Tours are planned and accompanied by David Cook, who has over two decades of experience taking groups to sites of the Restoration. The tour has now been designed in great detail. It is almost the same tour itinerary I took in 2008. Here is the day to day quite detailed itinerary. should you wish to know the price and receive a form to register for the tour. Thanks! Church History Tour (Preliminary
Itinerary)
Thursday 18 September – Tuesday 7 October 2014
(Created 2 July 2013)
This itinerary, the timing, the hotels, restaurants etc may change before departure. It is provided to give you a good idea of how the tour will be. It is an adaptation of an earlier tour and thus timings can be given for most days. Day 1 (Thursday 18 September 2014)
Check in at Heathrow Airport around 7:00am. Board Delta flight to Boston for 9:30 departure. Lunch on the flight. Land at 13:40 and clear Immigration and Customs. Stow luggage and board Tri-state Travel luxury coach and travel to White River Junction, Vermont (131 miles). About 5:30pm check in at the Comfort Inn Hotel and relax in the pool and prepare for dinner. Walk to China Moon all you can eat Chinese buffet (included in the cost) just across the road when you are ready. Our bus is fitted with a toilet, WiFi, 110 volt power outlet, DVD player with screens and sound system for watching DVDs and playing CDs as we travel. Day 2 (Friday 19 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
7:30am Collect sack lunch (included in the cost) and stow luggage and board bus. Devotional as we travel to the Joseph Smith birthplace, monument and Visitors Centre at Sharon Vermont (about 20 minutes travel 15 miles). Conducted tour by senior missionary couples. View video. Tour about 2 hours and chance for photos.
10:00am Travel to Fayette, NY (6 hours travel, rest stop, about 305 miles). Tour Peter Whitmer Farm and Visitors Centre with senior missionary couples. Onward travel to Palmyra, NY (36 miles, 50 minutes). Overnight at Palmyra Inn (hot tub, laundry and gift shop here). We stay here for two nights. Dinner at the hotel included in the cost. Day 3 (Saturday 20 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
8:00am. Board bus and travel for 4 minutes to the Visitors Centre near the Sacred Grove. Walk into the Grove and morning devotional. Continue walk in the Sacred Grove and tour Joseph Smith Frame House, log home and Visitor’s Centre. Drive to Book of Mormon Publication Site (EB Grandin Building), discount LDS bookstore next door. See Alvin Smith grave. Lunch at Breens supermarket with a good deli – your cost). Return to hotel to prepare for session at the Palmyra Temple (half a mile from the temple). Evening meal at hotel included in the cost. Day 4 (Sunday 21 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
8:30am walk to Chapel (400 yards from the hotel) and attend church at Palmyra Ward. Sacrament meeting at 9am. Return to hotel and change. Eat snack lunch provided (included). Stow luggage and board bus. Drive to Hill Cumorah Visitors Centre and tour exhibits and climb the Hill (bus will take those on the back road as required). About 3:00pm drive to Niagara Falls, cross border into Canada, about 110 miles and 2 hours. Tour the Falls. Check into Comfort Inn, Clifton Hill, (hotel has a pool) and group meal at Boston Pizza included in the cost. Day 5 (Monday 22 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
7:45am Stow luggage and board bus. Travel to Kirtland, Ohio (about 200 miles and 4 hours). Devotional on the journey. Lunch at Great Lakes Mall (your cost). 1:00pm Tour Visitors Centre and ashery, schoolhouse, sawmill, Newell K. Whitney store (word of wisdom), and John Johnson home. 4:15pm Tour Kirtland Temple (owned by the Community of Christ, formerly the Re-organised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Two dollar entrance fee included in the tour cost. 6:15pm Check into Days Inn, drop bags and re-board bus for dinner at Great Lakes Mall at your cost. Evening shopping as required. Outdoor pool at this hotel. Day 6 (Tuesday 23 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
7:45am Stow luggage and board bus. Devotional on way to Hiram, Ohio. (about 33 miles and 50 minutes). Tour John Johnson home with senior couples. This is where Joseph was tarred and feathered and where section 76 was received. 10:30am Travel onwards toward Shipshewana, Indiana and spend a day with the Amish community. (About 5.5 hours and 255 miles). Lunch stop on the way at your cost. 4:30pm Check into Farmstead Inn, Shipshewana. Hotel has a pool, hot tub and exercise facilities, and laundry. We stay here for 2 nights. 6:30pm Board bus for dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant – an Amish restaurant with home made style food and delicious pie for dessert. The meal is included in the cost. Day 7 (Wednesday 24 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
8:00am Board the bus and spend the day as guests of JoDee Hooley, from LaGrange County Visitors Bureau who has planned our day to maximize our stay with the Amish families. We will visit their businesses (eg Rise ‘n Roll bakery, woodcrafters, Noodle shop, Cheese Factory, Little Helpers Quilt Shop). Eat lunch at the home of Melvin and LeAnna Yoder. Afternoon visit to the MennoHof and learn of the Amish history of religious persecution. Then shop at Davis Mercantile or visit the world Famous Amish Flea Market or a bit of both. Dinner at the home of Henry and Carolyn Yoder and enjoy visiting with their family and hearing them sing their beautiful hymns. o/n in Farmstead Inn again. Lunch and dinner included in the tour cost. Day 8 (Thursday 25 September)
Breakfast provided at the hotel (included).
8:00am Stow luggage and board bus. Devotional as we drive to Carthage Visitors Centre and Jail. Site of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. Travel is about 7 hours and 380 miles with a stop for lunch at your cost. We gain one hour today on our clock. 3:30pm Tour of jail with senior couples. Then travel onward to Nauvoo, Illinois about 25 miles and 50 minutes part of which is along the banks of the Mississippi River. 6:30pm Dinner at the famous Nauvoo Hotel All You Can Eat Buffet included in the cost. After dinner go to Duck’s supermarket and purchase for breakfast for 4 days and lunch for the next 3 days. All evening meals are provided and included in the cost. Check into Nauvoo Condominiums – self catering lovely apartments. Each apartment has a kitchen (dishwasher, microwave, oven, washing machine), TV etc. We stay here for 4 nights. Day 9 (Friday 26 September)
Personal breakfast in the Condominiums.
8:30am Board bus. Travel to Nauvoo Visitors Centre for orientation, view video, walk around Women’s Memorial Garden. 10:00am take two horse drawn carriage rides to orient you to Old Nauvoo (45-50 minutes) and to see the Mississippi River from Inspiration Point (about 35 minutes). About 11.45 return to Condominiums for lunch or eat prepared sandwich lunch in Nauvoo. 1:00pm Board bus and return to Old Nauvoo for sights. 3:30 return to Condos to change for Temple session in Nauvoo Temple and barbecue at the Condos. 5:15 board bus for evening Temple session (6pm) followed by optional temple cleaning crew up to 10:00pm for maximum 20 people. These are the places to see during your stay in Nauvoo:
Demonstrations:
Brickyard (collect ONE souvenir brick); Browning Home and Gun Shop; Family Living Center (Hands-on demonstration of weaving, bread-making, rope making, candle making and many more pioneer era crafts); Pendleton Home and School; Post Office and Mercantile; Print Shop; Riser Boot Shop; Scovill Bakery (sample a tasty gingerbread cookie and get some recipes); Stodddard Tin Shop; Webb Brother’s Blacksmith Shop (each visitor receives a “prairie diamond ring). Homes:
Brigham Young Home; Heber C. Kimball Home; John Taylor; Lucy Mack Smith; Sarah Granger Kimball Home; Wilford Woodruff Home. Halls :
Cultural Hall (Quilting Exhibition on 3rd floor – no lift); Seventies Hall. Shops
Lyon Drug and Variety Store; Many shops listed under “Demonstration”above; Red Brick Store. Joseph Smith Historic Sites (All owned and operated by the Community of Christ) There is an entry fee to see some or all of these places, except the Visitor’s Centre. Joseph Smith Historic Site Visitors Centre; Nauvoo House; Joseph Smith Homestead; Mansion House; Red Brick Store; Smith Family Cemetry. Day 10 (Saturday 27 September)
Personal breakfast in your condo.
8:30am. Board bus and travel to Nauvoo to view sites of your choice from above list or view those sites chosen by David Cook and supported by the bus. Return for lunch on the bus or stay in Old Nauvoo and purchase lunch or your prepared lunch. Evening meal provided at condos. 7:00pm Evening performance of “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” in the Cultural Hall by the senior missionary couples. Day 11 (Sunday 28 September)
Personal breakfast in your condo.
9:00am Attend three hour block in Nauvoo 1st Ward. Return to condos by bus for lunch from your previous purchases. Afternoon in Old Nauvoo for final sightseeing. Houses etc close at 5pm. 5pm Evening Barbecue at the Condos. Clean Condos and start packing. Please try to have an early night ready for an early departure tomorrow. Day 12 (Monday 29 September)
Personal breakfast in your condo. Collect sack lunch for journey included in the cost.
6:30am Stow baggage and board bus. Devotional as we drive toward Adam-ondi-Ahman, then onto Far West Temple Site, Richmond (Pioneer Cemetery). Visit Liberty Jail and Visitor’s Centre – conducted tour with missionaries. Tour of Independence Visitor’s Centre with missionaries and Temple of the Community of Christ. Dinner included in the cost. Overnight in Independence. Day 13 (Tuesday 30 September)
Breakfast provided in hotel (included).
8:00am Continue site seeing in Independence. About 11:30 begin journey to St. Louis Airport with lunch stop on the way (your cost). Arrive at St. Louis Airport at 4:30pm and catch Delta flight at 18:15 to Salt Lake City. Land at SLC International Airport at 20:45. Transfer on hotel shuttle bus to Salt Lake Plaza Hotel. We stay here for 5 nights. Day 14 (Wednesday 1 October)
All you can eat breakfast at JBs adjacent to the hotel (included in the cost).
9:00am Meet as a group in the hotel foyer. Bring your passport with you and things you need for the rest of the morning. Stroll as a group to the Conference Centre for tickets to General Conference (or you can watch sessions except priesthood in your hotel room). You will be able to collect one ticket for a session of Conference on Saturday and one session on Sunday (plus priesthood for the men). We will take a walking tour of church history sites in downtown SLC, including the Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young graves and memorial garden. There are some short hills on the streets we have to walk. Tour should end about 12:30pm. You are then free for the rest of the day to purchase lunch, shop, visit friends, walk round Temple Square, conducted tour of the Conference Centre. Today presents an opportunity to attend the Salt Lake Temple – a must during your visit in SLC. Day 15 (Thursday 2 October)
Breakfast at JBs, included in the tour cost.
8:00am Board local bus (Le Bus company).
8:40am Group Tour of the Church Humanitarian Centre.
10:00am Group Tour of Welfare Square.
11:30am Lunch at Chuck-A-Rama (all you can eat restaurant – included in the tour cost).
1:00pm “This Is The Place” Monument and Heritage Park. Entry Fee included in tour cost.
3:00pm Travel to Salt Lake City Cemetery and see graves of past prophets and apostles from the early days of the church to present time.
5:30am Return to SLC Plaza Hotel. Evening free
Day 16 (Friday 3 October)
Breakfast at JBs (included in the tour cost). Free day to prepare for conference, shop, temple session, visit with friends, travel by Trax and see new places (Trax stop directly outside the hotel in both directions). Today or Monday will be the reunion for Temple Workers from London Temple and those we worked with who have returned home and live in USA. Day 17 (Saturday 4 October)
Breakfast at JBs (included in tour cost)
Sessions of Conference are at 10:00am and 2:00pm. You will only be able to attend one session in the conference Centre today. Check your ticket and make sure you attend the correct session. Best to be in your seat at least 45 minutes before the session starts to be on the safe side. You should plan to leave the hotel around 8:40am to walk leisurely to the Conference Centre and go through security for the morning session or at 12:30pm for the afternoon session. Priesthood Meeting is at 6pm. During Priesthood Meeting Deseret Book holds a special ladies night with various authors signing books. There are also displays and presentations in the Relief Society Building. Day 18 (Sunday 5 October)
Breakfast at JBs included in the cost. Sessions of Conference. Be in your seats at 8:40am for the 9:30am broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” followed immediately by the morning session of Conference. 2:00pm Final session of Conference. Balance of day free. We may have to transfer to another hotel, for one night since the Salt Lake Plaza is already booked for a Convention tonight. Day 19 (Monday 6 October)
Breakfast in hotel. Morning free for last minute sites, shopping, packing and visits, session in SL Temple (If open on Monday) etc. Transfer to SL International Airport to board 5:00pm flight via Minneapolis. OR stay on in SLC at your cost and with your own arrangements. Your entry visa allows you to stay up to 3 months usually. Day 20 (Tuesday 7 October)
12:05pm Arrive at London Heathrow Airport. Clear Passport control and collect baggage and clear Customs. Make your way home safely. If you have friends you wish to stay with instead of being with us in the hotel in Salt Lake City, please make it known. The cost of staying in SLC will be deducted from your costs. You will need to let us know which of the events on Day 14 and 15 you will attend or miss. You need to collect your conference tickets with the group. It may be possible to arrange overnight accommodation in SLC with our contacts to help lower the cost of the tour, but this is limited. They will have to bring you to our hotel on the days we have events and to attend Conference sessions.
