On Saturday morning we set out early for Palmyra, NY. The girls went in our van and the boys went in Mckay and Tricia's van.
Gassing up for the drive.
It took about 4 hours driving Mckay's speed, which is way faster than the speed limit, mind you. I guess they don't care about speeding on the east coast because everyone there averaged 20-30 mph over the limit when not in rush hour traffic. It took us longer to get everywhere because we were too afraid to go more than 15 over when we weren't following Mckay.
The drive was seriously so beautiful. The pictures from the car don't do it justice. The fall foliage was in it's prime.
We briefly stopped at a rest stop just after crossing the New York state line. When we got out of our car we all had the same thought, "Oh, it's cold!!" Leave it to us to arrive at the same time as the first major cold front of the year. The temperature was in the 30's and low 40's during our entire visit to the state. Brrrr.
Not sure how Jameson managed to get a good nap in that position, but he did.
Our first stop in Palmyra was at the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center. Our plan was to eat our picnic lunch out on the grounds, but the cold and windy weather wasn't cooperating so the nice missionaries at the center offered to let us use the basement. Wait, there is a basement? Yep, and it has a meeting area with piano and some tables and chairs, too. Definitely a multi-functional space.
After our lunch we headed outside to see the site. The kids enjoyed rolling down the steep hill with another family group that arrived about the same time we did.
We made an appt for the kids to do baptisms for the dead in the Palmyra Temple a few months ago and got there just in time. It was Cameron's first opportunity to go to the Temple having just turned 12 only a few weeks before.
Adam, Mckay and Tricia went in the Temple with Britton, Jenna and Cameron and I took the other 4 kids. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with them, but figured we would find something to do. Just as we drove into the town of Palmyra we saw this amazing playground at an elementary school so I pulled over and let the kids run wild.
We were there for an hour, but the kids said it felt like only 10 min. It was a little nippy so I was more than happy to watch them from the warm car. Win-win for all.
After the temple we went back to the visitors center so everyone could change clothes and then headed to the Smith Family Farm.
11 members of the Smith family lived in this modest home. Having 11 people in our own little group helped us to see just how crowded it would have been.
Walking on the path toward the larger frame home where the Smith family moved after a few years in the smaller cabin.
It was my first time seeing the Sacred Grove during the fall and it was gorgeous.
The sun was setting and I thought it looked cool to have a bright light coming through the trees.
The wind was strong and very cold walking to the grove, but inside it wasn't windy and felt warmer. It is a very peaceful place.
Before we went into the grove Jameson got his sweatshirt and jacket all wet in the drinking fountain at the visitors center. Being outside in 33 degrees doesn't feel good when you are all wet, but Adam is a good Dad and let Jameson have his coat. I still feel cold just thinking about how cold Adam must have been walking around in short sleeves, but in true Adam fashion he didn't say a word.
After seeing the farm and Sacred Grove we headed to our hotel for the night. The sun was going down and it was freezing cold. We both stayed at the same hotel so we picked up some Subway sandwiches for the kids and left them in the hotel while Mckay, Tricia, Adam and I went to dinner at the Chili's next to the hotel. It was nice to have a little date night out.
The next morning after eating a yummy continental breakfast Mckay and Tricia headed home to Allentown and we got dressed and attended the 11:30 a.m. sacrament meeting of the closest ward to the hotel which was only about 8 minutes away. We sat behind a lady with 2 boys and she was helpful with Jameson when he was having a hard time so after the meeting I thanked her. She responded with " Oh, no problem. Where are you guys visiting from?" We told her where we were from and she smiled and said, "Oh, I know it, I went to college there." As soon as she said that I looked at her and realized that even though the hair was different her face looked just like one of my roommates during my last semester of school. I asked her if her name was Elnora and she said yes and looked confused and then you could see the light turn on and she exclaimed, "Hey, we were roommates!!" Jenna just burst out laughing. Elnora and I only lived together for one semester and we didn't know each other before we lived together and didn't keep in touch afterwards, but we got along great during our 3 months as roommates. It was the semester that she got engaged to her husband and I met Adam. How funny to run into each other in New York! Her husband was home with a sick child so I wasn't able to see him, but I do remember giving her a tool kit for her wedding shower because she was an engineering student and was anything but a cutsy kind of gal. She laughed and declared it the perfect gift. She recognized Adam and we talked for just a few minutes before we left the building. Yes, it's a small world when you are a member of the LDS church. A very small world, indeed.
After church we changed at the hotel and then went to Fayette, New York, where the church was officially organized at the Peter Whitmer home on April 6, 1830.
Adam looking at the upstairs area where some of the translation of the Book of Mormon would have taken place.
Our Sister Missionary that gave us the tour was from Thailand. Cool to see such a global church come from very humble beginnings.
There were 6 members of the church when it was organized and 6 members of our family standing where it all began.
Jameson and Korinne were definitely fans of the interactive exhibits in the visitors center. The church has really "upped the program" with touch screen activities for the kids. Jameson is plowing a field and Korinne is trying to herd sheep.
Adam and Korinne with another touchscreen activity.
A painting of the area hanging in the visitors center.
After Fayette we headed back to Palmyra to take a tour of the Grandin Building where the Book of Mormon was first printed.
Everywhere we went we met missionaries from our valley. At the Grandin Building both Sister missionaries were from the same town about 15 min. from our house. Crazy.
Britton looking at a 1st edition copy of the Book of Mormon printed in that very building.
While in Palmyra we found Joseph Smith's much loved older brother Alvin's grave. He died suddenly only a few weeks after the Angel Moroni first visited Joseph Smith and told him about the Golden Plates.
Then we went and found the Martin Harris Farm.
The mortgaging of this very land paid for the first printing of the Book of Mormon.
It is a private residence and not open for tours so our visit was short. Not only that but it was starting to snow a little bit while we were there.
This is the intersection in Palmyra that has a 4 churches on each corner, all of a different denomination.
At this point we back-tracked a little. We didn't have time to go inside the framed Smith family home by the Sacred Grove the day before with Mckay's family so we went back and made it our final tour of the day.
The next morning we checked out of the hotel and headed to Harmony, PA which now goes by the name Oakland Township.
The church just dedicated the new visitors center last month so we were some of the first to see the improved site.
Joseph and Emma's home in Harmony
Historical sources have indicated that somewhere in this grove of trees was where John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to restore the Aaronic Priesthood.
The Melchizedek Priesthood was also restored at a later time.
Once again Jameson and Korinne enjoyed the interactive displays at the new visitors center.
On the banks of the Susquehanna River where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went to baptize each other after receiving the Aaronic Priesthood.
Walking down to the river I was amazed at how beautiful the scenery was. The sun was in just the right place to make the leaves and bushes look like they were glowing.
We got back to Mckay's house in time for a delicious dinner and one last night of fun with the cousins. Tricia was festive and made some brownies for my birthday. While eating brownies and ice cream we entertained each other by reading fortune cookie fortunes.
The kids also spent a lot of time in the basement making videos and dressing up in costumes.
The next morning we said goodbye to cousins as they left for school and to Mckay as he left for work.
We had such a fantastic time at their house and my kids hated to say goodbye knowing it will probably be a few years before they see each other again. Thanks for letting us come!!!
We briefly saw Valley Forge on our way to the airport and when I say briefly I mean we didn't even get out of the car. We weren't sure how long it would take to return our rental car and didn't want to be too rushed at the airport.
We have heard many stories of how my Dad came to Valley Forge in 1964 for the National Scout Jamboree so we thought of him as we passed by the open fields.
We opted to eat at the airport so we wouldn't be too rushed or get lost. I'm glad we did because we found out on arrival that our flight had been moved up 30 min. so it was good we got there when we did. We found a food court area that let each of us pick what we wanted to eat. Very convenient.
Guess who got a kids meal from Wendy's? His cousin Thomas gave him this Thomas the Train costume and Jameson insisted on wearing it home.
We lucked out on flights during this trip. The weather was perfect both ways and we even got home ahead of schedule.