Nauvoo road trip: Part 2

Read the post below first!

The next part of our trip was Nauvoo! Driving in, it was nothing like I had pictured. We had an awesome historic hotel for cheap, and when we got there, they were running a half off special those nights! I love travelling off season! All the shops and buildings were closed when we got there so we just looked around and made plans for the next day before going the famous buffet that just so happened to be in our hotel We ate SO much! Their dining rooms could hold hundreds of people all at once and were so pretty! Here is the one we were in:

Our table was right under this huge fake apple tree! So pretty!

The next day we went shopping and then into the historic buildings of Nauvoo. I am trying to resist posting tons of pictures so maybe I just won't post any of the buildings. We went to the bakery where you get a free gingerbread man cookie. Yum! Then we went to the family living center where they have demonstrations of how things like making bread, candles, rope, rugs, barrels, and pottery were made back then. Since us and one other family were all that were there, we got to keep stuff they made! So cool! Then we went to the blacksmith shop where we watched the missionary make a mini horseshoe. We got one of those too!

That night we went to the Nauvoo temple. It was so special to be there! The temple president greeted us as we walked in and then after when we left. He is really friendly! It was also really cool to see a rose that President Hinckley painted on one of the paintings.

The next day we went to Carthage Jail on our way out of town. I learned so much there!

After Carthage, we drove to Independence, MO to see Liberty Jail. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip because of how much it strengthened my testimony. When you see the conditions they were kept in for 5 months, you can understand why Joseph asked, "O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?"

Seeing all these sites was amazing and I am so glad we went! The trip strengthened my testimony so much. There is no way Joseph Smith could have suffered all the things he did if the church was not true. The saints were so strong to leave their beautiful city. It is amazing to see where they walked as they left town, knowing they were living their homes that they would never see again. Being in Nauvoo made things personal for me. I am so excited to re-read the Doctrine and Covenants now that I have seen many of the places they lived.

For the last part of our trip, read the post above! It's funny and worth reading, I promise.