Kirtland, OH

The first sightseeing stop on our cross country adventure was Kirtland, OH situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Much to the kids delight we arrived with enough time to enjoy a swim in the outdoor pool surrounded by a beautiful garden setting before it got dark. We stayed at the Lawnfield Inn and Suites which I would highly recommend. The service was above and beyond in everything.

The next day we headed over to the Historic area that has been preserved by the church. The early church pioneers settled here for a few years before moving west. We were taken on a tour of many of the restored structures by a pair of sister missionaries and learned about life during that time period. The area was beautiful situated right on a creek and river. Whitney loved visiting the Newel K. Whitney store as it had her name on it. These pictures below show the bottom floor which housed the store and the other side which was used for trading and bartering of goods.

Upstairs was a living area that the Prophet Joseph Smith and Emma resided in for a time along with the room that was used as the School of Prophets.

Here are the lumber mill and ashery that provided revenue for the community.

Afterwards we made the short trek down the road to visit the Kirtland Temple. We enjoyed the opportunity to go inside and tour the temple.