Upper New York

Ok so some how we had it in our mind that it would take about 3- 3 1/2 hrs to get there. But once we plugged things into the GPS we realized it would take about 6-7hrs. It was a really long drive.. So that kinda took time away from what we thought we had to go see things. By the time we got to the KOA and checked in and unloaded the car it was around 5:30 6:00. We decided to hurry and run to the Palmyra visitors center to find out more information on when things opened and closed. Thankfully the visitors center stays open until 9:00 but the rest of the areas close at 7:00. So we decided to tour the visitors center and hike up the huge hill Cumorah where Joseph Smith recieved the plates. It was quite the hike. They have a big pageant they do in July that I wish we could have had a chance to see. Im sure it would be awesome. It was quite a view from the top of the hill. It was fun to imagine and see what it must have looked like back in those days. We then headed back to the KOA where we had a little cabin we were staying in. It was really cute and nice. It sat right up against the big pond they have there for fishing or renting paddle boats or canoes. The kids wanted to fish so we rigged up there poles and they had a blast!! They caught so many fish.. They would barely put their lines in the water and then they would have one.. we couldnt keep up with them. It's a catch and release program which they call CPR catch, picture, release. so we had to throw them back. So one of us would bait their hooks and the other would take their fish off the hook and throw them back. I think the fishing was the best part of the whole trip for the kids.. Thats all they wanted to do.. Plus we found out the fish really liked bratwurst and string cheese. They were going crazy on it.

The next day we headed over to Niagra Falls and spent the day over there walking around the waterfalls. It was really pretty. We got to walk down close by the bottom and they give you rain coats to where but we still got soaked. So we spent the day sludging around in wet shoes and socks. They had a space needle over on the canada side that was really neat to see and they have these elevator cars that go up the face of it.. It would have been cool to go in them but they now require you to have a passport to go over to the canada side..But it was fun anyhow.. We then left to go see a battlefield Fort at Niagra State Park, But they wanted money to go tour it which we didnt feel like paying so we just tried to take pictures of what we could see from the outside.. They also had this really cool lighthouse here that we had to take a picture of. I had to include it in my slide just for my friend Jodi.. She loves lighthouses... We were able to go down to the beach there at Lake Ontario and let the kids play in the sand and look for sea shells and pretty rocks. It's a huge Lake. You cant see across it. We then went back to the cabins and ordered pizza and let the kids fish the rest of the night.

The last morning on the way home we stopped off at the Joseph Smith Farm and went in and walked around the Sacred Grove area. It was a very spiritual place. It was very beautiful and peaceful there. I was so mad that steve did not have the camera with him at this time to take some pictures. We then were able to walk past the Smiths home and farm area and read some history about the area. It was really neat.. We then ran down the road to see the Palmyra temple. It was beautiful. My parents said they could handle serving a mission out there. It really was a beautiful area. We then headed back home which took us what seemed like forever.. I think we finally made it home around 8:00 pm. Me and steve were leaving bright and early the following morning for Cayman Island so we were in a rush to get unpacked, do laundry and repack and get things ready. Needless to say we didnt get much sleep that night. I will blog more tomorrow on the trip to Cayman Island. It was paradise.. Anyways that was our trip to upper state New York and the Church sites. I am glad we got to go do this being so close. We will probably never get another chance to do it. So while we are living here for the next year we decided to try and take advantage to go see what is out here. Ok So My last vacation blog will include Steve and I's trip to Cayman Island, the trip to Princeton Battlefield and our trip out to the ocean along the Jersey shore so stay tuned.

I just realized the pictures from the Princeton Battlefield were on here so Ill explain some of the pictures. Some of the pictures of the kids by the trees were some of the original trees that were there during the War. Some of them measured at least 5 feet across they were huge.. The green and white house was an old farmers house that they used as a hospital to fix the injured regardless of what side they were fighting on. The tree that is fenced in is said to be a tree started from the acorn that fell from the original tree that was there where Captain Mercer who served under Gorge Washington was wounded and leaned up against the tree and later died up in the hospital. I couldnt really get the view in the camera of the whole area considered the battle area because it was so large. Its strange to think we were walking on the very ground where many men died and alot of blood was shed. I think my dad really enjoyed seeing this area. He can relate to some of the storys having served in the vietnam war. The War was alot diffrent back then in those days as to how it is now or even during the time of vietnam. The weapons and the way of fighting. Its amazing what technology has done.