July 4th Vacation 2010-Independence Rock and Martin's Cove, WY

On our way from South Dakota to Utah, we stopped for a day in Wyoming to a cool historic site, and a church landmark. I may only be five, but I know my info about these places! Ok, my mom might be helping me a eensy, tiny bit. . . .anyway. . . first we stopped at Independence Rock. It was this huge rock that people from a long, long, long, time ago used as a landmark, when they were going from the east side of the U.S. to the west side. And here is the crazy part, they didn't drive like we did...they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. People who were walking on the Oregon trail, or the Mormon trail, or other trails looked for this rock to make sure they were staying on the trail! When they got to it the would climb it just like we did! They would also write their names on the rock. I think it was called Independence Rock because that is when the first group of people got to the rock. On Independence day, or July 4th! (See I told you I payed attention!)

It didn't look that steep from the bottom, but when we started going up..it was very steep!
After a very strenuous couple of minutes, (ok, yes I thought I was going to die from a heart attack!), we made it to the top. Here is the view from the top!
Awww....what a cute family, except for the crazy boy in the GAP t-shirt!
See, look, here are names carved in the rock from Cowboy and Indian times, July 4th 1850. How cool is that?
Oh, and this one is from Hippie times! Awesome!
Here's another old one!

After we saw Independence Rock, we went to a place a couple miles down the road called Martin's Cove. Being LDS (or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, if you want the whole name!), this was a landmark in our church's history. A lot of my friends will probably already know this, but a lot might not, so I will fill you in on some details. Our church was started a long time ago in the East. For a while the headquarters were in Kirtland, Ohio, then the members were driven out, and stayed in other places, and settled again in Nauvoo, Illinois. After a while the members were persecuted and driven out again. This time the church members got all they could gather in a covered wagon, or pull in a handcart, left their homes and traveled a hundred, thousand, million, trillion miles where they finally settled in Salt Lake City, UT. This was not an easy trek for them. They traveled through bad weather, cold weather, and they were tired and hungry. Oh yes, and they walked the whole way!!! Over mountains too!! Anyway, one group stopped at this place, Martin's Cove. It was freezing winter, and they had run out of food. So they stopped in this cove until food and help was brought to them. Some stories were very sad, and a lot of members lost their loved ones, while waiting for help, from starvation and mainly from being too cold! So now, that I've given you a brief summary of the history of my church, let's move on to what we did there.....:)

This place had lots of hand carts that you could pull on a trail to the cove, and then you could hike around in the cove and hear different stories about the pioneers. My daddy thought that it would be a grand idea to let us experience pulling a hand cart, so we could see how the early members of our church did it. Side note: the boys, Mommy and I, went to this place last year, with my grandparents, and we liked it so much that we wanted my daddy to see it too. We hiked around the cove and knew how long it was, but we didn't pull handcarts. Ok, now back to the story, So Daddy wanted us to pull a handcart and hike for 4 miles round trip. Sounds like a piece of cake right? Well, it was hot! And mommy thought maybe we were to wimpy, but Daddy wouldn't take no for an answer. Did I mention that it was hot!! So we started our trek. It was fun for the first mile. Daddy and Kaiden pulled it and me and Dallin rode in the wagon.
Then mommy took a turn in the wagon! And she calls me a princess??

This was the view looking out of the handcart.
I was starting to think that this was a piece of cake! I was having a good time riding in the back!
So was Dallin!
And then, we had to park the cart and do a two mile hike around the cove. No prob, my dad loves to hike and we do LOTS of hiking, even when there is a lot of snow on the ground--so this would be totally fine!! Well, notice that there are no pictures until the end. That would be because it started to rain...and thunder. So Mommy put her camera away. And we still hide two miles to hike. If she could of taken pictures, she would of gotten pictures of Dallin dying to use the bathroom, because his belly hurt. Or she could of gotten a picture of the monster gnats that were eating us alive because we didn't wear any bug spray! Or she could of gotten pictures of Daddy having to carry me the whole way, because I was to hot and tired to walk anymore! Did I mention is was hot??? Luckily for us, some people that worked there came by on a motorized cart and hauled me, Dallin and Mommy back to the beginning where my Grandma was waiting. Daddy and Kaiden met up with my Pa, and they brought the hand cart back.
Here they come! Ha ha! Look me and Dallin jumped in like we walked the whole way!
We didn't see these carts till we were about to leave! Darn it! This was just my size!
Maybe next time!
Kaid was pretty tired, but proud he made it the whole way! Maybe that mop on his head kept him cool! :)
It was evening, and we still had a four hour drive to my Aunt's house in Utah! Time to go! Looking back, I'm glad that we pulled the handcarts. Even though I was miserable, I got a little, eensy, tiny taste of what the early pioneers of my church had to go through as they made their journey west to Salt Lake. And for that, I am grateful!