The last portion of our east coast trip was in upstate New York. We arrived by train in Rochester around 8:20 pm. It was an easy, comfortable journey from NYC. Our hotel was a short Uber ride away and was a decent place to stay with a pool, a continental breakfast, and a very large room. We were pretty tired after the trip, so we went to bed early that night.
The next morning, we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and then headed to Niagara Falls. It was about an hour and a half drive. When we arrived, we got in line for the Maid of the Mist. Jonathon, Christian, and I did the tour many years ago, and it was such a fun memory that we knew we needed to do it again. The line moved pretty quickly, and soon we were on the top deck of the boat with our blue ponchos. The boat slowly made its way toward the falls, first stopping by the American Falls for some pictures. Everything was spectacular. The water was pouring over the falls in huge sheets.
Next, the little boat headed toward the giant Horseshoe Falls. At this point, the wind started to kick up a bit, and when we got to the base of the falls, we were completely pounded by water and engulfed in the mist. It was way more intense than I remembered from the last time. I could hardly see with all the water flying around us. The boys loved it and were screaming and taking videos. The boat slowly circled around the base of the falls so we could "see" it from every angle. As we slowly made our way out of the mist, we got a great look at the majestic falls. What a cool wonder of nature to get to witness!
The boat ride back was pretty quick, and thankfully, most of us weren't too wet. Jonathon somehow had an opening on his poncho and was pretty soaked on his front side. We took the next 30 minutes to view the falls from an overlook and then walked through the gift shop. Everywhere our family goes, we get a magnet to remember our trips. We used to buy bigger souvenirs and trinkets, but it was getting too hard to store/display them all, and I have started really fighting against clutter in our house. Magnets have been the perfect solution for us. I made some cute magnet boards and hung them up in our upstairs. They have many positives: you can find magnets pretty much anywhere, they are relatively inexpensive, and they are small and compact. We bought several on this trip and were excited to hang them up when we got home.
After we finished at the falls, we decided to grab some lunch. One of our favorite things to do is get famous meals in the city that made them famous. For example: Philly cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, New York cheesecake in NYC, etc. Since we were in Buffalo, we knew wanted to get Buffalo wings. We found the nearest Buffalo Wild Wings and stopped. We had never eaten there before, but the meal turned out to be absolutely delicious. The boneless wing meal could be ordered with a huge variety of sauces, so we each ordered different sauces and tried all of them. It was a really fun meal!
By the time we made it back to the hotel, it was mid-afternoon. We had been going constantly on this trip, so we figured it was a good day to rest and relax. I took a nap, and the boys went to the pool. They were pretty thrilled to have a pool for the first time this trip. Around 4:00 pm, we all went to the store and picked out various foods for dinner. We let everyone choose their own dinners. At the hotel, we had a fridge and a microwave, so there were quite a few options we could get. The kids loved being able to make whatever they wanted. When dinner was ready, we turned on "The Mummy" from our Amazon Prime account. Hyrum had been begging to watch it forever, but we hadn't had a lot of time to sit down and actually watch it. It seemed like the perfect opportunity. We hooked Jonathon's computer up so that we could ClearPlay the movie. (I love ClearPlay and prefer it for almost every movie. I don't like to hear swear words or watch questionable scenes, even though I'm an adult. And it makes me feel way better when my kids are watching.) We popped some popcorn and enjoyed watching it together, even if it was a little cheesy.
When the movie was over, we caught up on the Olympic events that had happened that day. Pretty much every night of the trip we watched the primetime coverage as we were getting ready for bed. That was a pretty memorable part of our trip as well.
The next morning, we got up and drove to Palmyra to visit all of the Church history sites. This was the part of the trip that I really wanted to save for the end because I wanted it to be a powerful way to send Christian off on his mission. You do not have to visit a place to know that something important occurred there, but if you get the opportunity, I highly suggest it. The Holy Ghost definitely testifies of the sacred events that happened, and there is something very special and powerful about standing in the same spots as the prophet did when he saw God and Christ, translated the Book of Mormon, organized the church, etc. It was definitely a day never to be forgotten for our family.
The weather was looking questionable, with rain clouds on the horizon, but we trudged on anyway hoping that it wouldn't interfere with our plans. Thankfully, although it rained a bit, we were able to see and do everything we wanted.
We started the day at the Hill Cumorah. After going through the Visitor's Center and hearing a lovely message from the missionaries there, we hiked up a short trail to the top of the hill where the monument was located. The woods there were so beautiful and peaceful. We were the only ones there, so we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. The whole area had changed quite a lot in the 16 years since we had been there, and I really liked the direction the Church decided to go. The hillside that had once been used for the pageant had been reforested and was in the process of returning to its natural state. It will take many years before it is fully grown back, but it is a good start.
After Cumorah, we went to the Smith family farm. Once again, two sister missionaries gave us a tour of all the places and bore powerful testimonies about the things that happened there. I am always so surprised by how small the Smith's log home was. With so many kids, that small cabin must have been stuffed to the gills. At the frame house, we heard stories about the many miracles that occurred as the family had to hid the plates to keep them safe from enemies. From hiding them in a fireplace to placing them in the rafters of the shed, it could not have been easy to have to worry so much about the safety of the gold plates.
Our last stop was the Sacred Grove. I love the walk from the frame home to the grove. The dirt trail surrounded by old fences and quaint meadows is so beautiful. We even saw a few deer grazing in the fields alongside the path. It started raining slightly as we were walking, but as soon as we entered the grove, the trees sheltered us from the drops, and we didn't get wet.
We found a secluded spot and huddled together as a family. Jonathon and I bore testimony to our kids about the truthfulness of the things that happened there. Joseph Smith really did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and they really did guide him and tutor him as he restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ that had been taken from the earth during the apostasy. It was a special few minutes.
After that, we encouraged the kids to go off on their own and pray to receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that all these things were true. It was quiet and peaceful and that place was a beautiful reminder of God's plan for His children and His church. After about 15 minutes, we all met back at the entrance to the Sacred Grove and walked back together. I hope the boys will always remember the Spirit they felt.
From there, we hopped in the car and went to the Grandin Printing Press where the first Books of Mormon were printed. I loved the senior missionaries who gave us a tour there. The Sister missionary was so passionate about the Book of Mormon and was able to tell us stories and give us demonstrations of how everything was done. The process of printing the Book of Mormon was not only very expensive, but also very time-consuming. To me it is a miracle that it was completed, and as quickly as it was. The Book of Mormon is a huge part of my testimony, so it was special to be there and hear about the trials and miracles involved in its coming forth. When we left the shop, we went next door to a small gift shop. Throughout the trip, Hyrum had wanted to buy things at every gift shop we saw (it makes me slightly worried for his finances as he gets older :). This time, however, he took a fancy to a beautiful replica copy of the first Book of Mormon. It really was a lovely keepsake that meant a lot, so I couldn't say no. I hope that Book of Mormon will be a treasured reminder of our trip.
We finished everything we had planned pretty early and still had several hours before our temple appointment, so we decided to drive out to the Whitmer farm where the church was officially organized. It was out of town about 45 minutes, and was one place that none of us had been before. We arrived at the beautiful Visitor's Center and were able to watch a video about the start of the church. It was such a great video that I had never seen. I learned so much and really enjoyed it.
Then we had a chance to go to the replica of the small cabin where the church was organized on April 6, 1830. After the missionaries concluded their portion of the tour, we went back in and explored the Visitor's Center a little more. I enjoyed it way more than I expected to. At the end, we took the opportunity to change into our church clothes so that we would be ready for our baptism appointment at the Palmyra temple.
We arrived back at the Palmyra temple in perfect time for our baptism session. As soon as we first started planning our trip, I tried to book an appointment. There were very few options available, and at first it looked like it wouldn't work out, but when our airline changed our return flight to the next morning, it worked out perfectly. Hyrum wasn't old enough to participate in the ordinances yet, but he met with everyone in the waiting room and got to hear the temple president come and address all the families that were there. I'm so grateful that we got that amazing opportunity to be all together in the temple. The baptistry was beautiful, and it was so special to be baptized by my son, Christian, for people who were waiting on the other side. Christian was able to baptize all of us, and then Jonathon did all the confirmations.
When we finished up, we were quietly chatting with one of the temple workers. He asked where Christian was going on his mission, and when he heard Juiz de Fora, Brazil, his eyes lit up with excitement. Apparently, his girlfriend had just gotten her call to the same mission, and one of the other temple workers had just returned from there. This is all pretty shocking because it is a relatively small and new mission, so very few people have ever even heard of it. He quickly called the other Sister over, and we went out into the hall and spent the next 10 minutes talking about the mission. She was so full of enthusiasm for her mission and love for the people of Juiz de Fora that it made all of us feel excitement and optimism for Christian's future. It was a really special interaction and felt like a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.
As we finished up our conversation, the Sister showed us the picture window in the temple that looked out over the Sacred Grove. It is the only window where you can see in and out of the temple in the whole world. Gordon B. Hinckley asked that this window be included when he looked over the plans as it was being built. We all walked over and looked down on the Sacred Grove, and I totally understood why he made that change. What a special place to be. We went and got Hyrum from the waiting room and took him outside so that he could see the special window from the outside. What a wonderful experience it was!
It was getting pretty late at that point, so we headed back to the hotel, ate some dinner, and then got everything packed up. We went to bed early because we had to be at the airport at 6:00 am the next morning. The trip home was uneventful, and I think most of us slept for big chunks of time because we were so tired from our busy trip. In fact, the whole ride home from the airport was silent, except for some snoring from the back. It was the perfect last trip with our whole family for the next two years. I am so grateful we had the money, time, and opportunity to be able to do it.
