Church History Tour

Palmyra, New York
August 2010

The Palmyra temple as seen through the trees on the Smith farm near the Sacred Grove. Tim Holdman did the stained glass windows in the temple with the help of more than a dozen youth from Orem High School in the year 2000. He consulted with President Hinckley on the stained glass depiction of the First Vision. The "Hinckley Window" allows you to see out into the Sacred Grove from inside the temple -- which is unusual, since most temples do not have windows you can see out of. Where the window is now was originally supposed to be walled off as part of the administrative offices, but President Hinckley had them change the construction plans so that patrons could see from "one temple to another." Within the temple are also one-of-a-kind paintings of Christ by Walter Rane, which are unlike any I have seen before. Brother Richard G. Scott was taken back by Rane's paiting in the lobby of the temple when he first saw it.

The Sacred Grove where 14-year old Joseph Smith saw Heavently Father and Jesus Christ in response to his humble prayer. It is interesting how the sun shines through the leaves on the tops of the trees in the forest.

Our family walking in the field near the Sacred Grove -- Reed, Katie, Gracie, Andrew, and Sarah.

The Hill Cumorah where the golden plates were buried.

An original first edition (1830) Book of Mormon. We also saw where it was printed in downtown Palmyra -- at the E.B. Grandin print shop.

Niagara Falls and Hershey

Niagara Falls
New York
August 2010

The new "Blue Man Group" getting ready to brave the Falls by boat on the "Maid of the Mist."

Niagara Falls was larger than I had ever imagined. The mist from the bottom of the falls drenched us as we approached (thus the blue rain gear they handed out to everyone on board the "Maid of the Mist"). At one point Andrew was getting so wet, he shouted out "Peace, be still!" (he had been watching the Bible movie about Christ calming the seas before we came on out trip -- I was both proud and amused).

The bridge near Niagara Falls from the United States to Canada.

On the way back from Niagara Falls, we stopped by Hershey World in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It was quite the experience...The kids could make their own candy bar, take a tour of a simulated factory to find out how the chocolate bars are made, watch a 3-D movie, and more.

For only $39.95 you could own the world's largest Hershey Bar. We did not buy it, to Katie's chagrin.

Amish Country

Amish Country
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
August 2010

We visited Amish country in August. We visited villages with names such as Paradise, Bird-in-Hand, and Intercourse. The latter gets its name from one of three possible explanations -- (1) an old race track, the entrance of which was known as "Entercourse;" (2) the crossing of two old roads that met here; and (3) a word used to denote "social interaction and support." One more fascinating fact about the village of Intercourse: Witness, an older movie with Harrison Ford, was filmed here.

Our Amish buggy ride into farm country, where a lot of corn and tobacco is grown.

A tobacco drying barn (the push-out wood slats are what allow for ventilation).

Christmas in August! This place was awesome -- a 20,000 sq. ft. facility with themed rooms -- all dedicated to Christmas and jam packed with lights, trees, trains, etc. It was featured in Travel Magazine a while ago.

The 9-mile train ride from Stasburg to Paradise took 45 minutes round trip. The kids loved it. They have "coach" trains, "open air" trains, "dining cars," etc.

The Harvest and Other Summer Activities

The Harvest and Other Summer Activities
July 2010

The kids had a blast planting vegetables this year, then watching them grow. Their favorite part was harvesting and eating them.

Katie helped herself to breakfast one morning when she got tired of waiting for mom and dad. She seemed to be pretty proud of herself.

We visited Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah this summer, too. The kids loved all of the flowers outside, and they loved pushing buttons on all of the video exhibits inside.

Katie is fearless. She has yet to meet an animal she did not like. She will feed them, pet them, hug them, ride them, and play with them. One of her best friends is Murphy the Dog next door. She knocks on the fence, then he comes over and digs a hole under the fence just big enough for Katie to put a cracker underneath.

The Fourth of July bike parade at our ward party. Gracie has learned to ride a two-wheeler. Andrew is riding with training wheels now. They are both getting quite good.

The Inn at Meander Plantation

The Inn at Meander Plantation
Orange, Virginia
July 2010


The Inn at Meander Plantation is a bed-and-breakfast in Orange, Virginia. It is located about 1.5 hours from Falls Church, Virginia.

Each suite is docorated differently and includes a sitting room, sundeck, and master bedroom. No television or other distractions.

The countryside is beautiful -- lots of vineyards, corn fields, and historical sites. We also visited Montpelier -- home of James Madison.