Deluxe Church History/American Heritage Tour
JULY 5-19, 2009
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Directors: Clark Anderson & John Williams
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Day 1 (Mon. July 5): GETTYSBURG / DC TEMPLE
We will meet at the BWI airport in Baltimore, Maryland and greet our bus, driver and guides and make our way over to the historic and unforgettable Gettysburg Battlefield and Visitors Center. Dinner is a pleasure at General Pickett’s Buffet in Gettysburg. Our last stop of the day will be a memorable stop at the Washington D.C. Temple. We will not only enjoy the view, but will also take in the new movie on the Prophet Joseph Smith on their large screen. We will retire early and overnight in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Day 2 (Tues. July 6): DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON D.C. / MEMORIALS
Today you will enjoy a full day touring our Nation’s Capital. You will be free to enjoy the Smithsonian Museums, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the new WWII Memorial, Holocaust Museum, Washington Memorial, White House, Capital Building, Arlington Cemetery or whatever your heart desires. We have purchased a trolley pass for all of you to help you get around to the many sites. Following our downtown visits we will travel to Philadelphia and overnight.

Day 3 (Wed. July 7): LIBERTY BELL / PHILADELPHIA / BOAT INTO NYC
Today we begin our day at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall [where the Declaration of Independence & Constitution were signed]. From here we will cross over to New Jersey where we will take our Ferry Boat into NYC. This will not only provide us with transportation into New York City, but also give us a visual of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline. We will overnight at the Milford Plaza (near the Theater District of NYC). We should arrive early enough for those interested in taking in an additional Broadway Play may do so.

Day 4 (Thurs. July 8): NYC: MANHATTAN TEMPLE, BROADWAY SHOW
This morning you are free to venture out and explore the ‘Big Apple’ as your heart desires: Ground Zero, Empire State Building, Wall Street, Broadway, Times Square, Central Park, Madison Square Garden, Statue of Liberty, the LDS Manhattan Temple, etc. This evening we will enjoy the Broadway Show “Wicked” together and again overnight in the Milford Plaza.

Day 5 (Fri. July 9): HARMONY, PENNS: SUSQ. RIVER / FAYETTE / PALMYRA
Today we depart NYC and travel up to Harmony, Pennsylvania/Susquehanna River where, among other things, the Priesthood was restored. Following lunch we will take a beautiful drive up to the grassroots area of the Church in upstate New York. Our first site in this area is Fayette, New York. The Church was officially organized here in 1830 at the Peter Whitmer Sr. Log House. We overnight near Palmyra, NY.

Day 6 (Sat. July 10): PALMYRA: SACRED GROVE / HILL CUMORAH / PAGEANT
Today is an amazing day visiting all the sites in the Palmyra area. We begin by visiting the log house of Joseph Smith Sr. and enjoy some reflection time in the Sacred Grove. Following this experience we will visit the new Palmyra Temple and then take in the E. B. Grandin Press and Print Shop. Nearby is the grave site of Alvin Smith [brother of Joseph]. We will next visit the Hill Cumorah and then return to our hotel for a quick rest. Tonight we conclude our day with the memorable experience of the Hill Cumorah Pageant. We again overnight near Palmyra.

Day 7 (Sun. July 11): NIAGARA FALLS / BOAT TO FALLS / KIRTLAND
This morning as we travel to the majestic Niagara Falls we will enjoy a Sacrament service. We will then stop for a memorable photo opportunity as well as a voyage on one of the ‘Maid of the Mist’ boats that take you right under the falls. From here we travel south to Kirtland, Ohio. This area is amazing as we visit four different sites where the Father and Son appeared. Our first stop is the new Historic Kirtland Visitors Center near the Newel K. Whitney Store. We spend some time in the ‘School of the Prophets’ room and conclude our day with a stop at the Morley Farm. This will be a fantastic Sabbath as we will visit two places where the Father & Son have appeared. We overnight in Mentor, Ohio at the Holiday Inn Express LaMalfa Center.

Day 8 (Mon July 12): KIRTLAND, OHIO: TEMPLE / QUARY / HIRAM
Today we begin with a visit the John Johnson Home [D&C 76] in Hiram, Ohio. Next we visit the Temple Quarry before going into the Kirtland Temple, which was the first Temple built in this dispensation [D&C 109 & 110]. We will also visit the Temple Quarry. Following lunch we will make our way to Freemont, Ohio where we will overnight.

Day 9 (Tues July 13): AMISH COUNTRY / NOTRE DAME / CHICAGO
Today we are traveling through Amish country and cross Ohio into Indiana. We have an incredible experience as we stop in Shipshewana, Indiana for an Amish cooked meal. We first enjoy a tour of the MENNO-HOF (Mennonite-Amish) Visitors Center and Museum. This museum shares a great presentation of the history of this very fascinating people as well as many other religions throughout the Dark Ages. Following our home-cooked Amish meal we leave Amish country and enjoy a brief stop in South Bend, Indiana, where we take a tour of Notre Dame University. We spend the night near Chicago following dinner at the famous Navy Pier.

Day 10 (Wed. July 14): CARTHAGE JAIL / NAUVOO
Today we will make our way across the State of Illinois. When we arrive in Carthage we will reflect on the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at the Carthage Jail. Following this sobering experience we will venture over to Nauvoo and re-experience history as we view the newly rebuilt Nauvoo Temple! Time permitting we will visit the LDS Visitors Center where we will see the model of 1846 Nauvoo and the magnificent sculpture garden that features the Monument to Women. This evening those interested may enjoy “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo”, a production put on by the local Missionary Couples. We overnight in Nauvoo.

Day 11 (Thur. July 15): MORE OF HISTORIC NAUVOO / NEW PAGEANT!!!
Today we spend our day soaking in the sites and sounds of Historic Nauvoo. For those able and interested the day will begin with a Temple Session at the newly constructed Nauvoo Temple. In Historic Nauvoo there are over 30 sites to see and choose from; several Historical Homes and sites, Community of Christ (RLDS) Visitors Center, a horse and carriage ride, a good local fudge factory, etc. For those interested in the Missionary Productions [“High Hopes and Riverboats”, “Anna Amanda”, etc] will also be able to attend those. These sites should keep us all busy for the day. Dinner is a pleasure at the buffet in the Hotel Nauvoo. Our evening will be a memorable one as we experience the new Pageant, “Nauvoo”. We again overnight in Nauvoo.

Day 12 (Fri. July 16): ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN / FAR WEST / LIBERTY JAIL
Today we make our way down to Missouri and pass through Hannibal, which is home to the famous writer Samuel Clements [Mark Twain]. Our historical sites begin today where the human race began at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. We will then venture over to Far West where, among other things, the cornerstones for a temple were laid. Following our stop there we will enjoy the Temple Prison; Liberty Jail (D&C 121-122). Following dinner we will explore the Independence, Missouri area with a visit to the Community of Christ Temple and Headquarters (formerly RLDS) as well at the ‘Temple Lot’ and the newly remodeled LDS Visitors Center. We overnight in Liberty, Missouri.

Day 13 (Sat. July 17): KAINSVILLE / WINTER QUARTERS
Today we make our way to the Kainsville Tabernacle where the Church has constructed a beautiful new Visitors Center. We then make our way to Omaha, Nebraska to visit the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters. It was here where the Saints who fled Nauvoo ended for the winter of 1846-47. Here we will also see the Pioneer Cemetery and the new Winter Quarters Temple. We will then make our way over to Grand Island, Nebraska and spend the night.

Day 14 (Sun. July 18): PIONEER TRAIL / NEBRASKA & WYOMING
Today we see a good portion of the Pioneer trail as we make our way across Nebraska and into Wyoming. We will first enjoy a Sacrament Service and then as we venture across the ‘Trail’ we will enjoy and share stories of our Pioneer heritage. One of our stops today will include the Guernsey Ruts where you can still see the grooves in the rocks made by the Pioneer wagons. We will also admire Signature Cliffs, where hundreds of immigrants signed their names to the rock. In Casper, Wyoming we will visit the newly constructed Trails Center where we will learn about the five trails used by the early settlers as they migrated west. We overnight in Casper.

Day 15 (Mon. July 19): INDEP. ROCK / MARTIN’S COVE / S.L. VALLEY
What better way to anticipate the celebration of Pioneer Day than traveling the actual trail and arriving in the Salt Lake Valley? Today we travel the last leg of the Pioneer Trail. On our way to Martin’s Cove we will see more of the Mormon Trail when we pass Devil’s Gate and Independence Rock. At Martins Cove we will attend Sacrament Meeting with the Missionaries serving in the area and then reflect on the unforgettable events that occurred there. It was here where the Martin & Willie Handcart Companies were stuck in the early snow storms of 1847. Following this sobering experience we will continue to follow the trail until we eventually reach Immigration Canyon and enter the Salt Lake Valley! Our Tour concludes at the “This is the Place” monument. We should arrive around 6pm.
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Cost & Details:
$2,785 for Double Occupancy
Estimate includes the following:
· Air-fare ; SLC, Utah to BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland
· Deluxe, Air-Conditioned Motor-Coach
· Professional Bus Driver
· All Entrance Fees, Toll Road & Parking Fees, Tips, etc.
· Hotel Accommodations in comfortable Holiday Inn's or Holiday Inn Express'
· 2 Meals per day (generally Breakfast and Dinner)

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