Hello! My name is Shannon. I live in the desert with my husband Scott and 3 kids (Conner, Payton, Anna). I have been blogging since 2005 and I love to write about my family, everyday life, dating my husband, projects and parties, memory keeping, being a mom, faith, setting and working towards goals, and finding joy in the journey.
Thank you so much for dropping by!
Thomas S. Monson
- I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey -- now.
Day 3 of our church history trip was a FULL day in the car. From our hotel in Independence, Ohio to our vacation home rental in Nauvoo it was 585 miles. We got up and at 'em and departed our hotel at 8am.
A couple notes that I made in my journal about the drive across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois
So many cute red barns and silos!
So many bad drivers!
Not loving the Ohio Turnpike and Indiana tollways. So many of the exits were closed! Made us feel super trapped.
Illinois was delightful with spurts of torrential rain and lightning
Crossing the Missisippi river was so exciting! It meant we were almost there!
Before reaching Nauvoo we stopped in Burlington where we could shop at a real grocery store. Our research showed us that grocery stores were non-existent in Nauvoo, and it was true, so getting food in another town was a necessity.
Finally, we arrived at our rental home at about 5pm and just fell in love! I found the Nauvoo Mix House online and knew it would be the perfect place for our 3 night stay in Nauvoo. There is a video at the end of this post that gives a full tour of the space.
Everyone felt at home real quick. After spending the previous 3 nights in hotels in 2 different states, having all of this space and fresh air available to us was just heavenly.
We had just enough time to unpack and check out the place and then run over to the front lawn of the Nauvoo Temple to watch the spectacular sunset over the Mississippi River.
Continuing on with my account of our family's Church History trip in April 2017 ......
Day 2! After a wonderful day in Palmyra, New York (and 2 nights in Rochester) we packed up our bags began our trek west to Ohio. From Rochester it is a 235 mile drive to Kirtland, Ohio. Our time in the car was the perfect opportunity to listen to & discuss the scriptures, songs, and talk I had pre-selected for our daily "car devotional". I put all of these audio references into an iTunes playlist in advance so it was as easy as pushing play.
Day 2 // Ohio Car Devotional Scripture: Doctrine & Covenants 95, 137, 109, 110 Song: The Spirit of God, Hymn no. 26 Talk: Foundations of Faith, Quentin L. Cook (April 2017 General Conference)
We were pretty excited when we made it to "The Ohio"
I was also determined to take advantage of our location and take a quick side-trip to see one of the great lakes. Lake Erie! We pulled into Headlands State Park in Mentor, Ohio and took a walk to the water.
Loved the beautiful grey tones from the sand to the water to the sky. There was a lighthouse at the far end of the "beach" here but we didn't walk down to it. Too cold! But we checked this off our bucket list. For this west coast girl, it's really interesting to think that for people in Ohio, this is their beach. This is where they go in the summer for sunbathing and swimming. A very different beach than the kind I'm used to! But the sheer enormity of the Great Lakes is so fascinating to me.
After grabbing lunch at Steak n' Shake we were ready to begin our tour of Kirtland. First stop, the Kirtland Temple
Around 1838 the Saints had to flee Kirtland for Missouri, then Nauvoo, IL and later trekked west to Salt Lake City. The temple had to be left behind and it is now owned and operated by The Community of Christ Church.
The Kirtland Temple was the first temple built and dedicated by the early Saints in 1836. Many wonderful things occurred here so it is incredibly important to our church history. But this temple was not used in exactly the same ways that we use our temples today. You can read HERE about the purposes of the Kirtland Temple. Today, the Kirtland temple stands solely as a historical building.
Scott and I actually visited the Kirtland Temple was back in 2001. Since then, the Community of Christ had made some improvements to the visitors center including an introductory film. Upon the conclusion of the film the screen retracts and then long curtains began retracting to either side, revealing wall to wall windows with a view of the Kirtland Temple just outside.
This tour was also different in that we got to see parts of the Kirtland Temple that weren't available to us before, including the 2nd and 3rd floor rooms. (But no pictures are allowed inside the building)
Then we ventured over to the Historic Kirtland Visitors' Center and buildings that are run by our church. The most noteworthy building there is the Newell K. Whitney Store
A few things that happened here:
Joseph and Emma lived here for a time and Emma gave birth to a son, Joseph III
Revelation on the Word of Wisdom was received (Doctrine & Covenants 89) as well as other revelations that make up 16 sections of the Doctrine & Covenants
School of the Prophets was organized and they met in an upstairs room
Joseph finished his inspired revisions of the Bible
This manuscript of the "The Word of Wisdom" was copied by A. Sidney Gilbert, a business partner of Newel K. Whitney. The revelation was received in the store on February 27, 1833. Many Latter-day Saints made their own copies of many of the revelations for personal study and enrichment
I love the work of restoration of these historic buildings and even recreating from scratch what has been lost. It helps so much to get an understanding and feel for what life looked & felt like. But anytime we came across a detail that was original to the time of the early Saints it just gave an extra thrill.
Like these manuscripts .... they also had the original key to the store .... these floorboards in an upstairs room
I can't help but imagine Joseph pacing these floors up and down, trying to seek for answers and revelation about how to lead the church in these days. There were countless obstacles to overcome. Picturing his life, his desires, his work ... it all felt so real!
And then this ... the exact table where the prophet sat with other leaders and received a vision of the Kirtland Temple. They saw it so clearly they were able to write down details and elevations and plans. This place felt really special.
Finally, to the upstairs room where the School of the Prophets was held. The course of study Included both religious and secular topics -- doctrine & the law of the gospel, history & current events, foreign countries, English & grammar, lectures on theology, etc.. There was an appointed teacher and the participants also learned from each other, each having a turn to speak.
Home of Newell K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney
Here at the junction of the Stoney Creek and Chagrin River many, many Saints were baptized in Kirtland. It was so neat to learn about the history there -- and just crazy to think that the saints were in Kirtland for 7 years. During a time when they were being shuffled from place to place, 7 years seems like an eternity!
Next, to the sawmill and ashery ....These buildings have been reproduced in their original locations. Through a multi-step process the ashery produced dark ash which is used for soap, medicines. Newell K. Whitney consecrated all proceeds from the ashery to the construction of the Kirtland Temple.
We had a fabulous pair of sister missionaries take us through the whole complex (sawmill, ashery, store, Whitney home, and Johnson inn)
We finished up in Kirtland around 4pm. There was one additional Ohio site we put on our itinerary, but it was going to be a game time decision depending on how much time we had. The John Johnson Farm is in Hiram, Ohio which is 45 minutes away. The people at the Kirtland Visitor's Center encouraged us to call the volunteer missionaries at the Johnson Farm and see if it would work out. We did and the sweet older gentleman had a fun sense of humor and promised to keep it open for us!
These Johnsons were definitely blessed - their home is unlike anything else we have seen from the era. But they also gave freely - taking in Joseph & Emma and their twins for a year while they already had a houseful of 8 kids of their own. They also hosted a revolving door of guests as well as church conferences. Their home became a church headquarters of sorts for a period of time.
After the Johnson's left this home it was purchased by another family and it stayed in that family for 4 generations until the church purchased it in the 1950's. 85% of the house is original! ... floors, doors, pantry, hardware, fireplaces, etc.
In this room Joseph received 16 revelations including The Vision recorded in Doctrine & Covenants 76. He and Sidney Rigdon saw the Savior and learned about the different kingdoms of glory that people will inherit after they are resurrected.
And it was also here that a mob broke into the home and drug a sleeping Joseph from his bed and carried him to a meadow where they tarred and feathered him. The next day, after Emma nursed his wounds and cleaned the tar and feathers from his skin, he delivered a sermon. Some of the men from the mob the night before were in attendance. Sadly, one of their infant twins was exposed to the cold and died a few days later. (This door was the access point that the mob used to break into the hosue)
We almost didn't make it to the John Johnson Farm but I am so glad we did! We learned so much and the senior missionary couple that attended to us were just delightful. They even managed to get our kids involved and engaged which is no small feat. :)
The Peter Whitmer Farm was our last church history stop on day 1 of our trip. It is located about 40 minutes from Palmyra outside of a town called Waterloo. The town of Fayette (as spoken of in church history) doesn't really exist anymore. I'm glad we had directions written down because this place is in the middle of nowhere. This is the surrounding view . . .
The Peter Whitmer Farm is significant for a few reasons. This is where Joseph Smith completed translation of the Book of Mormon and the church was organized on April 6, 1830. It is amazing to think of how much the church has grown since then! Starting with a humble gathering of 40-50 people in this small log home (6 names were on the official documents - per the law in New York) . . . to the worldwide church that exists today with over 16 million members!
This log home was constructed and dedicated on April 6, 1980 by Spencer W. Kimball during the Sunday session of General Conference, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the organization of the church. Check out this clip! It isn't a true reconstruction of the Whitmer home, but serves as a reminder of what happened here on this land.
On site they have also constructed a meeting house that serves a dual purpose as Visitors Center
In the visitors center they showed us a short video montage highlighting the growth of the church set to the music of Come, Come Ye Saints. That is a song of our pioneer ancestors but the message rings strong and true as we are all pioneers, establishing the restored gospel as we live, work, and serve wherever we may be! I'm so blessed and happy to be a part of it.
Another highlight of the day .... My cousin was serving a mission in New York and I knew that her assignment/area included the church sites. She could be at any one of them today. We asked around but no luck at the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, or Book of Mormon printing site. So I was so excited to walk out of the film at the Peter Whitmer farm and stumble upon Sister Andersen! She then took us around for the remainder of our tour.
Before heading back to our hotel in Rochester, we made sure to swing by a pretty amazing country store that was recommended by books I read and highly recommended as a must stop by Sister Andersen ..... Sauders in Seneca. This country store is Mennonite owned and is full of fresh produce, cheese, candy, a deli, and is known for their pies. We were only there to browse and grab some snacks for the drive home, but oh my! The browsing was an epic adventure!
every kind of jam, pickled ____ (fill in the blank), sprinkles, extracts, pie filling, maple syrup you could possibly imagine and more!
Definitely worth the stop!
As a recap ... here is what day 1 of our Church History trip included
After visiting the Smith family farm, Sacred Grove, and Hill Cumorah we made our way into "downtown" Palmyra, grabbed some lunch (see the tip at the end of my post), and crossed the street to tour the Grandin Buildling. The Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site is located on Main Street in Palmyra. Right in the middle of things. We only spent an hour at this site, but every minute was filled with wonderful things to see and learn. Like facsimiles of the original Book of Mormon manuscript and vignette scenes of what translating the Book of Mormon looked like ....
But for me, the real fun was in the printing and binding rooms. The scrapbooker and vintage lover in me just could not get enough of the printer's trays, stamps, ink, paper, embossing tools, and binding threads. All eye-candy! And the senior missionaries who took us on the tour were very knowledgeable and did a great job of explaining and making sense of everything.
These sheets are called "signatures" and they have to be folded just right so that the individual pages show up in the book in the right order. Each copy of the Book of Mormon contains 37 signatures. They printed 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon which was a huge undertaking back in that day!
Printer's trays (above) and binding table (below)
The Grandin Building is 3 stories tall. The original building is actually completely encompassed by a newer outer building. These brick walls that you see are the original brick of the Grandin Building.
Because the printing process was located on the top floor they employed a pulley system to lower completed sheets to other levels where binding and finishing would take place.
It has been 3 years since our trip so I'm not 100% on details, but I'm pretty sure that anytime I took a picture of the floor that meant that the floors were original.
This is the lower level with the sales counter.
Beautiful books all lined up on the shelf.
Next up, a 40 minute drive to Fayette so we can end the day with a visit to the Peter Whitmer farm.
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Lunch tip .... Mark's Pizzeria was right across the street from the Grandin Building and we got this party pizza for $24.99. Definitely important to keep everyone fed on a trip like this. We don't need anyone getting hangry!
Nothing like a world-wide pandemic and home isolation to get you working on projects that you've been putting off!
Three years ago our family took a wonderful spring break trip to New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri to retrace the early history of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm just now getting around to editing the photos (which will end up in a printed photo book) and sharing our experiences, photos, and itineraries here (which I hope might be helpful for anyone else wanting to plan this kind of a trip).
When all the posts have been written I'll compile links and downloads in one "overview" post. Until then, let's start with Day 1 in Palmyra .......
Our trip began on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 -- we took a flight from Las Vegas to Birmingham, Alabama to Rochester, New York. So excited to begin this adventure!
5 checked bags and 7 carry-ons. Conner (lying on the floor) was wiped out after getting in at midnight from a choir trip to Hawaii. Scott is teasing Anna that she'll have to sit by a stranger and it's freaking her out. This teasing/freak out combination is a common theme of their relationship.
So much planning & preparation, excitement, research & study, and scheduling had gone into maximizing our time as we would cover 1000 miles over the next 7 days. Yes, 1000 miles! Our plan was to start in New York, rent a van, and drive west as we visited church sites in New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri ending in Kansas City where the rental van would be returned and we hopped on a plane back home. Totally doable.
We wanted this trip to be a lasting memory in the kids' minds not just because of the sites we would visit, but also because of the feelings and spirit that could accompany it. Each day I planned for us to listen to a set of scriptures, a song, and a talk that had something to do with the places we would visit that day. Because so much of this trip required driving time, I simply made a playlist on itunes, and we listened to & discussed the daily devotional as we made our way from place to place.
Day 1 // Palmyra Car Devotional
Scripture: James 1:5-6, Joseph Smith History 1:1-25, 27-54 Song: Joseph Smith's First Prayer, Hymn No. 26 Talk: Stand in the Sacred Grove, Marlin K. Jensen, 2012 CES Devotional
After waking up in our hotel in Rochester we drove 30 minutes to Palmyra and started our day at the Smith Family Farm and Sacred Grove. In the visitors center we were greeted by senior missionaries and were soon on our way for an individualized tour of the sites.
Going into this trip we knew that traveling in April would be a wonderful advantage because there would not be any crowds and we would have the space and time to truly enjoy each historical site. Score!
First stop, the Smith Log Home.
I love this little log home. And the family who lived inside of it. As I studied and learned more about the Smith family in the months leading up to the trip my appreciation of them grew so much! They played a big part in supporting Joseph, enabling him to do the work God required of him. The Smith family rocks! And Lucy Mack Smith is my hero. Read "The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother" and you'll agree with me too.
The Smith Family Bible on the dining table, opened to James 1:5-6. The year we visited (2017) this scripture was the youth theme for the year so it was pretty awesome that all the kids had it memorized.
I love that when you open the back door of the log home your direct view is of the grove of trees where Joseph knelt to pray.
This is the upstairs bedroom that Joseph shared with several of his siblings .... the room where the angel Moroni appeared to him and told him where to find the gold plates.
As we walked down the path toward the Smith frame home our guide stopped us and told us to turn and take in this view
He asked, "What was the ultimate purpose or reason for the First Vision and the restoration of the gospel?" The answer is this right here. Creating eternal families through the ordinances of the temple! What a great visual as you walk down the gravel path on the Smith family farm -- the sacred grove on your right and the Palmyra temple on your left.
The Smith frame home -- this home was built by Alvin Smith and after his death it was finished by his brothers for their parents, Joseph Sr. and Lucy, as a place where they could live comfortably in their old age.
85% of the home today is ORIGINAL to what it was in the late 1820s. That is pretty amazing.
Lucy Mack Smith is one amazing woman. I admire her strength, faith, the way she stands up for her family, and her ability to roll with the punches. This home was supposed to be her "retirement" home to enjoy in her old age. After 3 months of ownership, some dishonest men essentially stole the deed to their house and the Smiths went from being home owners to renters. After 3 years they lost the home entirely and had to move back into the log cabin. Reflecting on this unwanted but necessary transition she said: "See what a comfortable home we have had here and what pains every child that we have has taken to provide for us everything necessary to make our old age comfortable, and long life desirable . . . I now give this up for the sake of Christ and salvation and I pray God to help me do so without one murmur or a tear . . . I will not cast one longing look upon anything which I leave behind me." I'm pretty sure that she is now enjoying a mansion in heaven!
Hey kids, wanna build a retirement home for us?
Directly across from the Smith frame home you'll find the threshing barn and cooper shop which is where Joseph Sr. would make barrels and brooms.
And an open barn on an overcast day provides THE perfect conditions for some great photos of your kids
Then onto the Sacred Grove. I think what spurred me to revisit these photos and document these memories is the fact that right now we are celebrating the bicentennial of the First Vision. 200 years ago a 14 year old boy went into that grove of trees with a question. He prayed and he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. The answers and knowledge he received that day, followed by more visitations and revelation led to the restoration of Christ's church on the earth.
Often when we picture the sacred grove in the spring of 1820 we imagine lush green trees, full of leaves, birds chirping, and forest life buzzing. We visited the grove in mid-April and as you can see, it is not so green. That was definitely eye-opening to consider what the grove might have really looked like when Joseph entered to pray! I recently listened to The First Vision: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast and Episode 3: "I Retired to the Woods" talks in depth about what the grove might have looked, smelled, or sounded like. The historians confirmed what we experienced -- most likely the grove would not be the lush green forest that is often depicted in art and films.
While much of the grove was grey and brown, we did come across something bright, cheery, and completely unexpected ....
Thank you to whoever decided to plant these daffodils! They were a welcome delight!
We almost had the grove to ourselves and so we took some time to wander individually or in pairs on various paths and just take it all in.
What a cool experience to get to visit these sites in person!
We drove to the neighboring Palmyra temple to snag a picture ....
And finally to the Hill Cumorah
SO steep! We had a short tour in the visitors center which mostly comprised of a video of Joseph Smith & Oliver Cowdery working on the translation of the plates. Then we walked the trail up the hill to see the monument.
It was really windy and cold at the top, so we didn't stay too long. But we did take the opportunity for the kids to read aloud Moroni's promise (Moroni 10:3-5) which is inscribed on one side of the monument. Then Conner pulled out his scriptures and read to us from Mormon 6 which tells of the final battle between the Nephites and Lamanites as they gathered in the land of Cumorah. THAT was super cool. You can watch it in the video below ....
From there we went back into Palmyra for a late lunch followed by a visit to the Historic Publication Site of the Book of Mormon (Grandin Building). To end the day we drove out to Waterloo (formerly Fayette) and did a tour of the Peter Whitmer Farm. Those will come in later posts!
After visiting Ketchikan we made our way to Victoria, British Columbia -- the last stop on our Alaskan cruise. This one was short (8pm - 11:30pm) but very, very sweet.
As always, cruising into port was one of my favorite parts -- the new scenery & sights to take in, and the excitement over what we might find when we get off the ship.
Once off the boat we grabbed a taxi to take us downtown.
Let me just say that we loved Victoria! We only got a small taste but we could tell this is our kind of place. We agreed that we definitely want to come back someday and truly experience it. For tonight, though, we only had time for a walk through downtown, checking out a couple must-see buildings, a little shopping, and a little dessert.
First stop, the Parliament Building. Apparently we were here on British Columbia Day weekend so we got a glimpse of this celebration with military, a band, and the whole shebang.
We stopped at Chocolats Favoris for dessert -- think, chocolate-dipped ice cream cones on steroids. They had 8 different flavors to choose from for your dip. I got S'mores. But for real, the chocolate did me over and I was sad that I could not finish my ice cream cone. Too. much. sugar. But it was delicious!
So fun to circle back to the Parliament Building and see it all lit up!
Oh Canada! It was short, but we were super glad we got to visit!
Another day, another port! After sailing through Glacier Bay we found ourselves in . . .
But let's back up for a second and admire the beautiful sunrise we were treated to this morning
We made zero plans for Ketchikan. Our schedule allowed us to be there 7am - 1:15pm and we knew it would be a chill day of wandering the town and just checking things out.
Right off the boat we stopped at the Visitors Center and picked up a map for a walking tour of the city. It was the perfect activity as it wove us through all the important parts of town and provided info on what we were seeing. We spent a couple leisurely hours hopping from spot to spot and still only completed half of the walking tour.
Ketchikan is such a CUTE town, so no matter what we were doing or seeing it was just a happy place to be.
As the town's welcome sign states, Ketchikan is "The Salmon Capital of the World". And we definitely saw plenty of salmon today! We watched the salmon trying to make their way up the rapids to spawn ...
And later we watched locals fishing from the bridge near the marina, having to compete with sea lions who were hunting for some lunch.
We spotted a bald eagle hanging out by the creek
Totem poles are a big "attraction" in Ketchikan
But they are all replicas of ancient Native American totem poles and Scott wasn't having that . . . he wanted to see the REAL ones. Luckily our walking tour took us to the Totem Heritage Center where we got to see some super old, authentic totem poles.
And Scott was a very happy boy.
This one was called the Raven - Fog Woman totem pole.
The highlight of the day for me was visiting Creek Street. Just look how adorable this place is!
Window boxes and chippy paint and banners . . . chills!
In my opinion, this little row of shops had the best shopping to offer among all the ports we visited. Like I said, Ketchikan just feels happy and when I'm happy I want to shop! Nothing crazy, but I picked up a wooden spoon made from Alaskan Birch, a small watercolor painting, and I actually found a super cute dress that I wore to dinner later that night!
On our walk back we stopped at the Alaska Crepe Co. and oh my, the crepes were perfection. Lots of unique flavors on the menu like Brie & Apple & Honey. I went with Black Forest Cake -- chocolatey goodness with raspberries.
And then it was time to say goodbye and sail on! Ketchikan was definitely my favorite of the three Alaskan towns we visited. Just so cute, good shopping, beautiful to look at, and it probably didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous day!
After spending the entire day in Skagway, we woke up Thursday morning to find ourselves in Glacier Bay National Park.
This is what an Alaskan cruise is all about! Getting up close to these magnificent glaciers! The waterways and shores are protected and there was a special kind of calm and stillness that permeated the entire area. It really felt like a privilege to be there.
The main glacier viewing times were 8am - 1pm so we were up and ready with our hot chocolate in hand! Again, having a balcony made this whole day just so wonderful. We could see everything from our stateroom, and didn't have to fight for elbow room on the main deck (which was just 2 levels above us).
This was the warmest I had to dress all week. And at that, it wasn't super cold.
Our first view of a glacier! I believe this was the Reid Glacier. I have to tell you that seeing the first bits of ice float by in the water an hour before this was a pretty exciting moment! We felt like little kids, anticipating what was coming ahead!
The color of the water was insane. It had this milky soft look to it, due to the mixture of fresh water (melting from the glaciers) and the sea water. The fresh water carries silt and stays closer to the surface, giving it this soft appearance.
For this experience we picked up a couple park rangers (as in, they drove a boat up to our ship and while in motion climbed a rope ladder to board the cruise ship). Pretty cool. They stayed on board through the duration of our sail through the national park. They had an info booth set-up on the observation deck, gave a presentation in the theater, but their main purpose was to provide commentary over the loudspeakers & our in-cabin televisions. They provided history of the park, explained what we were seeing, and pointed out fun things to look for as they came about. "If you'll look out the port side of the ship you'll notice an iceberg with a group of harbor seals taking a rest." I thought it was really cool to have them on board as our guides.
Again, no telephoto lens here, but we could see these guys pretty clearly through our binoculars. There were about 8 seals taking a rest on this chunk of ice.
We kept our tv on with the volume up, and the balcony doors open so we could hear it outside.
The previous night we received a map of Glacier National Park in our stateroom. I used my handy magnets to hang it up on the balcony wall for reference. I felt pretty smart for coming up with this. Just sayin'.
Here she is . . . the Margerie Glacier. This is what we all came to see!
It was kinda fun having a clear view of the control deck all week and running into the engineering captain in the hallways on his way to work.
And yes, the glacier broke about a half dozen times while we were there! The ice calving always happened on the far side of the glacier but it was pretty exciting to hear it break and see the water splash.
(side story: after Scott took this picture I looked at it and was taken aback - I felt like I was looking at my mom. A few days later I posted it to Instagram and my friend Paige messaged me, "Oh my gosh. You look like your beautiful mama in this picture!!")
The boat sat in the waters by Margerie Glacier for about 45 minutes. We sat still for about 15 minutes while our side got a good long view, and then they gradually executed a complete 180 degree turn so that the other side of the boat could also partake of the view. After I had snapped about 100 pictures and realized they were all going to look identical, we decided to hop out of our stateroom and check out what was happening on deck. They had opened up the bow of the ship for glacier viewing and I really wanted to go check it out.
Back to our stateroom and our trip continued on. We got to see 2 more glaciers. The Lamplugh Glacier
And the John Hopkins Glacier from a distance . . .
which is first concealed by Jaw Point.
These rocks just mesmerized me. Like I said, there was just a special feeling here and I'm so grateful that we got to experience it.
A panoramic view from Lamplugh Glacier on the left to Jaw Point on the right
That day we saw
at least 8 humpback whales
12 harbor seals
2 jumping fish
and 13 sea otters -- I was on the treadmill and was treated to fantastic show of sea otter after sea otter just hanging out in the water!
Such a wonderful day! A relaxing day at sea coupled with AMAZING sights to see. They only allow 2 cruise ships into Glacier Bay per day and that exclusivity keeps this place pristine.
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the observation deck playing cards (by this time the glaciers were gone and the crowds had cleared).
Stop #2 on our Alaskan Cruise . . . Skagway! It was also our longest port of the week (7am - 8:15pm) which gave us plenty of time to explore.
This town is super adorable. Just take a look!
That building on the left -- the Arctic Brotherhood Hall -- is covered in over 8000 pieces of driftwood. Wow!
Give me all of the cute window boxes ...
... old-timey cars
.... restaurant gardens
.... hints of gold rush days
... and totem poles.
The most popular attraction in Skagway is a ride on the Yukon Pass Railroad. And while the train IS super cute and we hear the views are amazing . . . we decided to explore the Yukon highway on our own and at our own pace by renting a car for the day.
There is one car rental agency in Skagway -- an Avis, and they gave us a little Ford Prius. Totally awesome. :) We set out on the Yukon highway ready to take in some sights! I did some research ahead of time to make sure we didn't miss anything along the way. This blog post (Travel? Yes Please) was super helpful. I took a lot of notes so we could feel confident driving in and out of Canada without getting lost. But really, it's an incredibly easy drive and everything you want to see is right on the highway.
Here are the highlights
The Yukon railroad follows much of the Yukon highway -- if you look carefully in this picture you can see the rail lines cut out of two of the mountains.
WELCOME TO ALASKA
We were actually driving towards Canada, but flipped a u-turn to take advantage of this photo-op.
TORMENTED VALLEY
First stop, and our favorite spot of the day. We got out of the car and this place had an other-worldly feel that I can't quite describe. The rocks are worn & torn, the moss grows in patches of green & brown, and the trees are no more than 3-4 feet tall for as far as the eye can see. This valley looks like it has a story to tell. Most of that story is due to the winds that can rip through here. As a result, the trees never grow more than a couple feet. Many of them are snapped off at the tops, their efforts for growth denied. I kept telling Scott - I feel like I'm walking on a movie set for Lord of the Rings and some Hobbits should appear from the next rock!
Super, super cool. We loved it.
YUKON SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Probably the biggest tourist trap of the day (it cost $18 per person to cross the bridge), but it was beautiful and between the gift shop (maple syrup everything!) & giant flags & historical displays it made us feel like we were actually in Canada.
I mean, look at that view. Totally worth $18, right?
I thought this built-in photo frame was super cute! They even placed a built-in wooden pedestal in front of the frame for you to set your camera on. Genius! I just set my timer and . . . snap! Perfect picture of BOTH of us and I didn't have to ask anyone for help.
TUTSHI LAKE (pronounced TOO-shy)
Just beautiful! And the waters were so calm -- the surface was like glass, giving us this amazing reflection.
You can find this pink plant growing all over Alaska. It is called Fireweed. I love it's brilliant colors!
YUKON SIGN
At this pull-out there was a lady with a jewelry stand/wagon. She also had a cooler full of Canadian candy bars for $2 (US). Heck yeah! Smart lady -- there aren't any food stops, markets, gas stations, for the majority of this highway and we definitely needed a snack!
We both agreed . . .
Wunderbar -- love it!
Mr. Big -- way too much sugar
BOVE ISLAND
A pretty spot to stop for a picture.
CARCROSS
Finally a town! Carcross is a little town about 106 km from Skagway. The Yukon train makes a stop here so there is a little hub of shops & food for the tourists. Personally, it was cute, but I thought it was a little underwhelming. We expected more (better) food options - because we were starving - and ended up with an egg salad sandwich and a tough cinnamon roll at the sourdough bakery. Note to self: bring food & snacks!
A highlight of this stop was finding a passport stamping station outside the general store. Eeee! I took my brand new passport on this trip and you can bet, sure as heck, that I was going to get a stamp in that baby!
CARCROSS DESERT
We found our home! haha! This is known as "The World's Smallest Desert." Although it's not really a desert, but rather the bottom of what used to be a glacial lake 10,000 years ago. More of a giant sandbox. There was a mom with a couple little kids here behind the trees, playing in the sand like you would at the beach.
EMERALD LAKE
Our final stop! From here we hopped back into the car and drove back to Skagway. In total we logged 150 miles, and spent 5.5 hours on our leisurely scenic drive. It was a beautiful day!
A finally, a couple views of and from our ship as we made our way out of port that evening.
After a full day at sea (Monday), we awoke Tuesday morning to find ourselves cruising through the Inside Passage of Alaska. This route is one of the things that made this cruise so enjoyable! With bays & inlets, islands, mountains, endless coastline . . . there was always something new and beautiful to see. And having the protection of land on either side meant that the swells were kept low and we never felt the boat rocking.
This morning was also the one and only time we had rain. And very little at that. But it was fun to wake up to the misty clouds, pull on a rain jacket, and peer out at the gentle waters. Fresh, beautiful air.
Fresh air that also turned me into a wind blown crazy lady! Ha ha!
This morning we saw our first humpback whale! And a second, and a third, until in all I think we saw over 30 whales that day! We saw other whales here and there throughout the week, but the journey into Juneau was definitely the highest concentration of whales for the entire week. I don't have a telephoto lens (my longest lens is only 24-70mm) so I didn't try very hard to get a shot. But I did take really good pictures with my eyes.
As we cruised into port we took it all in from our balcony. This is when we could really cheer - we're in ALASKA!! Pretty exciting to finally be there! Each port arrival was an exciting experience, so many new things to see & take in as we slowly got closer and closer. Just another reason why that balcony was so so so good!
When we chose this Alaskan cruise we decided that we would book just one excursion, but we were going to make it count. It needed to encompass the true Alaskan experience -- something that is impossible to get anywhere else.
So let me take you on our little adventure. Eek!
The tour company picked us up and as we drove to the location he pointed out this mountain range in the distance. It's called the Chilkat Mountain Range and on the other side you find Canada. He told us that those mountains are covered in clouds 95% of the time -- you can't see them. So they have a rule/saying in town, if you can see the Chilkats you're supposed to have a good day!
What a good sign for us!
We hopped into a helicopter that took us up, up, up over Mendenhall Glacier. This glacier is 13 miles long and runs through Mendenhall Valley. At the point where it ends, there is a visitor's center, hiking trails, a waterfall, and plenty of places to view the glacier from afar. We on the other hand, were going to LAND on the Glacier!
The views we were treated to were absolutely stunning. As we flew I found myself in complete awe at what we were experiencing and even got emotional over it. I was shaking my head back and forth at the wonder of it all -- (Scott actually thought that something was wrong, and being in a loud helicopter we couldn't communicate well). The magnitude and grandeur of this experience just filled my heart with so much gratitude for this amazing world our Heavenly Father created for us. (Later in this post I share a video of our experience -- putting that together brought back all the feelings!)
And then . . . . we arrived at a dog sled camp ON the glacier! And when you're at a dog sled camp in Alaska, of course you have to RIDE the dog sled! I was so looking forward to this excursion!
This is a summer camp for dog sledding teams. In all there were 281 dogs camped there. The dogs live on the glacier for the entire summer, never leaving. The owners and guys who run the camp will go up there to live & work in week-long shifts, coming down at the end of the week to finally shower and wash their clothes. It is a little stinky up there (281 dogs) but the helicopter guys joke that the stink actually comes from the mushers. The dogs are owned by various mushers -- each one has a max of 35 dogs, although when they do big races they only run with 12 dogs. Our musher, Matt Hall, has been doing this since he was 16 and even won the Yukon Quest (a 1000 mile race - said to be the toughest sled dog race in the world) in 2017.
The dogs just hang out on and around their little white dog houses. We loved reading their names printed on the sides. We looked for a Cooper, but no luck. The dogs are chained up for their safety (this is the Alaskan wilderness) and just wait their turn for a daily run. Even though colors & appearances vary, they are all huskies.
When we arrived Matt had the dogs all harnessed and ready to go. The dogs are standing in line, but barking like crazy. They are so amped and excited to get out there and run. This is what they are bread for and trained to do. The sled had 4 spots for us -- 2 seats up front, 1 seat in the back, and 1 standing position on the very back which was super fun! As we rode along we stopped every so often and switched seats so everyone had a turn in each spot.
These runs are the highlight of their day! I believe Matt said that he will run each group of dogs 4 times around the "track" each day.
Check out this video -- It gives a taste of what the whole experience felt like!
If you can't tell how much fun we had from that video, maybe these pictures will help . . .
After Matt introduced us to all of his dogs we got to pet & visit with them one by one. They were so well-behaved, friendly, and playful as they rolled around in the snow to cool off.
Such sweeties! Matt kindly offered to take our picture together at the front of the pack.
We were totally into loving on the dogs ... but then I had a strange feeling that something was creeping up on me
And next thing I know he's on my back!
It was hilarious -- as you can tell by the laughter captured in these photos. I'm so glad that Matt kept snapping away!
I've got a set of paws on my shoulders -- giving me a hug.
SO many great pictures! I'm having a hard time limiting myself to just a few. Here is one more
What a fun group of dogs!
As if that wasn't enough, the excursion reached cuteness overload when we got to cuddle with one of their newest husky puppies! Oh my gosh, she was so sweet & cuddly.
What an adventure! A truly once in a lifetime kind of experience. I would highly highly recommend this to anyone. It was definitely the highlight of our trip!
After this we had a few more hours in port so we walked around downtown a bit . . . . I fell in love with the beautiful flower barrels everywhere!
I wanted to grab some diner at Tracy's Crab Shack because I had heard good things. It is located right next to the cruise ship port which meant it was packed -- people sitting elbow to elbow -- and the wait was horrendous. Luckily, the van driver for our excursion tipped us off to a little-known second location that is a little off the beaten path. It was a short 10 minute walk and we were able to walk right up to make our order. Win!
Eating Alaskan King Crab Legs in ALASKA! It doesn't get fresher than this!
We went back to the ship to rest our tired feet and were delightfully surprised to find a pretty platter of chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us in our room. Along with a note from the crew telling us how much they missed us. :)
We didn't leave port until 11pm, so we spent the rest of the evening enjoying the beautiful sunset from our balcony.
Scott and I love to vacation together and Hawaii has been our go-to destination for the past 13 years. But then he started working with a new company that offers trip incentives (in lieu of bonuses) and he earned one of those trips in his first year. Yay! The catalog of trips to choose from had quite the variety and in the end we picked . . . . . ALASKA!
The idea of an Alaskan cruise actually popped up on my radar in the last year, so when we saw it was one of the options (and a cruise = meals included = budget friendly) we decided to go for it. PLUS, the idea of getting away from the Vegas heat for a whole week in the middle of the summer sounded absolutely heavenly!
This was our first cruise ever. In truth, we had always been a little averse to the idea of a cruise -- Scott doesn't like being around crowds of people. And I don't like watching him eat until he is sick (i.e. 24/7 buffets). But something shifted -- probably the fact that this opportunity was coming at us for free -- and we were up for giving it a go. Also, I have only heard wonderful things about Alaskan cruises so we knew we couldn't go wrong.
We were on the Norwegian Bliss (the biggest of the Alaskan Cruise ships and brand new - built in 2018) and took off from Seattle. It was a 7 day cruise (Sunday to Sunday) and we stopped in ports at Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria, British Columbia. The cruise also included a day sailing through Glacier Bay National Park which was ah-mazing! But I will share individual posts about each port later.
They take pictures of you before you get on the boat (and throughout the trip in hopes that you'll buy them). We were too cheap so here is screenshot of our embarkation picture complete with NCL watermarks! But really, a photo when you're fresh off an airplane, have been bussed through a big city, hauled your luggage to the port handlers, and went through multiple security checks . . . . not looking super fresh. Haha! But we're excited -- that's for sure!
Here is the good stuff . . . .
This is what we came for. Fresh air. Relaxation. Beautiful views. Time together.
We had a stateroom with a balcony which is the only way to go. We spent so much of our time sitting out there enjoying the view, spotting whales, reading books, and sipping on hot chocolate. Getting to watch the beautiful scenery right from the comfort of our room made the vacation a real treat. Aside from the 1.5 days at sea with endless water views, there is always something to see. The cruise takes you through the inside passage which navigates inlets & bays so there is an ever-changing landscape around you.
A look at our room . . . Just enough space. Not too cramped and the expertly designed storage spaces were just right for keeping all of our belongings out of sight. Our room was on the 14th deck on the forward end, port side. (Front, left)
Our next favorite place to be was the Observation Deck -- a 20,000 sq ft enclosed living room of sorts on the front of the ship with floor to ceiling windows, comfy couches, bar service, light food, and piano singers in the evening. We would go there to play card games or read and grab a virgin lava flow or milkshake just because.
Just so nice to be together and relax.
Our trip included the Premium Beverage Package which is kinda lost on us because we don't drink alcohol -- but Scott was sure to make up for it with many, many Diet Pepsi orders and creamy virgin drinks.
fish on the carpet swim toward the front of the ship - helps you keep your bearings!
You know that food is a big part of cruising. Especially the fact that it is available in unlimited quantities. To make sure I had a fighting chance against that, I went to the gym each day except for one. It was nice to jump on a treadmill and stare out at the ocean for 30 minutes. One morning I watched 13 sea otters lazily float by! Just hanging out in the sea.
leaving the gym // treadmill view
We were surprised to find how much we enjoyed our time on the boat. We did not participate in much at all of the ship's entertainment, but we were happy as can be to relax in our stateroom & balcony, visit the Observation Deck, sit down for dinner in the various dining rooms, and wander to the nearest bar to grab virgin drinks. That was pretty much our routine while on board! Oh, we did sit in on an art auction in the gallery just out of pure curiosity. We had never witnessed an auction before. The marine life artist who painted our boat - Wyland - was on board all week doing painting demos and one of his pieces sold for $29,000. Crazy. I'm more of a digital art from Etsy kind of art collector.
Okay, that's a quick summary of cruise life and now I can work on the REAL posts .... one from each port. Stay tuned!
The summers in Vegas can be hard. 105+ temps every single day with many days closer to 110+. It just wears on you. I know (and my family knows) that once we get to July I am done. D.O.N.E. I get grumpy. And I just need to get out of town! So we make sure to plan plenty of summer trips & excursions to escape the heat and restore our sanity.
10 days before school started we escaped the 110 degree temps and ran away to the beach. It was just what I/we needed!
On Friday we drove straight to the Newport Beach area and after reading some reviews on Yelp, I picked Little Corona Del Mar as our afternoon beach destination.
This works for me! We spent a few hours here swimming in the waves, exploring the rocks and tide pools, and we actually ran into a family from our last ward! Who would have guessed.
I just love all the beachy scenes and vignettes
Pirate's Cove (above) - There is a little lifeguard tower out on rocks surrounded by water.
Saturday morning we woke up with a plan. We gathered all our gear, made some peanut butter sandwiches and packed plenty of water & snacks, and made our way to Huntington Beach (the city beach). We staked our spot on the waterfront at 9am and stayed there alllll day. Literally, all day long!
There was boogie boarding for all (including ME!). I realized that I have never boogie boarded before and you know what? I liked it! Now, I can't do it as long as Anna who was out in the waves for hours on end. But it was pretty cool to go out into the water with my daughter, boogie boards in hand, and have some fun in the waves. I'm pretty sure I made her day when I volunteered to join her. The look of surprise and elation on her face said it all!
And I'm so glad that I did it. One thing that really struck me throughout our day on the beach was watching families spend time together. Fathers with their kids in the sand and surf. Mothers taking pictures and getting out in the water, splashing, smiling, laughing, having fun and enjoying it with their husbands and families. It made my heart warm to see people get out there, no matter the shape or size of their bodies . . . and being present, having fun, and making memories with their loved ones. Time with our kids is fleeting, and we shouldn't let the hope of perfect, younger, thinner beach bodies keep us from enjoying these moments.
So today I pulled my 38 year old body into the surf, tried something new, spent meaningful time with my daughter, and . . . that's all that matters!
We frolicked in the waves, trying to capture a perfectly timed photo. It's harder than it looks!
The boys spent hours on their impressive sand sculpture. It was based off of Skyreach Castle from Dungeons & Dragons Hoard of the Dragon Queen (I have no idea what that means, I just type what I'm told!). It was serious, detailed business as Conner kept referencing a graphic that was saved on my phone.
I finished reading my book, we took a walk to the pier, Payton wore black socks with his slide sandals (???), and in the afternoon we watched the lifeguards rescue multiple groups of people who got stuck too far out in the currents. Eek!
In the late afternoon we packed up our things, dropped it off in the car and walked to the mall across the street for dinner. A favorite: the Spaghetti Grilled Cheese sandwich at Burnt Crumbs. Then we came back to our spot on the beach with a few chairs and towels and sat down to enjoy the sunset. It was stunning!
Conner's beach hair was just as impressive
His hair has become so curly, it's crazy! It often reminds me of my dad -- his hair had this same curl from the time he was a teen through his 20's. It think the curl continued, he just started cutting it much shorter.
And when the masses packed up & left their trash behind, the seagulls came out and we sang and danced to "Seagulls - Stop It Now". A quirky, but perfect ending to our epic beach day.
Before making the drive home on Sunday, we went to church in a chapel in Newport Beach (801 Dover Dr). Check out this amazing mosaic mural at the church building! It is depicting Lehi's dream from the Book of Mormon. I've never seen anything like it -- so beautiful.
One more field trip to share from our trip to France!
I've already shown you the markets in Perigueux, the history & architecture of Saint Emilion, and the brocante in Eymet.
In Riberac we visited yet another market and found so many lovely things here! It is interesting how each market has it's own feel, and specialty. Riberac had a little bit of everything -- produce, plants, clothing & bags, soap, garden trinkets, and pottery. It was the smallest of the 3 markets we visited but it was not lacking on charm!
The biggest tomatoes I've ever seen!
I fell in LOVE with this honey vendor and came back to purchase twice! I cleaned out her inventory of beeswax candles - they smelled so good! And bought a couple jars of honey. I could have bought more but I knew it would have added too much weight to my luggage. Each variety of honey is made from bees who pollinated a different kind of plant - sunflower, acacia, chestnut, etc. - which creates honey of varying consistency, color, and flavor. I thought that was so cool!
I learned that sunflower in French is "Turnesol" -- turns to the sun/sol.
Couldn't pass up a picture of the walnuts.
The dried prunes, apricots, and figs were so pretty -- I even bought a small bag of figs to snack on.
And escargot of course! I did not purchase/sample any of these.
Give me all the cheese . . . Except Bleu cheese. I can skip that one. But it sure looks pretty!
We found & fell in love with this soap vendor. So many varieties and at a great price! I believe it was something like 10 bars of soap for 8 Euro. A group of us Academy girls swooped upon his stand all at once and I think he was pretty excited. My mom and I were the first to leave and later the other girls caught up with us and passed along a gift from the vendor - lavender sachets. He was so happy to get our business!
I've shared that much of our time with The Academy included lessons on how to style a photo and make it feel natural and full of life. While walking through the market I came across this sweet pup just hanging out in the middle of the road. His owner was a few feet away, chatting with a group of locals. I crouched down low and began to take his photo and he just looked at me. The perfect model. I watched what was going on in background and a man with a basket full of baguettes walked into the shot and I snapped away. It was golden! I love the composition and story of this photo - my very favorite one from this trip.
And here is a similar shot with a woman wearing a dress & heels, purse slung across her body, and carrying shopping bags. Needed to wait a half second longer and get a little closer/lower to the dog for this one.
On the way back to the car it wasn't hard to find photo-worthy stops.
We drove to lunch at this cute spot. The food, as always, was amazing.
And I love this fun/silly photo of Heather - our fearless leader!
When you spend the week in France with a group of women learning about photography & styling and you happen to spot a group of buttery yellow cows while driving through the countryside you pull over to take pictures. That's just what you do.
And check out the amazing lane of huge sycamore trees! History fun fact . . . . in the days of Napoleon, before he would visit a village in France he would require that similar tree-lined roads be created to provide a grand entrance for his arrival. Someone thinks they are important. :)
Saint Emilion is a charming medeival village located in the heart of the Bordeaux area. Surrounded by vineyards & wineries and the hub of the village is rich with amazing architecture and history dating back to the 9th century. Going into the excursion all we knew was that Saint Emilion was a cool historic village (bring your cameras!), there would be opportunities for shopping (yay!), and a special picnic was planned for us (ooh!).
How is this little teaser? In the morning we met by our cars and found these simply adorable lunches packed, prepared, & all prettied for us!
Saint Emilion was about 30 minutes away through the countryside. As we got closer the vineyards grew more & more frequent and then bam! something like this pops up in the middle of a vineyard and I knew this was going to be special!
The village is surrounded by walls and as we drove up it seriously reminded me of the book New Moon. Sorry, Twilight fan here!
We parked the cars and ventured into the village - our first stop was the monolithic church which is located at a high point, and we took in this view.
And from there we were given a street map and 2 hours to roam the village! All of the streets were made from cobblestone - some were very bumpy. And several of the streets were VERY steep. And remember, I was navigating all of this in a boot with my broken toe! I managed pretty well. The steep streets, like this one, were interesting - I just had to take it very slowly. And by the end of the day I was wiped out!
Here is a view of the monolithic church - built in the 12th century. Apparently it has a vast underground network of catacombs & chambers -- you can pay to go on a tour, but we didn't have time for that.
Outside the church restoration projects were underway.
Sooo steep!
When I spotted a Vietnamese restaurant I just had to take this picture for Scott. (He served his mission in Australia, Vietnamese speaking). It just seemed so weird to see a Vietnamese menu in French. But now that I think about it it's just the same as seeing a Vietnamese menu in English. It was interesting to get that perspective.
And the doors were just amazing!\
We had plans to meet for lunch at Les Cordeliers - a cloister - columns & archways that were built by monks as part of the church in the 12th century. We showed up and the setting was absolutely amazing!
But then they kicked us out. Apparently there is a cafe there and you can only eat in the cordeliers cloister if you have ordered food from them.
So we quickly made the best of things and re-located to the grounds of the Collegiate church and were able to enjoy our picnic lunch in the cloister there. Construction of this church began in 1110 and between the 12th and 18th centuries it housed a community of monks.
Oh and the picnic was absolutely delightful! First Jill whipped out a panzanella salad that was so so good! Then we opened up our darling picnic sacks to find this:
Cute packaging on everything! An apricot, radishes with butter, a sandwich, and a fruit tart. All wrapped up in the cutest linen picnic sack. Which were specially made for us and we got to keep!
After lunch we had more time to explore the village and shop. I picked up a cute pair of blue ballet flats - they joked that the girl wearing the boot cast is the one who buys new shoes! We also found a shop with great linens and picked up a few things.
More sights to be seen like the King's Keep
We happened upon this residential street and had so much fun imagining what life is like in a village like this. We may have peeked over a few fences as well.
A beautiful day in Saint Emilion. There was a darling Bed & Breakfast in the village - I think it would be a great place to stay & visit for a day or two.
As we left I finally got to experience the public toilet vending machine! Add your Euros!
Our second field trip during The Academy took us to the town of Perigueux. Our purpose was to attend the market and practice our photography skills. As we approached the city from the highways the first thing you spotted was this enormous church - Cathedral Saint-Fronte. Built in the 1600's with 5 domes and turrets - it's pretty impressive! And at the foot of the cathedral there is a town square or opening where the market is held.
When we got into town we parked in an underground parking garage. That was an adventure! The parking spaces are so so tiny! Granted, the cars are smaller in Europe, but still. Everyone was parked over the line taking up 1.25 parking spaces which means that nothing was open. When we finally found a spot we all had to get out of the car before Jill parked because there would be no way to open the doors once she was in the space. Like I said, an adventure!
When we exited the parking garage we were in the middle of a bustling town. Shopping, big retailers (our equivalent of Target), busy streets, buses, public restrooms (the kind you pay for and then self-clean when you exit). We walked up several blocks of boutique stores until we reached the market area.
PART I - THE MARKET
Prepare yourself for an onslaught of market photos - produce, bread, fish, shoppers, vendors. The colors were just amazing and everything was just so fresh and it was just such a beautiful, vibrant place to be!
Aren't you just in love with all that color and beautiful produce? I loved standing back and watching the interactions between vendor & customer and attempting to discreetly capture the people of the market at work.
PART II - THE SIDE STREETS
After we had seen all we could see in the market we ventured into the side streets to explore. Some of this was done just my mom and I, our free time to roam. And later we joined with the group to walk to our lunch destination. Check out all the fun sights!
Could this possible BE any more French? Click HERE to see a little video of his performance.
My mom and I both wore our LuLaRoe for much of the trip. She's so cute in her Cassie skirts. I'm wearing the Jill skirt - love a classic pleated skirt.
Here is that amazing domed church right next to the open market square.
We ventured down the hill and around the corner towards our lunch destination. So many amazing alleys around every corner! I couldn't help but picture them all!
Genevieve was the "selfie queen" and I love this shot of her smiling big for the camera! Notice that she's popping up in a lot of my pics? She was just so much fun!
Is this for real? Oh my! The character is off the charts!
And yet another view of the massive church.
PART III - LUNCH
Our walk through the streets of Perigueux led us to our lunch destination. A cozy French restaurant tucked away with a garden courtyard.
They had a large square table set up for our group of 16. The owner/manager prepared a menu just for us and he was so cute as he came out to announce each course and describe it. Like, almost giddy to have the opportunity to share this food with us!
It was all so delicious. The main course was duck breast and even the foie gras was okay - probably the most edible version I had the entire trip. Like all French meals, the pace was slow and this one went on for 2 hours. And I have no idea what this dessert was called but as you can see it was amazing.
