Our Trip to the East Coast

Can I just say that this is the most awe-inspiring scenery I have ever seen! Everywhere we looked there were miles of green pastures, white homes and picket fences. It rained off and on the whole time we were there on the East Coast so I guess that is why the color is so intense! We wondered if they even have to water anything!

This is an 1830 original copy of the Book of Mormon and a Bible from that same time period. We saw these in the Grandin Building in Palynra, NY.

These are out of order, but I had to include them to show you some more of what we experienced. Niagra Falls is a must-see! We were there Tuesday, June 8th. Before making our four hour drive to Palmyra, NY

ONE MAN BAND

These pictures are going from the end of our trip to the beginning. Here we go! Last year Brooklynn's friend, Christy, told her about Cedar Point-the roller coaster capital of the world. They made plans that this year they would go there together since Christy would be there for her sister's wedding. Somehow Brooklynn's plans always work out! We met them at the park just as they had hoped!

These pictures are of beautiful Boston! We got to spend a whole four hours there on Friday, June 11! We needed four days! We thought that Brooklynn and her friend, Hannah, who we took with us, would eat up all the historical sites since they had studied about the Revolutionary War this past year. Well, we thought wrong! We spent most of our short time in Fanueil Square where much of the war talks went on back when. It is the most alive place with shopping, restaurants, live music and people from every clime! I loved it! Someone was playing bagpipes in one area, another person had a one-man band going and the myans were there playing their music in another corner. We did go to Paul Revere's house and to the oldest Church in Boston-the one where the lanterns were hung to warn the military that the British were coming. I was blown away that so many old things still exist! The Church was built in the 1600's!

This is a plaque in the Old North Church.

Here is Brooklynn showing her political views in Fanuiel Square.

On Thursday we went to Salem, Mass. where we toured The House Of the Seven Gables. This is a home made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorn way back when. He wrote his book there and also the Scarlet Letter.

We also toured a witch museum which was very creepy in a cool kind of way. I got a list of ways that poeple could accuse other's of being a witch...if you can make someone else have a fit, then you were a witch! Another one was that if you were thrown into a body of water with a boulder attached to you and you sank, then you were innocent and dead, if you floated, then you were guilty and you were hung!

Inside the witch museum were wax figures depicting the town folk of the 1600's and the witch hysteria.

I was totally in awe of this book store in Salem. The whole place was stacked to the roof-top with books. John asked the owner if he knew where every book was in his store and he acted a little offended that he was asked that question! After touring the House of the Seven Gables I went to this bookstore and asked the owner if he had the book. He said, "Yes, and it is right behind my left shoulder. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that it is only 20% off (instead of 50% like most of the other books) but the good news is that it is $3.98!" So if anyone wants to read it, I have it!

Here we are in the Whittmer home in Ohio, where the Church was organized with 6 original priesthood holders.

These are size small ice cream cones at the "Chill and Grill" in Palmyra, a little hole-in-the-wall place with the best burgers in town!

The monument of the angel Moroni on the Hill Cumorrah in Palmyra, NY.










This is inside the visitor's center at the Hill Cumorrah.

Martin Harris's farm in Palmyra. He loaned Joseph Smith $3,000 towards the publishing of the Book of Mormon. He was a witness to the Book and in the 1st presidency before falling away. He did end up coming back to the Church in his later life.





This is one of the churches on 'the four corner church street" in Palmyra. Theses churches are so old and so cool!

Does anyone know what this number is? That is when that church was established.

This is the Grandin Building where the first 5000 Books of Mormon were published. It was fascinating to see what had to be done to have even one printed.

The Palmyra Temple

We had the Sacred Grove all to ourselves in the evening. Such an amazing feeling there.


















This is the Smith family home where Joseph hid the gold plates under the fireplace hearth.

This is Joseph Smith's room where the Angel Moroni appeared to him. Imagine sharing a bed with your two brothers and your three other brothers in the bed two feet away and having a heavenly being come and spend the whole night speaking to you! Imagine no one waking up!

Lucy Mack Smith's kitchen in the older home.

Niagra Falls---AWESOME doesn't even describe it!

A cute little Quaker family were visiting the falls too.

At nightfall the lights came on at Cedar Point-the amusement park to beat all amusement parks!

Brooklynn and Hannah waited in line for an hour in order to go on the Top Thrill Dragster. If you look close, you will see that Brooklynn is as white as a ghost. She was so scared. The ride goes 120 MPH straight up 420 ft and then down all in 17 seconds! The second tallest coaster in the world!

We done got caught havin' too much fun!

Skyride!

The Raptor- One of the only ones I rode.

This is the Johnson farm, Ohio. Joseph preached a sermon on the front steps the morning after the tarring and feathering incident.

















Brooklynn and Hannah at the Johnson farm where Joseph was torn from his bed in the night, taken 300 yards away and tarred and feathered. His infant son died from exposure and complications from the measles about a week after the attack.

This is the room above the Newel K Whitney Store where Emma and Joseph lived for a time. The mattress is made of straw and was beaten to fluff it up and to kill bed bugs. Hence the saying, "Don't let the bed bugs bite." The 'box springs' were made with rope and would need tightening often with a special little tool. Hence the saying, "Sleep Tight."

This is a replica of a "rug" made of canvas and hand stamped. Emma Smith used to make this kind of rug. This one is in the Johnson home.

Another view of the Johnson home.








Green, green everywhere!

Here we are in the room above the Whitney store that was used for the School of the Prophets. Joseph would teach the men how to lead and share revelations that he had recieved with them. Heavenly Father and His son appeared here.

I couldn't get enough of the scenery!


This is in Kirtland on the Church property.











After attending the Cleveland 2nd ward meeting which was a quaint little ward with 1/2 caucasian and 1/2 African American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we drove to Kirtland, Ohio. The Church of Christ owns the Kirtland Temple. We went on their tour where we got to go to all three floors of the temple. Two of the floors had heavenly visitors appear, including God the Father and His Son. At one point in the tour we were in a dark auditorium adjancent to the temple when a wall of curtains were pulled to reveal this sight! On this day-Sunday, June 6th, the storm clouds had just parted as the curtains were opened. WOW!

This is our hang-out in Cleveland! It's called 4th street and ther is a lot of action going on here. I had the best fish and chips here that I've ever eaten!

It was a vacation/trip that I am so grateful I got to participate in. I'd like to do it all again!

(Sorry about all the big spaces. I don't know how to fix them.)