Day 40: Palmyra, New York

Angel Moroni on top of Hill Cumorah

 We are finally headed across the top of the United States.  First stop was Palmyrah.  I was so excited even though I had no idea what to expect.

Emma and Tayler on the Hill

Smith Farm House

 This is a replica of the house that Joseph Smith grew up in.  The foundation is the original foundation and they did build it to be an exact look alike.  They didn't even use power tools to build it.

 This is the were Joseph talked to his mother about what he had read and prayed about.

 Looking out the back of the house is the Sacred Grove, it was so pretty here.

 This is the room that Joseph knelt and prayed in and had the Angel Moroni appear to him.

 On our way to the framed house that Alvin built we stopped in one spot and we looked left and saw the Temple (above) and then looked to the right and saw the Sacred Grove (below)  it was very cool.

 This is the Framed house that the Joseph and Emma lived in.  This is the house that Joseph brought the plates to.  Below is the fireplace where he hid some of the plates.  80% of this house is the original house, the bricks below are the original ones.

Original bricks

 The box on top of that dresser in the corner is a replica of the box Joseph hid the rest of the plates in.

 The kitchen where some of the translation was done.

 This is a barrel shed that Joseph also hid the plates in.  He had them hidden under the floor boards, but one day he had the thought that he should move them so he put them on a shelf up above the tools.  A mob broke in and ripped up the floor boards and found nothing, they didn't look up either so the plates were safe.

 The Sacred Grove was so peaceful and beautiful.  I sat and tried to imagine all those years ago.  All the amazing things that happened here that made it so we could have the restored gospel in our lives.  I'm so thankful for all that Joseph Smith did. So thankful for my Heavenly Father.  He loves us all so much.  It really is very amazing.

I'm thankful I am sealed to my family.  They are mine, if I continue to do all that I have been taught to do.  What a great day.  I am so glad we came here.  It was just so special to me.

Day 39: Salem, Massachusetts

We are in Salem Massachusetts today.  Hope has always wanted to come here and see some of the Salem Witch history.  We started off at the house of Nathanial Hawthorne.  His Great great Grandfather was one of the judges of the witch trials.  I have to admit I couldn't place where I had heard of Nathanial Hawthorne until someone, probably Hope told me he wrote the Scarlet Letter.  It is much better to know who someone is when touring around his house :)  His house had a cool secret passage, up through an old chimney.  I want one of those in my house, just for fun :)

Hawthorne house

 Look how pretty the view is from his house.  It is really relaxing and peaceful looking.

 We had some time after the tour to go get some candy.  I bought some cashew turtles, so so yummy!  This place is the oldest American candy making company.  The tour guy told us that a man by the name of Spencer owned this place until his family came into some money back in England.  So he sold the company and moved home.  Spencer is the name of Princess Diana, imagine if they had stayed in America, she could have been a candy maker lol.

 Look we could have fun at Waikiki beach.  Water temps get as high as 68, doesn't that sound heavenly :)

 We toured a Witch dungeon.  I thought it was a little creepy.  I read a book called the Heretics daughter, it painted a pretty good picture of how things were back in 1692.  I'm glad I had read it, it helped me get a better feel for everything.  Amazing the things people suffered and just because some one didn't like them or for other selfish reasons.  One man wouldn't say anything at all, so they couldn't legally take his land from him unless he confessed or denied being a witch.   So they pressed him, which means they put him in a shallow ditch and put a board on his chest and slowly put rocks on top of him, hoping to get a confession.  Well he wouldn't confess and was crushed to death.  Lovely huh.  Most were hung.

 This is a Memorial to all those who died during the Witch Trials.  I think 19 people were hung, 15 women and 4 men, oh yeah and two dogs.  Each ledge is for a person.  It tells the persons name and how they died.

I couldn't get this picture to turn and got impatient.  I just wanted you to see what it looked like.  It was sobering to see.  On the threshold to this memorial were the people's denial to being a witch.  The really strange thing is that if they had confessed they would have been allowed to live.  Such a sad 14 months in our American History.

Day 38: Boston

We are on the road again, this is Connecticut, I really thought the drive was so beautiful.  The tree's are changing colors here and there.  It was a nice drive.

Welcome to Massachusetts

 As we were driving into Boston it was raining, uugghhh seems like we have to deal with rain everywhere we go.  Other than the rain, it was a beautiful city.  We always talk about where we would like to live or visit again and I think Boston is one of those places.

Hope, Tayler and Emma moving a replica boat through a lock

Tayler and Emma in front of the USS Constitution

 It was pretty cool to pull to a museum area and have this ship sitting there.  It was like we were back in time.  The USS Constitution was used in the war of 1812.  She was built in 1797.  It was fun to walk around on it and to see some of the areas on board.

Below deck

Captains chambers

Cannon

 We went to a the museum and here are the kids trying to put together a puzzle.  Love that concentration :)

What is that?  The Washington Monument in Boston lol.  I actually don't know what it is for but thought it was funny.  We enjoyed our little bit of time in Boston, once again it is somewhere I will go back to if I get the chance.

Day 36 & 37: New Jersey and New York

Sunday Tayler woke up feeling really yucky.  I am surprised this is the first time anyone has been feeling so sick that it wasn't possible to go out sightseeing.  So Tayler and I stayed in New Jersey while Hope and Emma went into New York.  It was a little nerve racking for me to let my two girls go into that gigantic city without me (I like to think I could save them) but they did and had a really good time.  

 Monday just happened to be my Birthday!!  Yay and Tayler woke up feeling fine so off we went to New York.  We caught this bus line.  We were able to ride on land and catch a water taxi also.

These sprinklers were watering the pavement for hours.  I thought that was interesting

Water Taxi

 We rode the bus down to the River and got on a Water Taxi and rode it to Ground Zero.

The only tree that survived the 9 11 attack 

 There are two pools, one for each tower.  Around the edge the names of all the victims from that day are inscribed into bronze.  It is a very touching memorial.  I am glad we made the effort to go.

Hope at ground zero

 We went to the visitor center next.  I kind of felt bad that I got excited to see this bike.  I watch American Chopper and I watched Paul Jr. build this bike, so I wanted a picture.  Hopefully that wasn't disrespectful.

Empire State Building

 The water taxi went out by The Statue of Liberty.   It was really neat to see.  I did think it would be way bigger though :)  It feels so weird to think where I am.  What I have seen and what I have been up to.   I almost feel like I will wake up and realize that non of this was real.

How weird is this.  Crowds of people everywhere and then a horse :)  New York has been such a great experience.  I have found that with this many people everywhere you kind of have to be slow and steady.  Rushing around would accomplish nothing.  We enjoyed what we could and took our time and I think that is the key to a good time in New York.

Day 35: Wicked Day!

New York! New York!!  I never thought I would go here and now look at this.  It was so cool to see everything.  I tried not to point and stare too much but hey, I'm a tourist, deal :)

This sign made me laugh

 Hope has always wanted to see Wicked.  I can't think of a better place to see it than on Broadway!  It was the best.  I have only listened to the songs from Wicked and haven't done much more than that, so I went into it all fresh with no idea what to expect.  I loved it!  I would so do it again if I could.

 Everything was amazing, the set the costume's the performers.  Everything was awesome!

 We did some shopping in NY

 Some sight seeing

Hope

Times Square at night

 We walked all over, through thousands and thousands of people

It was an amazing day, and very fun.  I love that we have been able to do all that we have been able to do and really in a short amount of time.  NY was everything I had hoped it would be and then some!