The Adventures in a Hyundai Accent

4 days into our trip and can I say that I love it?!!! Love it. Even though we have pretty much crossed 2 entire states, Wyoming and South Dakota, and it sounds so boring I love seeing new things and new places. Even from the dusty windows of a small Korean built car. There are fun surprises all along the way. Yesterday I could not believe it as we passed by fields and fields of sunflowers! I learned North Dakota is the capital of the sunflower industry, but South Dakota is right behind them.

It was a glorious sight. Every field inspired me and left an impression that I will never forget.

There were also other little surprises along the way as we drove yesterday. We passed John Wayne's hometown, Winterset, Iowa. Do you know who John Wayne is? He was in such movies as:  True Grit and The Cowboys, my 2 favorites.

The home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. You know, Little House on the Praires. Again, no time to stop there, but it was fun to know I was in her stomping grounds.

For a while in my early twenties, I was constantly told that I looked like the actress, Melissa Sue Anderson, who played Mary in Little House on the Prairie
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We passed by the bridges of Madison County. Remember that book by Robert James Waller? And movie with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood? I am going to have to read that again and watch that movie.  Madison County use to have 19 covered bridges. Now there are just 6. We were not able to visit these bridges, we had a 13 hour car drive. But I want you to see some of these bridges. There is a full tour of them. They are dated back to the 1800s.  Again, it was just fun knowing I was in this part of the country.

Holliwell Bridge

Imes Bridge (oldest in the county)

Hogback Bridge

Inside the Hogback Bridge

We actually did stop at the LDS temple site of the Winter Quarters Temple in Omaha, NE and the visitors center there.  Two of my ancesters who crossed the plains and lived in Winter Quarters were David Thomas Evans and his wife Priscilla Merriman Evans.

David Thomas Evans and Priscilla Merriman Evans

Hanging from a banner at the visitor's center is a quote by Priscilla. It made me proud and a little teary eyed

Winter Quarters LDS Temple

Now we are ready to start our adventure at Nauvoo.
Cannot wait!