| July 10, 2010 | to | July 24, 2010 |
PATRIOTS AND PIONEERS TOUR American & LDS Church History
JULY 10-24, 2010
Tour Directors: Kristy Dimmick, Erica Brown, Alec Barrow, Ryan Webb & Sheldon Nixon
This tour is specifically designed for young adult travelers or the young at heart!
Day 1 (Sat. July 10): FLY to BALTIMORE, MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON D.C. MONUMENTS
This morning/afternoon we will fly to the BWI airport in Baltimore, Maryland. Following our arrival we will have a catered picnic dinner at a park in the Washington DC area. We will have some instruction and then we’ll be off to tour some Washington DC sites. We will tour the Monuments at night as a group. When the sun goes down Washington lights up with beauty. As a group we’ll see some of the city’s most popular monuments such as the Capitol Building, the White House, the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument. We will also make stops at the FDR Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, allowing you to see these sites in a different light. We will then go to our hotel and enjoy a good night’s rest in preparation for a marvelous two weeks together. We overnight in the Washington DC area.
Day 2 (Sun. July 11): WASHINGTON D.C. / FREE TIME / ARLINGTON CEMETERY/ WHITE HOUSE/ SMITHSONIANS/ D.C. TEMPLE
After a good breakfast and attending church, we will begin our touring day at our Nation’s Capital. We start by stopping at the Iwo Jima Memorial and then Arlington National Cemetery where you can see the famous changing of the guard, JFK’s eternal flame, etc. To help with your tour experience at Arlington and during free time, you will be given a trolley pass for Tourmobile Sightseeing. The trolley will give you the opportunity to get off and visit memorials, museums, and historical points of interest; as well as opportunities for shopping and dining throughout the city. (The tour has many stops and includes a fully narrated tour of Washington D.C. covering over 100 points of interest.) Dinner will be in the Washington DC area again and then we will head to the amazing Washington DC temple. We will enjoy the temple at night and the Visitors Center and have a great experience together to close our Sabbath Day. We overnight in the same hotel in the Washington DC area.
Day 3 (Mon. July 12): GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD / HERSHEY, PA/PHILADELPHIA/ LIBERTY BELL/INDEPENDENCE HALL
Today we make our way to the historic and unforgettable Gettysburg Battlefield and Visitors Center. We will experience the new Museum and Visitors Center (opened in April 2008) as well as a new feature film, A New Birth of Freedom. We will have some time to look around the area and have some instruction. Afterwards we will visit Little Round Top where part of the battle took place and have an amazing experience on top of a very cool tower. Lunch is a pleasure at General Pickett’s Buffet in Gettysburg. We will then travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania for a brief stop at the famous HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD! Chocolate … chocolate … and more chocolate! Hershey’s Chocolate World has been satisfying cravings for the world’s greatest sweet treat for 30 years. That evening we will spend some time in the amazing city of Philadelphia. We will visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence & Constitution were signed. Dinner is of course…Philly Cheese steaks! We overnight in Philadelphia. Time permitting we will go to the famous “Rocky” steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Day 4 (Tues. July 13): PHILADELPHIA / FERRY TO NYC/ ELLIS ISLAND/ STATUE OF LIBERTY / BROADWAY PLAY
Today we start our morning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Next we cross over the border 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 will also allow us to stop at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and see the beautiful New York skyline. We will try our best to get tickets to go up into the crown of the Statue of Liberty (just reopened). Upon arrival to NYC, we will make a brief stop at Ground Zero (time permitting) and then catch the subway to our hotel to eat and change for the Broadway Play, Wicked ! We overnight in New York City just blocks away from the Gershwin Theater and Times Square.
Day 5 (Wed. July 14): FREE TIME IN NYC / MANHATTAN TEMPLE
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, the LDS Manhattan Temple, etc.). For those interested, baptisms for the dead or a session may be done in the Manhattan Temple. Maps, suggested itineraries and ideas will be provided to help you enjoy your free day in NYC. We will depart NYC in the early evening. Time permitting, we will stop at Salem, MA (Salem Witch Trials) and Topsfield, MA (D&C 111). We overnight near Boston, MA.
Day 6 (Thurs. July 15): BOSTON FREE TIME/ FREEDOM TRAIL/ TUBING ON WHITE RIVER/ BONFIRE
Today we will be in Boston, MA. With its crowded, narrow, winding streets and colonial-era buildings, Boston brings American history alive for everyone who visits. We will relive Boston’s role in the American Revolution at the many stops and options along the Freedom Trail. There are 16 historical sites to choose from including; the New England Aquarium, the Children’s Museum, the Old State House, and Paul Revere’s House. Other options nearby are the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, JFK Library and Museum, Boston Public Garden, Boston Common, the New England Holocaust Memorial, Old North Church and the USS Constitution. Other possible visits during free time include Harvard University, Fenway Park, Cheers Restaurant and more. We will then drive to Vermont, where we will enjoy a tubing adventure down the beautiful, lazy, White River. Dinner will be a BBQ and bonfire in a meadow in the beautiful green state of Vermont. We overnight in a darling country inn in White River Junction, VT.
Day 7 (Fri. July 16): JOSEPH’S BIRTHPLACE: SHARON, VERMONT/ TUNBRIDGE VILLAGE STORE/ BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
After a true Vermont breakfast we will have a quick bus tour of Dartmouth College led by our innkeeper. We will then get the opportunity of visiting Joseph Smith’s birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. This great Prophet of the Restoration began his mortal sojourn here and we will enjoy a day of reflection as we view the Monument and Visitors Center there. We will also visit Tundbridge, VT where Lucy Mack first met Joseph Smith Sr. Lunch is a local, quaint establishment in the hills of Vermont that you will talk about for days. We will then make our way over to the Cooperstown, New York area. Those wanting to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame will go that evening. There will also be opportunities for shopping, relaxing at the hotel or enjoying the lake. We will overnight in the Cooperstown, NY area.
Day 8 (Sat. July 17): HARMONY, PENNSYLVANIA: SUSQUEHANNA RIVER / FAYETTE, NEW YORK: PETER WHITMER FARM/ HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT
Our first visit of the day will be Harmony, Pennsylvania to the Susquehanna River where, among other things, the Priesthood was restored (D&C 13). From here we will head off to the grassroots area of the Church in upstate New York. Our first site in this area will be Fayette, New York. The Church was officially organized here in 1830 at the Peter Whitmer Sr. Log House (D&C 21). We will conclude our day at the famous Hill Cumorah Pageant. We overnight near Palmyra, NY.
Day 9 (Sun. July 18): PALMYRA SITES/ SACRED GROVE/ PALMYRA TEMPLE / E.B. GRANDIN/ ALVINS GRAVE/ ERIE CANAL
Today is an amazing day visiting all the sites in the Palmyra area. We will begin at the log house of Joseph Smith Sr. and enjoy some reflection time in the Sacred Grove (JSH 1). Following this experience we will visit the Palmyra Temple and then take in the E. B. Grandin Press and Print Shop. Nearby is the gravesite of Alvin Smith (brother of Joseph-D&C 137) and the famous corners of the 4 churches. We will also visit the Hill Cumorah. We will attend church in the Palmyra area and again overnight in the Palmyra area.
Day 10 (Mon. July 19): NIAGARA FALLS /MAID OF THE MIST/ HISTORIC KIRTLAND
This morning we will travel to the majestic Niagara Falls. We will get some great photographs of the Falls and then take a voyage on one of the ‘Maid of the Mist’ boats that takes us right near the powerful mist of the falls. Afterwards we will travel south to Kirtland, OH and visit Historic Kirtland. We will visit the Historic Kirtland Visitors Center and sites including the Newel K. Whitney Store (School of the Prophets-D&C 88-89), sawmill, ashery, Johnson Inn and more. We overnight in Mentor, Ohio, near Kirtland.
Day 11 (Tues. July 20): KIRTLAND TEMPLE / HIRAM. OH: JOHN JOHNSON FARM / AMISH TOWN / FLIGHT TO KANSAS CITY, MO
Our morning will start with a visit to the Kirtland Temple which was the first Temple built in this dispensation (D&C 109 & 110). We will also visit the Temple Quarry and the Isaac Morley Farm. Next we will go to the John Johnson Home (D&C 76) in Hiram, Ohio. That afternoon we will make a short drive to Middlefield, Ohio to visit Amish country and have lunch at a delicious Amish restaurant. We will then head to the Cleveland, OH airport for our flight to Kansas City, MO.
Day 12 (Wed. July 21): INDEPENDENCE / FAR WEST/ LIBERTY/ ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN/ QUINCY, IL
Today we will explore Independence, Missouri with visits to the Community of Christ Temple and Headquarters (formerly RLDS) as well at the ‘Temple Lot’ and the wonderful LDS Visitors Center. Next we will see Liberty Jail, known as the Prison Temple (D&C 121-123). We will then venture over to Far West (D&C 115,119) where, among other things, the cornerstones for a temple were laid. Next we will visit the amazing Valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Later we will travel to Quincy, IL where we will overnight in a fabulous lodge!
Day 13 (Thurs. July 22): CARTHAGE JAIL/ NAUVOO BURIAL GROUNDS/ FREE TIME IN HISTORIC NAUVOO/ NAUVOO PAGEANT
Today we will head to Carthage Jail for an amazing, yet sobering experience as we reflect on the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith (D&C 135). We will visit the Nauvoo Burial Grounds and then check into our hotel. You will have some time to start your exploration of Historic Nauvoo. In Historic Nauvoo there are over 30 sites to see and choose from; several Historical Homes and sites, Community of Christ (RLDS) Visitors Center and sites, a horse and carriage ride, a good local fudge factory, etc. These sites should keep us all busy and then we will attend the incredible Nauvoo Pageant. We overnight in Nauvoo, just blocks from the temple!
Day 14 (Fri. July 23) FREE TIME IN HISTORIC NAUVOO/ NAUVOO TEMPLE/ CLOSING BANQUET/ TRAIL OF HOPE
Today we will spend our day soaking in the sites and sounds of Historic Nauvoo. We have temple appointments for Baptisms and Endowments as well. We will have dinner at the famous Hotel Nauvoo. This evening we will have our closing banquet and a testimony meeting. We will also plan on a stroll down Parley Street (The Trail of Hope) together and enjoy the sunset on the Mississippi River as. We will again overnight in Nauvoo.
Day 15 (Sat. July 24): NAUVOO/ ST LOUIS, MISSOURI/ ST LOUIS ARCH/ FLIGHT HOME
Today there will be a few early hours for taking in some more of historic Nauvoo. We will then board the bus and travel to St. Louis, Missouri. Time permitting, we will see the famous St. Louis Arch. We will then fly from the St. Louis airport to our homes to be reunited with our loved ones that evening.
**As of 10/28/09 – We reserve the right to change or modify the tour if needed.
Tour Cost: $2450 per person
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS PATRIOTS AND PIONEERS TOUR PLEASE SUBMIT QUESTIONS BELOW:
