Hey there,

It’s Cathy from My Book a Day. We have a little bit of everything in our family – a teenager, pre-teen and preschooler – so we have to do things that everyone will enjoy. Last month I shared our tips for visiting some of the most popular places in Nauvoo, Illinois. This month I want to tell you about the things my family likes to do that are a bit off the beaten path.

Here are our favorite places to get away from the crowd in historic Nauvoo, Illinois.

The Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds

Check out the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds. This one is a bit of a drive out of the city, about 2 miles. There are over 2,000 people buried here, but not that many headstones. Most of the graves are unmarked. Check out the list in the kiosk to see who is buried here.

This is a peaceful place to get away for a minute. You can also see the headstone of Edward Partridge, a prominent early member of the LDS Church.

David’s Chamber

David’s Chamber is a beautiful picnic area. It’s a nice peaceful spot with a stream, some small waterfalls, and a picturesque footbridge. Pull off from Highway 96 just south of Nauvoo. We discovered this spot the last time we were in Nauvoo and we enjoyed our time spent in nature there.

Nauvoo Stone Arch Bridge

This is another beautiful place to visit. I love the bridge itself and the way the rocks are underneath it. It dates back to around 1850 and makes a great spot for pictures. This is a spot we’ve stopped at during several of our Nauvoo trips. We love it!  This one is also off Highway 96 south of Nauvoo. There’s a marked pull off.

Nauvoo Temple Rock Quarry

There is a viewpoint to stop where you can see the quarry where the rocks for the original Nauvoo Temple came from. Much of the quarry is actually underwater now, but it’s still a nice spot to stop.

Keokuk Lock and Dam

There are a total of 29 locks and dams along the length of the Mississippi River. Lock 19 is nearby in Keokuk, Iowa. It’s interesting to see the way the locks work. They are large enough to accommodate a tow of barges, which is three barges abreast and five long. However, they’ll also operate the locks for a single kayak. We’ve spent some time watching locks fill and empty, and open and close, so that river traffic can move up or down the river.

Nauvoo State Park

The last time we went to Nauvoo, we spent an afternoon walking around Horton Lake at Nauvoo State Park. The trail is a mile and a half long. It’s not a hard trail, but it’s not paved, so you probably wouldn’t want to take a stroller or wheelchair on it. Our young kids were just fine with it. Nauvoo State Park also has a playground for kids to play on, as well as fishing, hunting, camping and boating.

Nauvoo is one of my family's favorite places, and I hope your family will enjoy a trip there too. Happy travels!

Cathy

Hi, I'm Cathy! I usually review books at www.mybookaday.com. When I'm not reading or reviewing my latest read, you'll find me chasing my crazy crew wherever the wind blows us. We love to travel as a family, but we have some extra challenges because of the ages of our kids (currently 18, 12, and 4). We've traveled through the United States and even a bit into Canada.