Illinois, Missouri, Back To Illinois, and then Iowa. What Fun!

This morning started bright and early with a trip to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Did you know that it was actually a tribute to Thomas Jefferson? I didn't! And that it's taller than the Washington Memorial? Who knew! I loved the arch, loved the museum, loved the cool little tram pods. Awesome.

Then it was off to Springfield to see the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln. Actually, it has been far from resting for him. If you are interested, check out the Wikipedia site that will tell you how often his coffin has been removed, attempts have been made to abduct it, and how many times it has actually been opened! Very sad. The tomb is beautiful and full of his best speeches. I am always overwhelmed by his words. Especially when I remember that he did not have a speech writer!

This was an important visit for me to make. When I first moved to Washington, D.C., I always would go to the Lincoln Memorial before I left town to say goodbye to Mr. Lincoln. Now that we are moving, it was good to say goodbye in this sacred spot.

We then got on a cursed state road and made the journey to Carthage, Illinois. The good thing about doing all of this in the dead of winter is that we have these amazing places basically to ourselves. I was grateful for the opportunity to sit in the upper room at Carthage and remember how grateful I was for the lives of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

Just when we thought we could not pack more into a day, we went to Nauvoo! We spent some time at the Visitor's Center, walked around the temple, ate dinner and then went to the play at the cultural center.

Tonight we're in Iowa. Tomorrow we'll have more adventures!