Day 31,32, and 33: Carthage, Nauvoo, and Belleville, IL.

Greetings from Frank and Kathy Rudoolph's home in Belleville, IL.


I have been without internet access for the past two days (no such thing in the Old Nauvoo Motel) so I am going to catch us up tonight in one fell swoop... besides, it is late and I am really tired (and church comes early in these parts!)


Thursday we left Brandyn, Jen, and the boys and drove along the Mississippi River to Carthage, IL. It was an incredibly beautiful drive; all on back country roads.



In Carthage, we visited the Carthage Jail, the site of the martyrdom of Brothers Joseph and Hyrum by a murderous mob on June 24, 1844. We have been here before, but it still had a profound effect on both of us.







Then we drove to Nauvoo, IL to see the temple. When we were here in 1999, the temple had not even been announced. What a magnificent site to come around the corner and see this sacred edifice standing there once again after having been destroyed around 1850 by an arsonist and then finished off by a tornado.



I started to take photos as the evening sun was setting...









and continued to take them well after sunset.









The setting is beautiful.









This statue depicts the last ride that Joseph and Hyrum took together as they stopped in front of the temple for the last time before riding to Carthage "like lambs to the slaughter".




On Friday, we spent the entire day visiting the historical sites and the reenactments of the Old Nauvoo scenes.


We began with horse-drawn wagon tour through the streets of Nauvoo and then took a horse-drawn carriage ride through the surrounding woodlands up to Inspiration Point overlooking the Missisippi River.






Two of my favorite places were the Blacksmith/Wainright Shop and the Home of Jonathon Browning, the inventer of the Browning Rifles who has done more for the security of the United States than any other person who has ever lived here.






Last evening we saw a show put on by the senior missionary couples in the Old Cultural Hall called "Rendezvous Old Nauvoo". It was a great show full of laughter, tears, singing, and dancing.


Just prior to the show, Debra walked the "Trail of Hope" while I caught Joseph and Brigham watching the sunset over the Mississippi...











This morning we were able to attend an Endowment Service in the Temple. This was one of the most favorite services I have ever experienced.



This is a very beautiful temple and the spirit is strong within.









As we left Nauvoo, we turned and saw the temple on the hill and experienced, a fraction of the feelings that the Saints must have felt as they left their "Nauvoo the Beautiful" willingly for the last time (under the extermination order issued by Governor Ford), and started their treks west to the Great Salt Lake Valley.





This afternoon, we drove through Iowa,



Missouri,







and back into Illinois before arriving here in Belleville for a visit with Deb's brother ans sister-in-law.









We went to their grandson Trevor's baseball game and I took these cute photos of their granddaughter Josie with grandpa Frank.

Kathy and Deb went to a Community Theatre production and Frank and I looked at photos of our trip and talked about family history.


Tomorrow we will go to a Ward here in Belleville and then we will visit with the family.