Day one in Nauvoo. I had no idea how cool this place is!

We scored a great campsite right next to old Nauvoo for the next three nights, and met a nice family from BC with 5 kids for my kids to play with. They have a little girl who is exactly like Dimitri, and a 13 year old daughter that Aunica really took to.

We started off our day at the visitor’s center, but after a quick run down of suggestions on what to see, we high-tailed it out for the narrated wagon tour.

   
   

Then we toured some of the historic buildings. This bus a pretty amazing place, as it had a lot of restored buildings and they all have an interpreter to tell stories about the time, occupants, objects, etc. That makes a world of difference to me. Deon and I have talked about this. He is often content just to look, but without words it is meaningless to me. Even natural sites to me require words to be interesting. It’s just how my brain works.

Anyway, I think my favorite story was when John Taylor went back to Nauvoo, despite incredible risk, to fetch a handmade rocking horse for his devastated son, which made the long trek to Utah with them. 

We toured John Taylor’s home, Brigham Young’s home, Lucy Mack smith’s home, the gun shop, post office, blacksmith, play area, and brick making shop.

  

  

  

 

A short jaunt home for dinner, then back for a very funny performance of rendezvous in old Nauvoo. Kids loved it.