Nearly Done Driving

These last 400 miles were some of the hardest, our bodies yearned to be done, but we had to press forward and push through the wall to make our destination.

After the 2600+ miles and 10 states that we have driven through, I would have to say that New York has the cleanest, smoothest and best patroled roads of them all. Of course they had better for the nearly $50 we paid in tolls driving through it. I cannot imagine how much money they rake in daily just from the semi-trucks alone. To top it off I am sure that their other taxes are just as high, gas there is the most expensive we saw on the trip, from $2.79ish in Pennsylvannia to $3.05ish once you cross the border. Wow.

Today was a fun day the driving notwithstanding. We stopped into Palmyra and saw the sites. I must say that the Hill Cumorah is very very steep, think the steepest part of the trail to Timp Caves, it is a good thing that it is not quite so high, and mst people cheat and drive to the top anyway (at least those not driving a huge moving truck and towing a car). The area is very beautiful full of greenery and blue skys. The weather was quite perfect, not too hot or too humid.

We then headed over to the Smith Family homestead and saw the frame and log homes of the Smith's. Very cool. And we had a very nice sister missionary take us around, it was her 23rd birthday. She was one of the best we have encountered on all our Mormon history stops. We got to wander out the Sacred Grove on our own. It is a peaceful, calming, beautiful place. I could of sat there all day. We enjoyed the calm of the grove in contrast with the stress of driving the truck amid semis wind and cars.

We then headed over to the E.B. Grandin Print shop where the BoM was first printed. One cannot appreciate the sacrifice and the expense that Martin Harris made to finance the BoM until you see the work that went into printing each copy. Wow is it hard, labor intensive work. It is no wonder that a copy sold for $1.25 (two full days wages at the time). The printing of 5,000 copies of one book with that process was crazy, but the right people were there at that right time. It took nearly 2 years to fulfill the order for 5,000 copies. We ate lunch at a nice little cafe that overlooked the Erie Canal, it was very nice.

We finally made it and are in Holyoke tonight and will finish the last few miles in the morning and begin the next painful process moving in tomorrow, during which we are forcasted to suffer through thunderstorms, so pray for us. :)

Picture one is the Sacred Grove and the second is in the upstairs of the log home where the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph to tell him about the Book of Mormon. Enjoy the pictures.