Church History Tour 2025

We were able to travel with Corinne, Ben and Richard back east to tour some of the church history sites. Corinne did the planning because their family had been back east a year ago for a MCO concert series. She wanted Richard to have the same opportunity since he was serving on his mission at that time. We were happy to join them. 

We met up at the Detroit Airport. Corinne arrived ahead of us because she had been on a work trip to the Ivory Coast in Africa. We ate at Arby's and then went back to our hotel and relaxed for the evening. 

Our first morning in Detroit we went to the Detroit Temple to attend an endowment session. A nice little temple. 

After the temple session, we stopped for sandwiches at Jersey Mike's and headed for Niagra Falls on the Canadian side. Ate at Dairy Queen so we could have ice cream.

The next morning we bought our tickets to tour out to the Falls. It was a very wet experience, but still very fun. We walked up the street and rode on the Niagra Skywheel. and ate at McDonalds. 

Here we are up in the Negra Skywheel.

Fred and Richard bought matching hats.

We left Canada and drove to Palmyra New York. We checked into our hotel room that we shared and got ready to go to a session at the Palmyra Temple. Corinne actually ran into a co-worker from Puerto Rico in the temple. How amazing is that?

We ate at a local Pizza place and went through the Grandin Print Shop where the Book of Mormon was published. Quite a time intensive process. Over seven months from start to finish. 

Mark's Pizza

I got BAD heartburn after this meal.

From here we drove out to the Welcome Center at the Sacred Grove. The weather was not great. We put on our rain gear and hit the paths to the 

Hill Cumorah Monument.

This is the first Smith Home where Joseph went to the Grove (The First Vision)

We walked through some of the out buildings and we found this wheelbarrow that we needed a picture of.

                                      

Hyrum was building this house before he was killed. The Smith Family finished it and moved in. 

On Sunday, we got up and went to church in Palmyra.

The chapel filled into the first few rows in the gym. It was fast Sunday and most of the testimonies were born by ward members.

We ate lunch in the car and then headed to the Whitmer Family Farm.

We headed to Harmony, PA next.

This is the Whitmer's Family Home.

From that site we walked down the road to the Hale's home and Emma & Joseph's home was across the street from the Hales.

Joseph & Emma's home down the street from the Hales.

Up the hill from their home is a cemetery. One of their son's died in infancy and this is the headstone. 

Cemetery

Walking back from the cemetery on the hill.

Here is the Susquehanna River where Joseph and Oliver Cowdery were baptized and the Aaronic Priesthood was restored.

The Church does not have record of the exact date or place where the Melchizadek Priesthood was restored, but this monument is here in Palmyra..

We ate at Applebee's tonight. It was definitely a step up from 

where we've been eating.

The next day we packed up and hit the road to Kirtland, Ohio.

In Kirkland we visited the temple site, Smith Home, Whitney Store, Ashery and Sawmill. 

                                       

                                       

After these sites, we went to Texas Roadhouse to end the day.

The last day we headed towards the airport. We stopped at Lakewood Park along Lake Erie. The shoreline looks like an ocean, not a lake. 

Before the trip, I was pretty much freaked out about sharing a hotel room for two nights with all of us sharing one bathroom. It was totally just fine. Other than quite a bit of rain, the trip was really wonderful. Fred and I would like to go back and see more one of these days.

Corinne dropped us off at the airport and they were able to spend a little more time exploring.