Cross Coutry Drive from Utah to Virginia!!!

I would have to say for only having a week to plan our drive across country it was a perfect way to start our family adventure. It took us from Monday 11:00am to 9:30pm on Friday. I think with our kids we timed it just right. We had plenty of play time at our stops and drove about eight hours each afternoon into bed time. I had a huge box of prizes they couold open when getting unsettled in the car, one movie a day while driving, and snacks. It was a real success. We drove through Wyoming straight to Custer South Dakota. We camped at Flintstone Village which the kids LOVED! Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse the next day. Then slept in Omaha Nebraska Tuesday night. Winter Quarters on Wenesday, then the Nauvoo Pageant Wednesday night. Nauvoo all day Thursday. Drove through the most spectacular rain storm I have ever seen while we drove through Iowa and slept in Columbus Ohio. Had a fabulous breakfast at the local Waffle House (okay it was really dirty and disgusting, but hey you have to try it, right.) Woke up on Friday morning drove through West Virginia; the Shenanadoah Valley, and Appalachian Mountains, and arrived in beautiful Norfolk that night.

NAUVOO, ILLINOIS

Ox ride is only ten minutes and you get personal time with them. With kids I would recommend this over the horse wagon ride. Kids loved that one of the ox names was Owen like their cousin.
Typical Malakai trying to show the love, and Raiyah acting like she is annoyed but loving every minute.

This was the kids favorite place. They played school with the sister missionaries, in one of the old schools.
Getting energy out before another long car ride.
Our goal was to wear them out every day. This was always accomplished their eyes would close the minute we put them down, and they would be out. Such sweet little angels.

I was able to go inside and do some work in the Nauvoo Temple. It was so beautiful. I am so happy they built after the old one. The Spirit was wonderful in this city, and temple.


WINTER QUARTERS TEMPLE AND VISITORS CENTER IN OMAHA NEBRASKA

I'll be honest we almost did not stop here, and were going to take the kids to the local zoo. I am so glad we didn't miss it. It was our favorite stop on our drive. We pulled into the temple parking lot, and thought it was beautiful just like all the other temples. But until we actually walked the grounds we didn't realize how special this temple is. I have never felt such deep reverance before. We were truly on sacred ground. We ended up spending several hours touring the visitors center which was wonderful, and the pioneer cemetary where they have a memorial built for all of the pioneers that died here. I didn't want to leave this place. I will never forget the humble testimony I gained here.



MOUNT RUSHMORE

I have had this on my bucket list for a long time. I am very glad to say it did not dissapoint all of my anticipation. What an incredible tribute to our country. I am so grateful I was able to see it. I am very glad we put this on the itinerary.

WASHINGTON: Birth of our country

JEFFERSON: Expansion of the nation

LINCOLN: Preservation of the nation

ROOSEVELT: Development of our country


Side Note: wait for another twenty years (maybe it will be done by then) before you pay to go see the Crazy Horse sculpture, which is right by Mount Rushmore. We paid $20.00 to drive into the park, and then saw the exact same thing we saw while driving on the road outside of the park. Only the head is sculpted so far which is amazing, but again you can see it from the road. Don't waste your $20.00 driving into their money making park. If someone doesn't agree you can let me know. :)


FLINTSTONE VILLAGE IN CUSTER SOUTH DAKOTA
Ryan had visited this place when he was little, I am glad he had us go here. I wouldn't say it's very classy but it was fun for the kids. There is a huge playgroud, swimming pool, tons of little houses from the Flintstones: you can't go in them just look inside-we wanted to go inside. :) There is a train ride, a car ride, and even a show by Fred, Wilma, and Dino. The show was quite pathetic, the characters did the same motion over and over again for fifteen minutes while they played songs from a cd but again the kids got a kick out of it. They loved meeting Fred and Barney afterwards. Raiyah couldn't figure out why they felt like fur. Again, I wouldn't tell anyone to go to Custer South Dakota just to go here but if you are going to Mount Rushmore I would highly recommend staying here and playing in the park the next day before moving on to see Mount Rushmore.

This is us racing in the parking lot in no where middle america. I wanted to buy Riayah a pair of sandals so I asked the pizza hut girl if they had like a mall. She pointed to the wal mart and said, "yes, there it is." It was quite comical.