Where 38 Hours of Driving Took Us

Today I'm playing a bit of catch up here.  April was basically insane because Michael had finals.  But then in May we took a magical trip...

To DISNEYWORLD!

We decided that now was the best time to go because in the future it will never be as easy or as cheap, seeing as we plan to settle in the West and have lots of kiddos (though we plan to bring them all back someday :).  This was also one of Michael's few breaks during his time in grad school.  So we split the cost of gas and a hotel suite with our friends the Jacobs and had a grand ol' time!

Day 1 - Magic Kingdom

Buzz Lightyear is Michael's favorite ride.  He's very good at it too.  

Now, I must explain the significance of these last two pictures.  These were taken at the "Be Our Guest Restaurant" in the newly expanded Fantasyland - where it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a reservation.  How did we get in?  By calling the day before and snatching a reservation slot that had just been cancelled.  Score!!  I wish I had some better pictures, but basically envision the ballroom from the movie and that's what it looked like.  Absolutely gorgeous.

 

Day 2 - Animal Kingdom

We were excited to meet up with our friends Chelsea and Garrett Hendrickson, whom we met while performing in the Sound of Music last summer (Chelsea played Maria!).  She now works at Disney World!

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom again

Pretty, huh?

We've decided that Disney World will be a really fun place to return to when we become millionaires and want to take our kids on a really special trip.  We did things as cheaply as we could this time, sharing a hotel and whatnot, but holy cow - beyond the four theme parks they have water parks, gorgeous hotels that we passed every day on the monorail, restaurants, a golf course... If you have the money, being official "Disney guests" would really be the way to go!  We kept hearing about all these special privileges and experiences they get.  Yes of course Disney is making money, but man - they really do put a lot of thought into what would make a family trip really special.  And the longer you stay, the better deal you get!  Spend to save, right? :)

So that was our first trip.  The big one.  Then during Michael's second week of break we squeezed in another trip...

to GETTYSBURG!

As in, the Battle of Gettysburg.  

The turning point of the Civil War.  

The high water mark of the Confederate army.  

The Gettysburg Address.

Very, very significant place in our nation's history.

Michael and I both enjoy history, so the East Coast is a great place for us to be right now.  We live very close to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, and Gettysburg is just four hours north.  Conveniently it's also very close to some of my relatives, so we got to stay with them overnight!

(Just a little plug for historic literature here - in preparation for our trip, we both re-read The Killer Angels.  Amazing book.  I was introduced to it by my dad a few years ago when we visited Gettysburg as a family and now it's one of my favorites.  It's all about the Battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of some key characters that played a part there.  You've gotta read it! And after that, read Gods and Generals which is a prequel to the Battle of Gettysburg.)

Okay.  So here are some pictures from that trip.  

The Virginia Memorial.  This is one incredible thing about Gettysburg - there are memorials EVERYWHERE.  Some are small, some are large, but every street on the historic route is packed full of them.  This one is located near the place where the Confederate army emerged from the trees and began the fateful "Pickett's Charge".

Statue of General James Longstreet, near where he had his headquarters.

I've been to Gettysburg three times now, and it's always hard to believe that such a beautiful place could have been the setting for such horrible devastation.

Yes, I matched us on purpose. :)

The view from Little Roundtop.  The account of the battle here in Killer Angels is absolutely gripping - probably my favorite part of the entire book.

At "The Angle".  Basically the furthest point that the Confederate soldiers reached during Pickett's Charge - and consequently in the entire war, from my understanding.  One thing I took away from this trip was the realization that during battles of war, every little rise and fall of the earth matters.  And tiny patches of earth and rock suddenly become crucibles, stretching human capacity beyond its limits.

Before Michael's break was over, we took one more important trip...

to the WASHINGTON DC TEMPLE!

Isn't it so pretty?  We've actually been a couple of times now, but this was the first time I was able to get some nice photos.

There are currently 143 operating temples around the world.  The DC temple is the closest one to us at the moment (about 3.5 hours away).  It's always a very special opportunity to go there!

Temples are sacred buildings in which members of our church worship God and make covenants to follow Him.  Inside them, you truly feel close to heaven.  They are also where we are married, not just for this life but for all eternity if we remain faithful to the covenants we make both with God and our spouse.  It means the world to me that Michael and I were able to be married in the temple.

  If you're curious about why we build temples, you can check out this link: https://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-mormons-build-temples?lang=eng

So those were our three trips!  Way to go for reading the entire post. Total driving time?  38 hours.  WHEW.  And that doesn't even include the hours we spent driving around Gettysburg on the audio tour!

We look forward to our other East Coast trips that we're planning in the next year and a half!