Frontier Trails Museum

Last batch of pictures from our vacation - we drove all the way across Missouri from Nauvoo to see some more Mormon history sites (mostly just markers) and some other things in Independence. We went to the LDS Visitors Center and had a spectacular time in the kids room - they had a kid-sized covered wagon and log cabin. Sunny saw a washboard and tub in the cabin and said, "Oh look! Musical instruments!" It hadn't occurred to me until just then that she had only seen a washboard used as a percussion instrument. Too funny!

We had ice cream at Clinton's Soda Fountain, in the building where Harry S Truman had his first job as a kid. YUM! And oh my word, those were HUGE sundaes! We didn't have time (or the patience, by that point of the trip) to see his Presidential Library and the accompanying museums. We anticipate going back to Independence when our kids are older to see the Mormon history sites again, so we'll plan on seeing the Truman stuff then.

Our last stop on our entire trip was the National Frontier Trails Museum. For being "The National" museum of something, it was awfully small, especially since it commemorated the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails with some mention of the Mormon Trail (which did not at first go through Independence - later groups did, but not the main group that went with Brigham Young from Nauvoo). There were some fun things for the kids, and it was informative. A good way to wrap things up.

the covered wagon at the LDS Visitors Center

playing with some games in the log cabin

The Frontier Trails museum had a display about Independence Rock and other geological markers that people would sign. Posy drew a buffalo skull like the one above her and it looked pretty good! 

Build your own log cabin with Lincoln logs.

Birdie examining a yoke for oxen.

Posy and Sunny loading the wagon for the trek to Oregon.