Adventure Road Trip Week 3

The adventure in Georgia ended with a few tears but I was also ready to be on my way to explore new horizons. First, I drove to York, South Carolina, to visit with someone I went to high school with. Thanks to Facebook and a recent reunion, she and I have been in touch (loosely) the past couple of years. She has a great husband and a son going in to 8th grade this year. I enjoyed chatting with all of them, and they even took me to dinner at a great Japanese Steak House where we ended up sitting by a man from Park City, Utah, who was there on business. "It's a Small World" strikes again!

I made it to Salisbury (pronounced "Salzbery" by the locals, apparently) rather later than expected, but luckily, Kim, my former college roommate, and her husband had waited up for me so I didn't have to sleep in my car or anything. After crashing on their couch for the night, I got to greet their 3 sweet boys and say hello to a salamander, a HUGE spider with all her little spider babies (about 1,000), 27 "CARS" cars (we counted them) and a herd of rubber ducks. And that was only the beginning of what promised to be an exciting day.

We all spent the day at Kim's in-laws' beautiful home on High Rock Lake. There was a lot to do, including kayaking and swimming in the lake and getting pulled around by a jetski. Another former roommate, Tonya, who lives about an hour and a half away, came over with her husband and 6 kids. We enjoyed visiting and even playing a little in the water with the kids.

2 of Kim's boys

My expert rowing abilities

Kim & I on our "grandma-speed" ride, with her son mocking our fear...

Still look like college kids, right??

The next day, Kim & I spent together, walking and driving around the area to see some historical sites, including beautiful houses and a Confederate Prison Cemetery. We even braved chiggers in the grass to visit an old cemetery that has 4 mystery "pirate" grave markers!

A home from the 1700's in downtown Salsbury

Monument to fallen soldiers from Pennsylvania

Military Cemetery built near a former Confederate prison site

2 of the mystery pirate headstones
from the 1700's

I took off on Wednesday to blaze a trail on my own. In one day, I drove through North Carolina, a small part of Virginia, all of West Virginia, and Ohio. I enjoyed singing at the top of my lungs through the green, gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, and felt a connection to the shabby little coal mining towns of West Virginia. I found out later that I may have some ancestors who came from that area.
I spontaneously stopped at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, where a model of a mini coal mining town exists that you can explore.

West Virginia - through my windshield

One room schoolhouse

Typical street in a WV mining town... I think. 

In Ohio, I drove into a storm - black clouds on the horizon, gigantic lightning splitting the sky - through the driving rain and gusty winds, then out the other side where the sun broke through the clouds. (This is the picture at the top of this post - I HAD to stop and take it!)

After enduring one night in a supremely run-down hotel in Columbus, Ohio (seriously - I don't think anything had been updated, fixed, or deep-cleaned since the 80's), I drove on to Indianapolis. I enjoyed the unique buildings downtown, and spent an hour visiting the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. I thought about climbing the 330 stairs, but I had left my car near a parking meter and was afraid the time would run out before I could get back down. So I wimped out and took the elevator to the top. Good thing, too - the stairs were narrow and hot, and I think I would have had an attack of anxiety due to claustrophobia. It was bad enough in the tiny elevator. The view from the top, however, was spectacular.

Soldiers & Sailors Monument

See that narrow stairway??

Me at the top

Cool Church downtown

My next destination: Nauvoo, Illinois. The first thing I did was drive toward the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It is incredible - you drive west on Mulholland Street, and you can't see the temple at all. Then, suddenly, it snaps into your view, huge and majestic, taking your breath away.

My quaint little motel room was a dream compared to where I'd just come from, so I was very excited. I set out on foot to explore some of the town.

My little room with a real quilt!

 That night, I went to the Nauvoo Pageant, prepared for something similar to the Manti Pageant I've seen a few times. There was absolutely no comparison - I was blown away. There was an actual stage and lighting and the actors had microphones - it was more like a play. I was so caught up in the spirit and the stories of these faithful people who built and lived in Nauvoo so long ago.... my favorite part was the entire cast dressed in light clothing, the temple lit behind them, singing "The Spirit of God", and the actor portraying Joseph Smith speaking his testimony of the Savior. Very powerful. And I realized, as I looked at the picture I took, that it looks like the spirits of the people there. It felt like they were there, too.

No flash with my camera means blurry pictures... but you get the idea.

I wish I could have stayed in Nauvoo longer, but I'm grateful for the time I had. I spent the morning in a temple session, then drove to the end of Parley Street, where the Mormons lined up their wagons to cross the Mississippi River when they were driven out of their homes. It must have taken immense faith, courage, and determination for them to leave all they had built behind and follow a prophet into the unknown.

 

Statue of Joseph & Hyrum Smith- last look at Nauvoo before they went to Carthage and were killed.

Statue of Joseph Smith & Brigham Young discussing moving the Saints west.

The wagons were loaded onto flatboats to cross the Mississippi.

The wide Mississippi

Well, that brings me to tonight. I am sitting in the most luxurious hotel room I've stayed in since my days traveling as a software trainer. Good 'ol hotwire.com - 3 star hotel for a 1 star price! I am loving it - especially since check out isn't until noon tomorrow, so I can be lazy in the morning.

My adventures are winding to a close. But I am still trying to enjoy each part of the journey - even the travels home.