Heritage Tours One.

First off in regards to this post I say better late then never right. ha.

Background: This summer I was able to go on a church history tour with seniors from the area I live in. It is such an amazing tour (called Heritage Tours), both of my older siblings went when they were seniors and they also loved it. The tour not only visits the church sites but it teaches how to be missionaries and participants are constantly growing towards christ while they are on the tour. Anyway I told my Bestie Meckenzie about it and she decided to go with me! So exciting. It starts months before the actual departure day with preparation assignments and meetings. So by the time July 2nd came I was ecstatic. This might take awhile because the experience is so amazing and I have so many pictures but this is the first little bit of the trip.

Day 1:

We left American Fork on July 2nd and loaded the bus that would take us all the way across the country (as far as Vermont)and back to good ole Utah. The first day was a lot about getting to know our district(like I said its a missionary experience) and the other kids on the bus (or zone), Meckenzie and I sat next to each other though and she filled me in on the new boyfriend of hers (which is soon to be hubby now). I love talking to Kenzie and it was good to catch up because we don't always get together as much as we used to. Anyway I immediately loved my district. The first day started off incredible we learned the songs that we would sing everyday on the bus and as cheesy as some of them are now I love them so much because of the spirit they bring. Well we drove and long time and then they put in the movie 17 miracles. I had just barely watched the movie and so had kenzie and we were both super tired from an early morning start so i hate to admit it but we fell asleep on the bus the very first day. First day and we were already breaking rules. After the movie we arrived at Martins cove. There was such an amazing spirit at Martins cove as we talked about the valley boys who helped so many across the sweet water and Brother E talked to us about the first CTR acronym of the trip Continue the rescue. We learned that we need to continue to be missionaries to those around us and rescue those in need from what is holding them down. The spirit was incredible as we learned what a sacred place this really was. It was here on the very first day that I really began to truly understand what the pioneers went through for me. What they suffered and did so I could have what I have today.

FYI: Not sure why but my cameras favorite color is blue so it randomly takes some pictures in blue so please ignore that.

President Hinckley expressed what a special place this is and how we should act in reverence when we visit it.

Following Martins cove we drove to the wagon ruts. It was amazing to me to see those. They really pulled wagons over this terrain was all I could think I mean really look at that it is solid rock. I am so grateful for the sacrifices the men woman and children made for me so that I could have what I do because this I tell you would be insanely hard i cannot even imagine.


We got there right in time to see one of many amazing sunsets of the trip I will say I miss the mountains when outside of Utah but their are really some gorgeous skies in this country.

We still had a lot of traveling to do (we went 610 miles the first day) so we didn't get to the hotel til late but since they didn't collect our phones til the second day I was able to talk to my mom and keep her updated on what a good time I was having. We got our room assignments on the bus Meckenzie and I were rooming with a girl named Lexie who I thought was quiet on the first day but soon found out was a little ball of energy and fun. We got to our hotel late and went to our room to drop off our bags (my favorie days were the few where we stayed two nights in one hotel meaning no moving our bags!!) and then we had a devotional in which Brother Toon talked about how "real learning takes place on the line between conceptual learning and experience" that would be a almost theme for me the rest of the trip as I really experience what I had always known. I was so exhausted that night I couldnt even believe there were 19 more days to go like this but I was also thrilled for what the rest would bring.

The Roomies and I decided to keep our card from every hotel which turned out to be really quite the adventure. Also we learned how to appreciate a good hotel over a not so good hotel and we started out at the best so lets just say it went slowly down hill from there.



lots more to come hopefully soon....