It was a cloudy Tuesday, and we had driven all day through fields and backroads of Missouri in route to Branson. We stopped for fuel in a little town - Mexico, Missouri. (I'm not joking) The truck would not start after fueling. We prayed for help - and it came in the most unusual way! No offense, Mexico, but these tow drivers looked to be hicks or transient workers from the fields! Really? We ask for help, but these guys? The Lord used what he had - and it was humorous! The worn out tow-truck loaded the red Ford, and the "falling apart pickup" towed the trailer to a small Ford dealership in Mexico. The RV trailer was towed to a city park on a small lake. We were there for two days waiting for the mechanic to get us going again. What do you do when it's raining and you don't have wheels, television, or internet? Yikes!
You haul out your featherweight sewing machine (taken along just in case). I could hardly wait to start a new batik project - and I sewed all day long while it rained. What fun. The beautiful pond is below - a walking path all around, of which I walked part way.
I think the different cities must have had a contest for water tower designs.
We stayed in Keokuk, Iowa while we visited Nauvoo, Illinois. Carthage, Illinois (where the jail monument is located) and Hamilton is a small Missouri town that is now the quilting capitol of the USA. Nothing matched the Branson water tower, though. There were two Branson towers that lit up at night in neon! I think we should have a water tower in Portland and move the old Pendleton reindeer on top of it!
The highlight of Branson was the Showboat lake tour and dinner.
The food was tasty and then we had two hours of entertainment while we floated around the lake. Beautiful. Simply beautiful.
We stayed in Keokuk, Iowa while we visited Nauvoo, Illinois. Carthage, Illinois (where the jail monument is located) and Hamilton is a small Missouri town that is now the quilting capitol of the USA. Nothing matched the Branson water tower, though. There were two Branson towers that lit up at night in neon! I think we should have a water tower in Portland and move the old Pendleton reindeer on top of it!
The highlight of Branson was the Showboat lake tour and dinner.
The food was tasty and then we had two hours of entertainment while we floated around the lake. Beautiful. Simply beautiful.
We visited Independence, Missouri, and Liberty, Missouri which are Church historical sites. Liberty Jail is a monument that gives interesting details about the winter months that Joseph Smith was imprisoned before the Saints were evicted from Missouri.
We went to Far West, a preserved site that was once a metropolis of Mormon pioneers. Twenty miles north of Far West was the old Mormon town named Hamilton. Hamilton is the home of Missouri Star Quilt Company. Lest you think we stumbled on this amazing find by accident, it was not. Hamilton is one of the most popular quilting towns, and one of the largest on-line mail order businesses for fabric you can find.. They don't just have one store front - no, there's a separate store for thirty's reproduction prints, a separate store for batiks, a separate store for seasonal and kids prints, a separate for solids.......you get the idea.
We went to Far West, a preserved site that was once a metropolis of Mormon pioneers. Twenty miles north of Far West was the old Mormon town named Hamilton. Hamilton is the home of Missouri Star Quilt Company. Lest you think we stumbled on this amazing find by accident, it was not. Hamilton is one of the most popular quilting towns, and one of the largest on-line mail order businesses for fabric you can find.. They don't just have one store front - no, there's a separate store for thirty's reproduction prints, a separate store for batiks, a separate store for seasonal and kids prints, a separate for solids.......you get the idea.
Hamilton is the home of J.C. Penney. Who would guess? The original Penney's store has been beautifully remodeled into - you guessed it- a fabric store, named Penneys. I was fascinated by the tin ceiling in one of the stores - a jackpot find in the attic of the old store front. If by chance you get to Hamilton, next door to the main quilt store is the most amazing hamburger and ice-cream store in Missouri. (We heard about the hamburgers in Independence)
I didn't see Jennie around the town, but it you want to shop, here's the link. http://www.missouriquiltco.com
Out in the farm lands, north of Liberty was a valley of green lush grass called Far West. It is possible to look in all directions for miles, where you'll be surrounded by rolling prairies, farms and stands of timber. There is no visible evidence that during the years of 1836-39, the city of Far West was a thriving community of estimated ten thousand Latter-day Saints.
We stopped at the "store" (above) and found a total surprise. The store was a modern book store filled with the newest books about this area. Additionally, they had plot maps where I was able to locate the property once owned by my great-great-great grandfather Moore. Grandfather Andrew Moore was one of the owners of land until the anti-Mormons burned the homes of the Mormons and threatened to exterminate any person that remained in Missouri. Grandpa Moore went with the Saints to Nauvoo, Illinois.
We stopped at the "store" (above) and found a total surprise. The store was a modern book store filled with the newest books about this area. Additionally, they had plot maps where I was able to locate the property once owned by my great-great-great grandfather Moore. Grandfather Andrew Moore was one of the owners of land until the anti-Mormons burned the homes of the Mormons and threatened to exterminate any person that remained in Missouri. Grandpa Moore went with the Saints to Nauvoo, Illinois.
Not far from Hamilton and Far West is the Aumish town of Jamesport. We stopped at a little market, hoping to find the local people shopping and their horses and buggies parked outside the store. What this picture doesn't show is the young barefooted woman, dressed in black (including her hat) holding a small baby in one arm and a bucket of strawberries in the other. "No pictures of the people, please." I wanted to sneak a picture of her so badly.
We arrived home Friday, June 12. We had a marvelous trip, with wonderful experiences, having traveled just under 7,000 miles. We are both tired, but so happy to be back to our beds and back to the friends and family we love so much. Thanks to everyone that made our vacation so memorable, especially my family and friends in Utah. . Thanks to my husband, Tom, for driving every single mile, and getting us home safely. I hope you enjoyed traveling along with us by pictures. . xoxox
Harleen
Harleen