Saturday, June 7, 2014

Day 6 Waters of Mormon


Today was our last day. ):

It's was a pretty amazing. We went to what Rod and Wayne believe was the "Waters of Mormon. It was beautiful! We didn't want to leave but we decided to because there were to many nats!





With Stephine and Kels Goodman. (:


Family pictures kinda.



Approving that the Waters of Mormon was good water!



And also there was a park next to the Big 
Spring. Mom,Dad and I had just to much fun.

The swings with my mamma! 


The teeter totter with papa!



Day 5 Fiddlers catfish & seafood.


From the title you probably thought I ate catfish or seafood, NOPE! There was everything but that , that I saw. 


My reaction to going to Fiddlers last night. After this creepy picture I took of a catfish playing the violin I couldn't sleep.





Friday, June 6, 2014

Day 5 Stone fort.



Stone Fort!






Cute little rocky stream.


Stone walls.



This is how tall the stone walls were in the 1800's and 1900's. 


Hidden passageways where the Nephites could of escaped from: 

 




At the top of this big rock! 


The bus from the edge of the cliff!



This is downtown Makada very close to the Stone Forts!





Driving out of town I came across a cute little water tower. This yellow thing made me smile it's so adorable!



Day 5 Cahokia Mounds.


I'm splitting today up because most of the day today we will be driving! (My favorite thing) 


Driving into Cahokia Mounds! 



(This is the biggest mound in the Americas)



In the Cahokia museum. 



Some of the artifacts found.






Some pottery.



Awesome paintings.





Different types of mounds.






This little structure shows that this Monk Mound is what it's called is bigger and more grand then the pyramids, even though the pyramids are taller than this mound but this mound is wider. 




Archeologists found peoples skeletons.



Woodhenge.


This is how tall the walls around this city basically were.
( don't mind me )



This is how small the entrance was. The people had to go  through the walls One by One. 


 The Cahokia Mounds were not build by the Hopewell. They could of been there but we don't know. Also the Lamanites might have been there but the time frame is still a little confusing. No one really knows who was here but Someone was here.

Day 4-5 Hotel



The hotel was pretty cool. See through elevator and also a inside pool right as you walk in. And this hotel is only a Best Western! 



Thursday, June 5, 2014

Day 4 Zelph Mound, Nauvoo, Zarahemla temple site, Little Mound Cemetary.



Today was a pretty awesome day if you ask me. By the way if any of you are confused the Hopewell people are the Nephites. (: 



We drove by The Illinois River before stopping at the Zelph Mound. The Background of the Zelph Mound if you don't know is that, Joseph Smith came here and found a skeleton by the name of Zelph which he is pretty tall. In one of the pictures below there is a replica of his femur bone. This Lamanite was at least 6,8. Jospeh also found a arrowhead in his side. 







At the top of this mound I probably saw at least 100 spiders, in the time span of an hour at least. I felt like I was Ron Weasly in "Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets". I was pretty freaked out. When we could go down back to the bus I basically ran. I got the chills just a little. Have fun sleeping tonight. (;  



This is the arrowhead replica that was in Zeplth the Lamanite. (Sorry for the butt shot) 




Pictures of the Mississippi River, on the way to Nauvoo. 




In Nauvoo the Community of Christ is working on a digging project at the site of Jospeh Smith Sr. 's house. They have found arrowheads,  buttons and pottery while digging around this area.



Jospeh and Emma's mansion in Nauvoo.



The Navuoo Temple. I got some pretty awesome shots.







The Navuoo Temple Missions President and his wife talking to Rod and the Group.  



Later on to find out the mission presidents wife was a sister with one of us patrons on the tour. 




The statue of jospeh & hyram. Also the garden around the statue.





  

Loving the Navuoo temple site!! 


Temple Site of Zarahemla

Background: Wayne Has been trying to purchase this land for 3 years now, and finally he was able to purchase it. We were the first tour to come to Zarahemla.
You could feel the spirt and faith while having a troubling and powerful  experience. One of the old Owners were tryng to kick us off his property while having a big dog barking in the back of is truck ( they also could of had guns in the back of their trucks too). Just like the enemy's of the church kicking the saints out of Navuoo ages ago. 



Just like in the scriptures, Zarahemla is across the river from the Navuoo temple. A beautiful view! 



This statue is Jospeh smith showing Brigham young the direction and the place where the temple site of  Zarahemla is at.


On the drive over to Zarahemla there was a pretty creepy Prison. The entrance looks like an medival castle of hell pretty much. And scary enough there's a cute little park and mini golf  area right after the gates. 





After dinner Wayne and Rod took us on a surprise mound trip. It's called Little Mound Cemetary. This was a Hopewell burial mound. All around this Cemetary is corn fields. The Hopewell people would of lived in the back of the mound. 




(I'm sorry I didn't get a very awesome picture of the mound. It's pretty big to be a "little mound") 



Wayne trying to find structures using a GPR.





Wayne is pretty sure that at the top of the mound there used to stand a Synagog. 
( a school, or a  place of learning)

Where the Hopewell would live. (Think the cornfields) 



I got a pretty funny shot of Wayne and Rod posing for a unknown picture. It's not very funny but it's still good. 


More cornfield in the front of the "little mound.