Long drive!

Today Jeff and I left NY and headed towards Rhode Island via Pennsylvania and Connecticut. We took a longer route so that we could stop by the Susquehana River site where Joseph Smith moved with his wife, Emma. It was there that Joseph received a vision from another heavenly messenger, John the Baptist, who restored the priesthood (the authority of God given to man to act in his name) to the earth. Again, there was an indescribable feeling of serenity and sacredness as we visited that site and contemplated the historical significance of that event. Adjacent to the property that Joseph lived on was a small cemetery. It was here that he buried his first infant child and Emma's parents are buried. It is heart wrenching to consider all the trials and hardships Joseph and his family faced...all because he could not deny what he had seen and the call (as a prophet of God) he had received.

The original headstone

After making that quick stop, we jumped back in the car to finish our long drive! One good thing about being back east is that it doesn't take long to drive through states. Actually, we really enjoyed the drive. The fall colors were amazing! We would drive through small hills and valleys where the colors would stretch out before us like a patch work quilt. Large red barns with silos would occasionally jut out above the trees or in the cleared meadows along side them. I can truly say I experienced autumn this year! We made another quick stop in Connecticut just so I could grab a picture and say I'd been there before we finally made it to our hotel in New Port, RI. We were glad to finally arrive, stretch out and get some sleep.

Our quick CT stop...we drove through a picturesque New England coastal neighborhood and snapped a couple pics on the coast. 

This sign was about as blurry as our eyes were by the time we arrived!