great River Road and take a drive. I challenge anyone to not be impressed by the scenery. Just remember, when visiting Nauvoo, don't pick the flowers because you might disconnect the listening devices or tiny cameras.......
Onward to St Joseph Missouri from here. By the way, if you or anyone you know from Chicago has had their car stolen, check Keokuk IA or northeastern Missouri. I have never seen so many junkyards in my entire life.
The Temple is beautiful and, of course, off limits to even Elder Sleep Walking Bear because you have to "really" be a Mormon to go in. Now, I'm not sure how they tell but that just seems to be part of the mystery that surrounds what goes on once inside. Perhaps it involves a secret handshake or something? We were "invited" to view some movies at both the Nauvoo visitors center and at the Temple visitors center which were informative but somehow historically incomplete. There was quite possibly some very benign idea of recruitment going on here but everyone was so pleasant it didn't really seem to matter. However,I do think we were being watched, and, quite possibly followed. Elder Sleep Walking Bear was on high alert!
What a beautiful site for a town, overlooking the mighty Mississippi River! The flower gardens were immaculate and there were many spread throughout the town. Still, I did not really understand what went on in the Temple and what truly made Mormons different from other Christian sects except for the fact they had some additional prophets in their church. I should have asked the Elder dressed up as a shrub that was stalking us about the town. I can't help but feel it is something like Amway that seems to be a really good idea and it works for some people but most of us would regret joining up in the end. God forbid you don't meet your quotas!
Still, I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful little town with the amazing Temple and historical(although don't depend on your hosts for details) sites. And for those of you whiners who think Illinois is "ugly", get your butts over to the Great River Road and take a drive. I challenge anyone to not be impressed by the scenery. Just remember, when visiting Nauvoo, don't pick the flowers because you might disconnect the listening devices or tiny cameras.......
Onward to St Joseph Missouri from here. By the way, if you or anyone you know from Chicago has had their car stolen, check Keokuk IA or northeastern Missouri. I have never seen so many junkyards in my entire life.
Friday, June 10, 2005
VACATION all I ever wanted...............
ARE WE THERE YET?
My mom and my sister arrived at my place of employ and picked me up and it was ON! We went to the aeropuerto to pick up the rental car and were greeted by the newly crowned valedictorian of Satan's School for Girls who had just landed her first job as rental car mistress(of the dark). I would give the rent-a-car-girl a 2 trinkets score on the charm bracelet rating out of a possible 10! We chose an AMURICAN! car, an IMPALA, which was thankfully hugely full of trunk space. We were not quite ON! yet tho as sister and mother had forgotten junior's(me) shoes and camera. So back to Arthur before traveling on west only to encounter quite possibly the worst weather of our trip on Route 36 nearing La Place Illinois. I felt like one of the Judds(no not Wyyyyynona or Naomi) but the Okies from that Steinbeck novel as the dust swirled around us. Little did we know that Sister Marty's apricot tree was to feel the "apricots" of wrath courtesy of 60-70 mile per hour winds??!! But we were on our way to VACATION and there was no turning back. Who knew Illinois had a lawn and video store??? You can get your lawn mower repaired and rent a movie all at the same time. Has to be heaven!
We reached "Sleepy" Macomb Illinois and the EconoLodge for our first night stay. Now the Sleepy reference was for the Sleep Walking Bear theme of the room because this was a former TravelLodge and the cute Sleep Walking Bear in the pj's and the nightcap(not with a nightcap!) was the symbol of that company. Like Ward Churchill, I have taken to calling myself a native American(which I most certainly am) and I shall choose a native name of Sleep Walking Bear for my trip name! I have pics of the bathroom tile which I did not peel off the wall because of my mother's strenuous objections. It was a fine place to sleep despite the fact we found a stranger's pair of sweat socks under one of the beds. Sleepy was in the HOUSE! We rested. Prepared to resume our journey? This is how the Donner party started out on their westward travail too. Would we fare better? Thank goodness we had Sleep Walking Bear on our side!! Plus we had our OWN sweat socks!!!!
