We are home

Well, we are home now. We actually got home late Sunday night and took Monday to rest. We had 16 total hours in the car on Sunday driving home. We were determined not to spend another night in a hotel. That has a tendancy to get old.

Joanne and I will be spending some time reflecting on the trip. It might be the last such road trip for us so it has a lot of meaning beyond the spiritual and family connections which it will have bound to us for a long time.

As a reflection, I felt that the visits to the church historical sites were not so much emotional but brought a great deal of reverance and respect. That reverance and respect was for the dedication and commitment of the early members and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have received a greater respect and reverance to the Prophet Joseph Smith as well. To visit Kirtland and Nauvoo and to stand where they stood and to see some of the things they saw has given me a personal connection with the beginnings of the church that can only come from visiting these places personally. To hear of the suffering and pain and sorrow they had to bear means so much more after having seen the places where they suffered so much.

For instance, I have a much greater understanding of the pain and sorrow they felt as the saints lined up along the Trail of Hope and looking back at their beloved Nauvoo temple knowing they would never see that place or that temple again. Having stood at the end of Parley Street and looking back at the temple on the hill gave me just a small sampling of what those saints might have felt. It has been a humbling experience that I shall never forget.

I think Joanne and I will remember this trip for the rest of our lives. I know we will have many more highlights, but this will certainly be on the top of the list.

Boy was I scared!!!

I've never had an experience like this before. The one thing I was concerned about before we left was possible tornados along the way to Utah. Well, it happened today. I was really scared as we had no place to get shelter in case tornadoes dropped down. It was very scary. Tonight we are in a hotel in Lexington, Nebraska and there is another batch of storms on the way with severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes developing again. At least we have shelter but I worry about my car getting pelted with hail again. I could never live in a place like this. Sounds like a common theme here. We were listening to the radio during the storm and people were calling in to report what they could see. One woman was so cheerful as she reported the wind and hail broke her windows in her house and she was headed to her cellar.....Huh? I guess they are used to it here. She didn't seem phased by it at all. The DJ on the radio was saying the large super cell was one of the worse he's ever seen reported. Well that didn't make me feel any better either. Thankfully the Lord blessed us and kept us safe. I prayed for safety and am so thankful. We are just ready to go home now. We've seen everything and saw the boys so we've got our eyes homeward now. We miss the cats!!!! I'll be glad to get out of the states where severe storms are so common.

Tornado warnings in Nebraska

We left Utah this morning to head home. We figured the kids might want some time to chill before their vacations were over so we left a day or two early. Good timing.....we hit rain in Wyoming. Right after we entered Nebraska -for a short distance- was bright and sunny. Just before we got to Ogalalla we hit a very large thunderstorm cell. Joanne turned on the radio and checked our weather and we were headed right for a severe storm with tornado warnings. We drove for a short distance before the rain and hail stopped us. We waited for a few minutes (along with everyone else) and then started up again. We went another two or three miles and had to stop again. The clouds were black as pitch and stretched all the way to the ground. We got hailed on again. Joanne was petrified....as a New Englander she has not really seen this type of weather before. We got going again and had to stop once more in the clouds, rain and hail. Luckily, this time the storm moved itself north of I-80 and we were able to go on. A little inconvenient as we lost some time so we did not make it as far as we wanted. Tomorrow we will be trying to make a long haul as we are ready to get back home.

Buddy and the Kids

I can't let this blog go without mentioning Buddy. He is Dan's 18 month old Blue Heeler. What a character he is. I have a grand puppy. He is so busy all the time and is extremely friendly and funny. I have enjoyed him alot. He sure has made us laugh. He is very attached to his "daddy", Dan. He hates it when Dan leaves him at home. I spent a couple of days cleaning Dan's little house he bought in Orem. It is an older home that has alot of potential. It needs a little work but it's a cute house. I had that house so clean by yesterday that it looked so nice. We took Dan out to buy him some things for the house and a table for his kitchen at Deseret Industries. It's starting to look like a very comfortable home. I've enjoyed serving Dan in his home. I am proud of him. Matt is still funny as ever. He and I sat in the back seat all the way to Moab. He made me laugh quite a few times. I truly enjoy being around my sons and Buddy. I almost didn't recognize Dan. His hair is very long now and very thick. Saturday we head for home. Friday we will go to a movie and dinner and then we will prepare for the long ride home. We miss our cats at home and know it is time to go back. We can't leave the ward too long. I am not used to the heat here in Utah especiallyMoab. Dry heat or not it is still 102 degrees!!!! We hear it has been raining alot at home. Awe...New England. Still home to me regardless of the rain.

Joanne's Thoughts

It's Wednesday night. Our time with the kids is coming to a close. It's been great to see them. We had a good day today here in Moab. It was very hot today. We did a little hiking to see the arches then we headed for the "Delicate Arches". We started a 1.5 mile hike to the arch however, we turned around about half way or a little further. It was so hot that I was having trouble breathing climbing up hills. There was a huge rock that we had to climb to get to the arch but I was unable to make it. We are over 5,000 feet above sea level here and the air is thinner. I am not used to the thin air and the heat really got to me. I had to stop often just to breath. Dan was so sweet with concern for me. We had plenty of water but I just had to give up. I was disappointed. I think I was getting dehydrated even though we had water. It was 102 degrees in the sun. Also on Saturday, I got a pretty good sun burn at Martin's Cove so I was worried about burning again. I was being very careful. The Arches are really magnificent! An amazing natural phenomenon. Everywhere you look there are different rock formations and arches in a red color. We are truly in the desert here. Dan absolutely loves it here! I hated to disappoint him when I had to turn back from the hike. All three of my guys were very sweet especially Dan. He insisted I sit in the front seat to get soome cool air in the car afterwards.

Saturday we visited Martin's Cove, Devil's Gate and Indipendence Rock. We climbed the rock and then walked to Martin's Cove and Devil's Gate from the Visitor's Center. I was surprised at Martin's Cove. I thought the Saints camped in a small spot where the mountain curves in for shelter. I was surprised they camped about 3 miles from the Sweetwater River up in the mountain a ways. It was very sad to contemplate the hardship they endured there. Many died from exposure. The cove is a grassy area where about 500 people took shelter up the hill at the base of the mountain. We also saw the area where the four young men in the rescue company actually walked the people across the Sweetwater in their arms so they wouldn't have to walk in the icy water. That act alone is an inspiration to me. They saved many lives and for the remainder of their lives the four young men suffered physical ailments due to that act of love and service. Because of them, many lived. We did alot of walking on Saturday. Probably about 6 miles in all. I got a nasty sunburn on my neck and arms. I was uncomfortable for a couple of days. That is why I was so careful today. I am always in awe when I read about the hardship the Saints had at Martin's Cove. The human spirit and the will to survive is an amazing thing. I have great love and respect for those who sacrificed so much for the gospel.

Tomorrow, we will view some more arches and go to a place called "Dead Horse Canyon". He said it looks like a small version of the Grand Canyon. Our eyes are starting to turn towards home. We are getting ready to head back on Saturday. We dread the drive.

Martin's Cove and Independence Rock

On Saturday, June 20th, we left Casper, WY to drive south towards Alcova, WY where Independence Rock, Devil's Gate and the Handcart Visitor's Center are located. We climbed Independence Rock to the top to look at the inscriptions are. The oldest one we found was from 1852. Independence Rock was about 8 or 9 stories high (130 feet high according to Wikepedia). There are no steps or ropes or anything to help climbers. You just climb up and then climb down. It is a really cool view from the top. It is also neat to see inscriptions carved in the rock from the mid 1800's. A lot of history. It is very humbling to see this place especially given the really barren nature of the landscape. How the pioneers survived is amazing to me.

We then went to Devil's Gate and the Handcart Visitor's Center. We spent a lot longer time there than we anticpated. Initially we thought we would be there about an hour.....but boy we were wrong. A lot of the sites are a good walk from the visitors center. Devil's Gate is about a mile and a half walk. The walk to Martin's Cove is two miles just to get to the entrance to the 2.3 miles loop around Martin's Cove. We got a little sun-burned too. Just underestimated the walking distances and the time delay. We never got to Utah until 8 PM that night.

It is hard to put into words the spirit that is found in Martin's Cove. It is a peacful place that Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley once described as ground that is as sacred as any of our temples. The pioneers were committed to going to the Salt Lake Valley and after all the persecution that drove them out of Nauvoo to the valley, over 150 of the saints in the Martin and Willey handcart companies never made it to Utah.

Arches Nat'l Park, Moab, UT

Today we drove down to Moab to visit the Arches National Park. It was about a four hour drive and it got hot. At one point it was 102 degrees. The sun is shining very bright here and that added to the overall heat. We got several pictures of the sites. It was hot enough today so that we called it a little early....just too darn hot. But we have seen a lot of the park and are now cooliing off with the AC in our hotel room. The park was pretty busy today it seemed to me and Dan says that weekends are even busier.

It is really magnificent here. The red rocks are vivid in color and the formations are amazing. Huge rocks balance carefully on the top of some formations. In time you know they will come crashing down when the upright support rocks give way through wind and rain erosion.

The arches are pretty interesting too. Some of them are huge. Some are smaller. But the formations are pretty impressive to see close up.

Over the last few days we have not had any internet access at Dan's house so we have not had a chance to add to the blog. The motel here has some wifi so we can catch up. But we will head back to Orem tomorrow and then spend Friday together. It looks now like we will be leaving for home early on Saturday morning. Gee, I dread the drive back!!!!

And we drove and drove and drove and drove....

Today is June 19th. We left Grand Island, Nebraska this morning about 8:00 AM central Time and made the decision to drive to Casper, WY. The first time we drove through this part of the country in 1981, I remember thinking that Wyoming was ugly but today as we drove through I was remarking how beautiful the country side is also in Nebraska. We drove through the first time in February so that might have been the difference even if there was no snow. As we drove today, I studied the terrain and tried to picture the Saints pulling their handcarts over cliffs and bluffs and flat land. I remarked that there is little in the way of water sources. I am more in awe of them from the experiences we have had this week. Tomorrow will be heart felt as we tour Martin's Cove. I have read so much about the suffering that occurred there that it will seem so real once I view and picture the scenes of tragedy and heroism back in the 1800's. I am not enjoying the area we are in tonight however. Alot of people smoke and eventhough we have a non smoking room, I can still smell cigarette smoke. Everyone I see is smoking. We went out to eat tonight and the first thing that attacked our noses was ciarette smoke. There are no laws prohibiting smoking in public places here like at home. I could hardly wait to finish my meal. Bob just took a shower before we went so he will have to shower again to get the smell out. Won't be a good thing for Bishop to go to the Visitor's Center smelling like he just walked out of a bar!!!! We are definitely in cowboy land here. It's fun to see how others live. It's definitely not for me, however, No mall and almost no trees!!! After we tour the historic sites tomorrow, we are heading straight for Utah where the most beautiful sight is for me....the faces of my sons! We look forward to spending the week with them. Tomorrow is Bob's birthday and Sunday is Father's Day so we are going to celebrate those events with the kids. Dan is preparing for us arriving and staying at the little house he bought. So on we go for the last leg of our journey to Utah. All is Well....All is Well....... Joanne

Travel Day today

Today was a travel day for us. We left Grand Island, NE this morning and traveled up to Casper, WY. We came a little north so we can visit the Handcart Visitors Center in Alcova while we drive back towards I-80. There certainly is a big sky here. It is kind of a nice change from New England.

Winter Quarters in Omaha

In looking at the trip itinerary and the time we had left to get to the end of this first leg of the road trip, we decided -rather relunctantly - to skip the Missouri sites and go directly to Winter Quarters. We traveled a long time it seemed, but made it to Winter Quarters in Omaha by 2:45 PM. We went through the visitor's center which had some really great exhibits and was very interesting. We then went across the street to visit the cemetary. It struck me that we were standing on pretty sacred ground. The saints had been driven out of Nauvoo only to reach Winter Quarters where some of them died. These would never make it to the Salt Lake Valley. It was a humbling experience.

We then visited the temple grounds. The Winter Quarters temple is truly a magnificent building with terraces on different levels. It also had some really impressive stained glass windows. The temple was dedicated in 2001 and sits on a hill. It was really warm here in Omaha today. The car thermometer said 95 degrees. It was a good stop though.

It certainly gave us a glimpse of the hardships these pioneers went through. I sometimes wonder if I could have endured the same things they endured. We left winter quarters with a greater admiration of these stout pioneers.

Nauvoo the Beautiful

What a beautiful place Nauvoo is. I'm so glad we came here. Tonight we ended our time in Nauvoo by going to the temple. It's decorated in the theme of the 1800's with some of the most beautiful furnishings and lightings. The colors of the wood work is dark cherry. The spiral staircase is gorgeous. After we came out, the sun was setting and we had the most beautiful view of the Mississippi River. There is a touching huge sculpture of Joseph and Hyrum on horses looking over their beloved Nauvoo on their way to Carthage Jail. Very moving. I loved the Mansion House. Very elegant. We saw the grave sites of Joseph, Emma, Hyrum, Joseph, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. A very moving walk was walking down Parley Street and reading several plaques of actual journal entries of Saints who were forced out of Nauvoo by the mobs as they waited to cross the Mississippi into Iowa during a miserably cold, snowy and rainy night. The trail is called "Trail of Hope". It is hard to not weep as I read those plaques and turned to look at the Nauvoo Temple and imagine the awful night the saints left their homes and this beautiful place. I even read the words of the midwife who states she delivered 9 babies that awful night. Very moving. I can't describe it. We are tired tonight after such a busy day. It was in the 90's and very humid. Tonight the weather stations are announcing tornado watches in Iowa and local areas. Yikes! Also Missouri where we are headed tomorrow. I hope the weather subsides so we can travel in safety. We didn't get to see everything, especially the shows, but we feel satisfied at what we saw. One thing I loved was seeing Mary Fielding Smith's temple clothing displayed in a glass case inside the temple. She was one of my heros. I loved it. Tomorrow, Liberty Jail, Far West and Independence. Can't wait to see those sites as well. This has been a wonderful trip so far!!!! Joanne

More of the Story

The wifi in this hotel is so weak and sporadic, I am posting today's info separately. The laptop sees the wifi sometimes but other times the signal is so weak that the computer disconnects. So I have to blog each story separately.

Today we spent the entire day at the sites of Nauvoo. This is a beautiful place. It has really brought the Church history alive. Joanne and I took two horse-drawn carriage rides to different sites today. We spent time at the LDS visitors center and also at sites of the Community of Christ Church. We went to the Nauvoo Temple to end our trip today. It is the most magnificent temple I have ever seen. It rivals the beauty and magnificance of the Washington Temple. It has been a very busy, long and tiring day but we are really glad that we have come.

Trying to catch up

We headed for Nauvoo on Tuesday. It was a long, long way (over 600 miles) but made good time and with the change of clocks back an hour we got here at about 3 PM. Not much here---we haven't seen a McDonald's for 50 miles. We stopped in at Carthage, IL first as it was on the way to Nauvoo.

The jail was an inspiring place. I took a bunch of photos. This one is of the stairs where the mob broke in and assassinated the prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum. It was emotional in many ways. It brought this part of the history book alive.

The Trip Out West

Tonight we are sitting in our motel in Ohio. Last night we spent the night near Palmyra, NY. The hotel was expensive but did not have wifi.....so much for Quality Inn. Anyway, we are at a motel 6 and they have internet.

Anyway, we spent today in Kirtland, OH looking at the church historic sites. We started at the Church's historic Kirtland sites. We had a great time and saw a lot there. We saw the office for Joseph Smith over the Whitney store. We also saw the room which served as the School of the Prophets. Sure makes the Doctrine and Covenants have so much more meaning. There was a great feeling of the spirit here. So much history for the church happened right here in Kirtland. It is a very historic and inspiring place.

We then went to the Kirtland Temple. This is a magnificent building. After hearing so much about it and reading so much about it, it was great to actually see the building in person. The workmanship was incredible when you consider it was built under such great tribulation and poverty. Truly a tremendous feat by the early saints here.

We will be off tomorrow to Nauvoo, IL and it will be almost a full day of driving. We can't wait to see what is there.

Saturday, June 13th

Maddening when this things doesn't work well. So I will try again!!!!

The wife and I are off on our first road trip since a long, long time ago. We will be driving to the West and stopping off at various LDS historic sites along the way. We have not had this opportunity for an extended length of time and so we are sure we will have some fatigue. But we are looking forward to this and will keep a travel log here in our blog.

Pease Family

This blog is about me and my family. There is nothing too remarkable about us. But we are a close family and that is what really counts.