Starr Road Trip: Day Ten.

We started out the next morning at the Trail of Hope. Instead of being blistering cold and snowy, it was SO HOT and SO MUGGY. The heat index was at 112 degrees that day and we all felt it. But I was determined that we experience the city and all it had to offer. Despite being so hot, the Trail of Hope was a moving experience as we read each of the accounts of the early Saints leaving Nauvoo in faith and hope of a better place to freely worship God. You can just see in our red faces how incredibly hot it was out, even before we started the trail, so I was so proud of everyone for persevering on and making it to the end. The kids definitely liked finally reaching the Mississippi River and being under the shade. I think it also helped them understand a little better the endurance it took for the Saints to withstand such extreme weather.

Later, we met up with Grandma and Grandpa Starr to walk the old streets of Nauvoo and visit the shops and hear about what life was like when the Saints lived there. We went to the Blacksmith shop, the bakery, the post office, the gun shop, the Visitor's Center, the tabernacle, and to the old homes of the Prophet Joseph Smith and others. It was so nice when we went somewhere with air conditioning! I just prayed and hoped that despite the heat, the kids were feeling what I had felt as a child visiting Nauvoo and that the Spirit was testifying to them that these people were real and that all of these events are true and that the Lord was with them as he is with us today. 

 How blessed we were to come back to our air conditioned temporary home that afternoon and enjoy a nice, cool drink and rest! We loved having dinner all together and playing games and talking the rest of the day.

Starr Road Trip: Day Nine.

The next day we made our way to NAUVOO!!! Being in the same state as Chicago, this was probably our shortest driving distance the whole trip...a whopping 4 and a half hours. Short and sweet. However, a bit rainy and stormy near the end of the trip which caused a few tears from some people and some excitement from others in our family. 

Nauvoo is a very special place for me as I went there often with my family and friends growing up in the midwest. My testimony of my Savior and His restored gospel truly took root and grew as I visited the sacred grounds of Nauvoo and learned more about the Book of Mormon, the faith and sacrifice of the early Saints, prophets of God, and the purpose of temples. Because of these experiences, Nauvoo will always hold a very special place in my heart.

So it was very fitting and wonderful when we met my parents there that evening! We were so excited to see Grammy and Papa and later on, to meet up with Jonathan's parents too and spend more time with them.

The house we were staying in happened to be across the street from the beautiful Nauvoo temple. We walked around the grounds and watched as the sun set on this magnificent and holy edifice. I could not stop taking pictures of this beautiful place and was so happy to be there all together with my family.

Starr Road Trip: Day Eight.

On our last day in Chicago, we spent the day at Navy Pier taking in the rides, the fountain, the foods, and then the Beach!

We walked around the pier and found some fun Chicagoan souvenirs to remember our time here: magnets, shirts, etc. We also found the famous Garret's Popcorn and tried all the kinds. It was delicious! Then Evan and Daddy took a ride on the HUGE ferris wheel that we had seen from our hotel window everyday. Madelyn and Luke enjoyed the big swings and Henry, Jane, and I were content to watch from the sidelines.

Then the kids changed into their swimsuits and played around in the fountains right next to the pier. 

Jane loved exploring all around and Luke had a very memorable picture taken next to him posing by a shooting fountain. : )

Then we headed to the Ohio St. Beach just a few blocks away. We spent the afternoon building sandcastles, jumping the waves, and burying each other in the sand. The sun came out and it was a magical time. Jonathan and I looked around at each other and our kids and felt very grateful.

 

We came back to the hotel and enjoyed watching fireworks from our window. We loved our time in Chicago!

Starr Road Trip 2018: Day Seven.

For our big family, sometimes it's hard to find activities that all of us enjoy, especially the kids ranging in ages from 14 down to 3. But the Museum of Science and Industry was one of those perfect places that had it all! In fact, I think Madelyn (our then 13-year-old) enjoyed it the most.

It was educational, but sneakily so. The museum had tons of hands-on activities, as well as demonstrations and visual aids and even a couple of rides. The kids loved going on the flight simulators. There were several levels of the the museum and each one contained a different theme or time period and the exhibits are ever-changing.

While we were there we learned about different modes of transportation, food and nutrition, pregnancy and how babies grow and develop, weather, history of America and business (we even saw a replica of the first Walgreens), sea life, electronics and technology - just to name a few. We could've spent the entire day there and we almost did! I think we were there for about 7 hours.

That evening we went to the famous Dylan's Candy Bar shop. It was pretty incredible and loaded with sugar, sugar, sugary treats. The kids were in HEAVEN! 

And Jonathan and I were in heaven too when we saw the ice cream options. Wow!!

Everyone picked out a treat or two and just enjoyed exploring every inch of the store. There was every candy you've ever heard of, plus tons more. And so many creative creations too.

Jane found this lollipop that was almost the size of her head! Such a fun place! 

Starr Road Trip 2018: Day Six.

The next day we walked over to the famous Millennium Park to join in on some fun activities they had going on. We got to explore different plants and bugs through a microscope, try our hula-hooping skills, make crafts, read books in a giant chair, and listen to a local band perform.

Then we headed over to the iconic Bean and took a million AWESOME pictures. We had such a good time trying different poses and angles. The bean is incredible to see in person.

The park includes a huge and very creative playground that we all loved exploring. Boats, swings, hills, skating areas, slides, climbing, and plenty of grass to run around on. Of course we had to cool down with colorful, and very enticing, bomb pops. It was a hot day!

We introduced the kids to Shake Shack for the first time, or at least the younger four. It was a big hit, of course! On the way home we enjoyed watching the late afternoon light reflect on the water along the beautiful riverwalk. It was also cocktail hour, which was a bit educational for the kids, if you know what I mean...

We indulged in some incredible Chicago-style pizza for dinner and watched the boats sail in the lake until the sun set from our hotel room.