Road Trip '08 - Day 2

Day 2 was a busy and eventful day! We got up early and were on the road by 7am. We weren't too sad to say goodbye to the Blue Spruce Inn and it's sketchy accomodations. Our first stop of the day was Winter Quarters, Nebraska, where the pioneers stayed for the winter before going onto Salt Lake. There we toured the Visitor's Center, saw the Mormon Cemetery, and looked at the Winter Quarters Temple from afar (the gates were locked since it was Sunday). Then we headed across the river to Iowa and Council Bluffs, where Brigham Young was ordained 2nd President of the Church. We then travelled the the wetness of Iowa and into Missouri. We drove through a downpour, but other than that, things weren't too bad in Iowa despite all the flooding we saw on the news. Next stop: Independence, Missouri. There we toured the Visitor's Center and saw the Community of Christ Temple. We also stood on the hill where Joseph Smith received revelation about the gathering of Zion to Missouri. Our final stop of the day was Liberty, Missouri, where Joseph Smith was imprisoned for many months. It was sobering to see the terrible conditions he was forced to live in. By this point, we were completely beat, so we stayed the night in Liberty, amidst reports that there was hail the size of golf balls. We didn't see any and our car didn't have any damage, so we were safe.

# of Different State License Plates: 31
Gas Mileage: 35 mpg (stupid ethanol-enriched gas)