Family Vacation 2008 - Day 2

After a long day of travel for Day 1 we stopped in St. Joseph, MO. We enjoyed a great night's rest at the hotel, a morning splash session in the pool, had a good breakfast and hit the road for another day of fun and excitement in the van (not!). Day 2 saw us arrive at the zoo in Omaha, NE just before noon.

This is just inside the zoo entrance.

Here's the whole family in front of a granite globe suspended by water (right in front of the entrance to the desert climate dome no less).
The next picture is not for the faint of heart, unless you like snakes...

Rebekah & Sariah were surprised that it didn't feel slimy.

We spent the entire afternoon at the zoo until it closed. Then we drove to the North side of Omaha to the Mormon Trail Visitor's Center at Winter Quarters. There we witnessed a moment in the great "Mormon Migration." We saw a replica of the pioneer cabins, we pulled a handcart, and saw what life was like for thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who spent the winter of 1846 to 1847 in the encampment they called Winter Quarters. The Mormon Pioneer Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 325 Saints who died at Winter Quarters from illness, hunger, and poor living conditions.


The girls had a blast dressing up in period clothing.

Again we felt immense gratitude and awe for the Saints that passed this way on their journey to the Salt Lake. Their courage, devotion and testimony are an inspiration to us all. We will be eternally grateful for their sacrifice and example.

We left Winter Quarters and drove a few hours to Sioux Falls, SD. By the time we arrived it was 9:00 and we had enough of driving and site-seeing. So, we pulled into a hotel and swam for a while before going to bed. Thus ended Day 2.