US History and LDS Church History Trip…and links to each days blog

This is a National Cemetery were many soldiers are buried from the Battle of Antietam.

Brigham Young’s Mill and Home Site

We visited 218 US History and LDS Church History sites in 47 days.  (That included visiting 54 different cities). Each day is blogged with information about places we visited, maps, photos and highlights of the day.

If you would like more information if you are planning a trip, you can email me at priceless6191@gmail.com.  I kept very detailed records including: budgets, trip plans, and calenders for the trip showing our day by day progress.  I also have tons of brochures and maps for specific places, although I did try to scan the most important details I have onto each blog page.  Below is listed each city we visited, and what we did there.  Click on a city and start exploring.

I made this blog because I realized I would have appreciated a site with more specific information.  I hope this is beneficial to anyone who wants to take a history trip.  It was our families dream trip, and we still refer to it often.

Here is a PDF with a summary of our trip. (If you would like an editable version, I have the spreadsheet version also.)
Trip Itinerary

** Just a side note as you look around the site…no my kids names are not Bazooka, Starburst, Jawbreaker etc…our kids just picked nicknames so they could have some privacy.  Have fun looking!!!!

Alcova, WY
Devils Gate, Church, Trek, Independence Rock

Custer, WY
Custer County Museum, City 4th of July

Crazy Horse, SD

Keystone, SD
Mount Rushmore 4th July Celebrations

Rapid City, SD
Dinosaur Park, Storybook Park

Wall, SD
Wall Drug

Omaha, NE
Winter Quarters Visitors Center, Winters Quarters Temple (E,B), Mormon Pioneer Cemetery, Glenn Cunningham Lake, Pioneer Courage Park

Council Bluffs, Iowa
Kanesville Tabernacle

Nauvoo, IL
Play “High Hopes and Riverboats”, Movie “Remembering Nauvoo”, Play “Sunset by the Mississippi”, Women’s Garden, Riser Boot Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Seventies Hall, Lucy M Smith Home, Brickyard, Heber Kimball and Wilford Woodruff’s homes, Movie “Joseph Smith-Prophet of the Restoration”, Joseph Smith’s Homestead, Mansion House, Nauvoo House, Red Brick Store, Smith Family Cemetery, Trail of Hope, Youth of Zion, Play “Old Anna Amanda” 2xs, Nauvoo Pageant 2xs, Carriage Ride, Pioneer Park Pastimes, Nauvoo Temple (B,E), Frontier Fair 2xs, Play “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo”, Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds, Lands and Records Office, King Follet Discourse, Emma and Josephs Letters Vignette

Carthage, IL
Carthage Jail

Macomb, IL
Dinner with Steve -Guadalupes Restaurant

Petersburg, IL
Lincolns New Salem (camped there)

Springfield, IL
Springfield Vis Ctr, Lincolns Home Vis Ctr, Lincolns Home, Lincolns-Herndon Law Office, Old Capital, Lincoln Library, Lincoln Presidential Museum

Chicago, IL
Chicago Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Cloud Gate, Chicago Temple (B,E)

Gary, IN
Just for Gas and Photos

Kirtland OH
Kirtland Ward, Ashery, Isaac Morley Farm, Newel K. Whitney Store, Whitney Home, Sawmill, Schoolhouse, Kirtland Temple RLDS

Parma, OH
Brian and Camilla’s Home

Hiram, OH
John Johnson’s Home

Middlefield, OH
Amish Country, Cheese Factory, Hiram College (where President Garfield attended and taught)

Kenmore, NY
Mags home, Keeners, Lindbergh Elementary, Pam’s Home

Niagra Falls
Niagara Falls, Cave of Winds

Buffalo, NY(2 sites or events)
Downtown Buffalo, Duffs Chicken Wings

Mendon, NY
Home built by Brigham, Early Meeting Home, Phineas Young’s Home, John Young’s Home, Tom Tomlinson Inn, Heber Kimballs home site, Camped at John Young’s Home, Site of Brigham Young’s Mill and Home, Baptismal Site, Tomlinsons Cemetery

Palmyra, NY
Palmyra Visitors Center, Palmyra Temple (B,E), Palmyra Pageant, Sacred Grove, Smith’s Log Cabin and Frame House Alvin built, Hill Cumorah, Martin Harris’s Home, Book of Mormon Publication Site (Grandin Building)

Waterloo, NY
Peter Whitmer home

Oakland, PA
Aaronic Priesthood Monument, Joseph and Emma’s Home Site, Grave of Emmas parents and son Alvin Smith, Susquehanna River

Jersey City, NJ 
Liberty Harbor

New York, NY
PATH Rail System, Site World Trade Center, 911 Memorial and Museum, Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, China Town, Little Italy, Noho, Washington Square Park, New York University, Empire State Building, Garment District, Bryant Park, Time’s Square, Theatre District, NBC Studios, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, New York City LDS Temple, Madison Square Gardens

Philadelphia, PA
Independence Visitor Center, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, City Tavern (restaurant), Carpenters Hall, New Hall Military Museum, Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, President’s House Site, Liberty Bell Center”

Hershey, PA
Hershey Amusement Park

Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg National Park

WashingtonDC
Washington DC Temple (B,E), IKEA, Ford’s Theatre, Petersen House and Center for Education and Leadership, Spy Museum, National Archives, Washington Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Holocaust Museum, Lincoln Walking Tour, Arlington Cemetery, United States Capital Building, a Session of Congress, a Session of the House of Representatives, Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Smithsonian American History Museum, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, White House, Holocaust Museum, Nationals Game

Alexandria, Virginia
Mount Vernon

Centreville, VA
Bull Run Regional Park (Camping), visit with Tamara and family, Atlantis Water Park

Manassas, VA
Battle of 1st and 2nd Bull Run (Manassas)

Harpers Ferry, WV
Harpers Ferry

Sharpsburg, MD
Antietem Battle Field

Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, VA Pier and Chick-fil-A

Chantilly, VA
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Annex

Middletown, VA
Cedar Creek Battlefield (2nd Manassas Battle Reenactment)

Charlottesville, VA
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, University of Virginia

Buena Vista, VA
Southern Virginia University

St Louis, MO
St Louis Temple (B,E), St Louis Arch and Musuem, Old Court House (Dred Scott Case), Outside Busch Stadium, Feet in the Mississippi, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Park and Grant Farm, Home Town Buffet, St Louis Cardinals Game, St Louis RV Park

Cottleville, MO
Joel and Christy’s Home

Independence, MO
LDS Visitor’s Center, Harry Truman Presidential Library, Missouri Mormon Walking Tour (things we saw on the tour: Clinton’s Soda Fountain, Jackson County Courthouse, 1827 Log Courthouse, Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Church of Christ Temple Lot, Community of Christ Temple, Gilbert and Whitney Store, Printing Office Site (Evening and Morning Star), Governor Boggs Home Site, and Partridge Home Site and School) , Campus RV Park (next door to the LDS Visitors Center), Vaile Mansion

Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Temple (B)

Liberty, MO
Liberty Jail, Eight Witnesses Monument

Richmond, MO
David Whitmer’s Grave, David Whitmer’s Livery site (marked by with a plaque), Old Richmond Jail Location, Statue of General Alexander W. Doniphan, Pioneer Cemetery (Monument for the Three Witnesses, Grave for Oliver Cowdery, Peter Jr. and Jacob Whitmer’s Graves)

Farwest, MO
Far West Temple Site

Jamesport, MO
Amish Country, Amish Baseball Game, and Shopping

Jameson, MO
Adam-ondi-Ahman , Jameson Town Fair and Parade

Doniphan, NE
Mormon Island

McKinnon, WY
Little America

Boston, MA
11 years later we went back to add Boston to our list or US/church history travels. Here is a link to the beginning of that trip. Yale, Scarburough and Prospect Ave in Hartford, CT, Mark Twain’s Home, Boston Temple, Boston Aquarium, Faneuil Hall, Boston Massacre Site, Old State House, Boston Latin School Site, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, New State House, Boston Commons, Harbor Cruise, USS Constitution, Bunker Hill Monument, Old North Church, Paul Revere’s Home, Old South Meeting House, Union Oyster House, Omni Parker House, Cheers, Prudential Tower Observation Deck, Trinity Church of Boston, Old South Church

Other Valuable Links:
Mormon Pioneer Trail Auto Tour Route Guide
mormontrails.org

Our Families Favorite National Historic Sites

You can’t really rank any church or US historical sites, because all of it was amazing!  But since most people don’t have 47 days we thought we’d have our kids rank what they would say were the sites that were a must see.  Our kids were told if they could only visit 3 of the church sites we went to, what would they choose.  So here their choices….some of them surprised me a little…

Jawbreaker (male teenager)
1^st Washington DC,
2^nd Gettysburg,
3^rd Second Manassas Battle Reenactment or Philadelphia

Spitz (male teenager)
1^st Harpers Ferry
2^nd Second Manassas Battle Reenactment
3^rd Nationals Game

Warhead (male teenager)
1^st Second Manassas Battle Reenactment
2^nd Spy Museum
3^rd Hershey Park

Bazooka (male pre-teen)
1^st Second Manassas Battle Reenactment
2^nd Smithsonian Natural History Museum
3^rd Hershey Park

Starburst (female 7yrs old)
1^st Hershey Park
2^nd Mount Rushmore
3^rd Grants Farm

Fireball (male 6 yrs old)
1st Atlantis Water Park
2^nd Grants Farm
3^rd Hershey Park

Mr. S (adult male)
1^st Second Manassas Battle Reenactment
2^nd Baseball Games
3^rd Washington DC

Mrs. S (adult female)
1^st Gettysburg
2^nd Second Manassas Battle Reenactment
3^rd Philadelphia or Washington DC

Our favorite experience in WashingtonDC
Jawbreaker: Can’t choose, loved it all
Spitz: American History Museum, Spy Museum, Nationals Game
Bazooka: Natural History Museum, and the Nationals Game
Warhead: Spy Museum, Arlington and Chick-fil-A
Starburst: Spy Museum and the White House
Fireball: Seeing my cousin Daniel
Mr. S: Washington DC Temple and the Nationals Game
Mrs. S: Being with cousins, Washington DC Temple, Mount Vernon, and Holocaust Museum

Our favorite Civil War battle experiences:
Hands down the battle reenactment was EVERYONE’S favorite.  No one even had to blink to say that.  But we will rate what everyone thought about the battle fields we visited, the little kids can’t remember anything past today, they just keep telling us how phenomenal the battles have been the last two days.
Jawbreaker: All of them
Spitz: Gettysburg and Harpers Ferry
Warhead: Gettysburg
Bazooka: Antietam
Mr. S: Gettysburg
Mrs. S: Gettysburg and Manassas

Favorite thing we did Philadelphia:
Jawbreaker:  Independence Hall
Spitz:  City Tavern and Liberty Bell
Warhead:  City Tavern (restaurant)
Bazooka:  City Tavern and Military Museum
Starburst:  Independence Visitors Center and the collectors cards
Fireball:  City Tavern
Mr. and Mrs. S: Independence Hall

Our favorite St Louis experiences:
Jawbreaker: Cardinal’s Game
Spitz:  Cardinal’s Game
Warhead: Arch and Grant’s Farm
Bazooka: Arch and Cardinal’s Game
Starburst:  Grant’s Farm
Fireball:  Grant’s Farm
Mr. S:  Cardinal’s Game
Mrs. S:  Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Park, and Grant’s Farm

DAY 26 – July 24, 2012 – Gettysburg

I don’t even know if I can put into words the things I feel in my heart after Gettysburg.  I think the older boys believe they’ve had a great lesson on history, battles, and weapons.  But what I felt here is so different from that.  I haven’t seen death much in my life, but I’ve lost people I love.  I am a mother, who can’t imagine sending my sons into such a battle.

Last year I visited Arlington Cemetery.  Never in my life have I felt such a strong feeling of emotions at a historical site.  But to stand in the place where so many are buried after protecting our country, my heart swelled to burst.  Gettysburg was different from that only in that along with the death, was the personal stories, the carnage, the blessings and miracles, and the sadness that happened here.  It is the bloodiest battle that has happened in United States history on our soil.  I hope it will never be matched.

I had no idea the scope of Gettysburg.  I was thinking a couple of hours and we would be off.  But we were here for 7 ½ hours, and we could have been here longer.  They really push having a tour here, I thought it seemed so commercialized, but now I realize, you have to know the stories to appreciate Gettysburg, or the monuments will mean nothing.

Before we arrived I ordered an audio tour guide book from TravelBrains.  It was very good and worth every penny.  But I will say, when we arrived at “Little Round Top” (a battle area), we met up accidentally with a guide from the National Parks Service.  He talked there for at least an hour, and we followed him.  He was mesmerizing, and the stories he told, were so much more in depth than the audio book we had.  If you have the money, it is well worth that tour.  Although, I think I would still buy the audio books also, they filled in a lot of blanks.

For me there where two spots that took my breath away.  The first was “Little Round Top”.  It’s a hill that overlooks almost all of the battle lines.  So after having listened to the stories of different battles, we now stood over the hill looking down on all of them.  To see the big picture of the battles fought was amazing.  Then to hear the guide tell the stories of the generals and men that fought these battles.  They truly were brave, many times they were brilliant, but what they all did is like nothing I can imagine anyone I know doing.  A storm was coming, and although we saw no rain, we could here thunder in the distance.  One of my sons asked if they were firing cannons somewhere, because that is what it sounded like.  So we listened to the stories, and looked over the battlefields, and sounds like cannons filled the air.  It was truly breathtaking.

I am not a good story teller, especially retelling stories I’m not familiar with.  But there were some that stuck with me.  One such is of a confederate brigade that was 25 miles from the battle when they were told they were needed immediately.  They marched those 25 miles in 12 hours, and arrived at the battlefield exhausted on a hot July day (which today was).  They were dehydrated from their rapid march in scorching temperatures.  They sent men to look for water, but those men were captured.  They had to walk into some of the toughest fighting on the fields of Gettysburg under those conditions.

There was a man named Strong Vincent, who was called out of obscurity with no war training to protect “Little Round Top”.  If he was not able to complete his task, Gettysburg could easily have been lost to the Confederates.  He made decisions in the 10 minutes time he had, which have been studied for years by aspiring military.

Another moving site was “High Water Mark”.  You cannot go there without feeling the emotions of the battle.  The Confederates made a risky calculated attempt to split the Union army.  You can see the field laid out before you.  You can see where the cannons were positioned, the fields the army marched through in open site to the attack.  You can imagine the Confederates being fired upon in the open, but steadily moving forward.  Then the firing ceasing as the Union soldiers are told to hold their fire to save bullets for when they are closer.  The soldiers strain their eye across the open fields, and can’t help admire the courage of these Confederate men lined up in perfect rows marching towards them.  Then they take careful aim, and begin firing with deadly impact.  Many survivors likened it to walking through a hailstorm.    The firing was so thick that one of the fence planks along the road had 836 holes in it after the battle.

And all this is happening, not to a stranger, some enemy from a far land, but countrymen killing countrymen.  Monuments dot the 25 acres of battles showing which brigade, regiment, division, or corps were at each spot.  Arkansas, Kansas, Delaware, Wisconsin, Texas, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts…it just goes on, the lists of all the states that are represented in the deaths and fighting on these fields.

It’s an experience I will never forget.  Gettysburg is amazing, the stories unimaginable.  Don’t ever pass Gettysburg and not come by to hear the history of a nation at war against itself.  If only all could hear to know they don’t ever want to repeat such an atrocity.

Summary of Day 26

Drove:  96 miles

Places we visited or saw: Gettysburg, drove to Washington DC

NOTES ON GETTYSBURG:  Make sure you note what time the Visitors Center Closes.  It’s 5pm, and we missed getting back there after our tour.  The older kids wanted to look longer at the gift shop and the younger kids had paperwork to turn in to earn another Junior Park Ranger badge, but we missed it.  The park itself is open until 10pm.

Favorite thing we did today:
Jawbreaker: Little Round Top and Pickets Charge
Spitz:
Bazooka: Grave for General Armstead
Warhead, Starburst,Fireball: Visitors Center
Mr.S: Pickets Charge
Mrs. S: Little Round Top and Pickets Charge (High Water Mark)