This was the home Jonathan Browning built for his family in Nauvoo, Illinois. I never knew he was Mormon or that this was where he got started in his gun smithing business. Every male above the age of 12 was required to have a rifle for the arduous trek west to help feed their families. Browning's trade was a vital part of this community.

How often do you look on a map for the little red squares which indicate "points of interest"? While transporting RVs I saught them out for wonderful photo ops and historical information. Had the restaurant manager not suggested Nauvoo as a recommended place to visit, we would never have known about it - nor is there a red square to indicate it as an important location in the Settling of America.

It would take days to visit everything here. A local campground is only $8 - $10 nightly, and the whole Nauvoo experience is FREE - even the horse-drawn wagon rides, the plays, the pageant and the home tours. There are areas where children can have hands-on experiences dressing up in clothes from byegone days and playing with toys of the time, wonderful picnic areas scattered throughout the town - and prices in local restaurants are reasonable - imagine buying a loaf of homemade bread, some pastries, ice creams and water - and getting change back from a $10 dollar bill!