The Hill Cumorah Pageant

Last weekend we had the chance to meet up with some friends from college and see the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  Justin took Friday afternoon off, and we drove 5 hours straight to Palmyra, New York. When we got there, we had a picnic dinner while the cast members were walking through the audience.

Nolan was not going to look at the camera.

The Sabins (Justin's college roommate and his family)

One of the Joseph Smith actors and his wife.

I'm going to let you guess who this actor is portraying, but I thought it was 

pretty obvious and guessed it right. Answer will be at the end of the post. 

The pageant starts at 9:15 and lasts until nearly 11 pm.  We were hoping that Nolan would fall asleep, but we had no such luck. There were just too many exciting sounds and things to see! Despite having an antsy, sleepless toddler, we still enjoyed watching the pageant.

Saturday morning we hiked up the Hill Cumorah...

...and went inside the Visitor's Center.

We ate at the Chill & Grill for lunch.  Justin got their "Garbage Plate" which is fries, burger patties, chili, and macaroni salad all piled together and topped with your condiments of choice. Our burgers were very normal, but it was the ice cream that hit the spot.  We ordered their small, which is a whopping 4 scoops.  Nolan loved every bite and didn't want to share.

With our stomachs full, we drove 3 hours to Niagara Falls. 

We spent nearly all our time on the American side, but did hop across the border for a bit.  

The falls are much prettier from the Canadian side. 

Sunday morning after church we visited the sites in Palmyra. Our first was the Smith family log home. It was a hot and sweaty day, but the kids did well. 

Looking into the cooper shed.

The Smith Family Frame Home

Then we walked through the Sacred Grove. The fun-loving children probably ruined everyone's attempts at having a their own sacred experience in the grove, but we had a good little walk.

We ate a terrific Sunday dinner with Amber's extended family (who are serving in the area), and then went out to the E. B. Grandin Printing shop in downtown Palmyra.  This is where the Book of Mormon was originally published.

We also stopped by the cemetery to see Alvin Smith's grave.

Monday morning Justin and John went to the temple.  After their early session, we went back as a family to see the temple grounds.

Then the Sabins headed back to Virginia, and we headed back home to Connecticut.  We stopped by the Peter Whitmer Farm on the way. 

With that last stop, we were back on the road. Justin did a terrific job driving.

It was a full and busy weekend, but we're glad to have gotten the chance to see our friends and visit these historical sites. It was a great experience and helped us understand a little more about the beginnings of the Restoration.

The answer is Abinadi.  Did you guess it?