Dear Next TRAVELER to Ohio!
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. Kirtland, Ohio LDS Church Historical Sites
2. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Cleveland, OH
3. Lakeview Cemetery
4. Cleveland Sign & Edgewater Beach
5. Little Italy
6. Westside Market
7. GE Chandelier
8. Michael Jackson Musical
9. Mitchells Homemade Ice cream
10. Soldiers & Sailors War Memorial

One of our family’s summer road-trips included Ohio. We wanted to visit Kirtland and see the church historical sites including Kirtland Temple. We also wanted to visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Family in Cleveland. We liked Cleveland so much that we ended up canceling another day of our trip so we could stay longer in Cleveland. Here’s what we did and LOVED.

Kirtland. We have visited so many of the LDS Historical sites including Salt Lake City, Utah, the Sacred Grove in upstate New York & Nauvoo, Illinois and were anxious to see Kirtland. The LDS church had recently purchased the Kirtland Temple from the Community of Christ and we felt like it was a perfect time to make a visit. We were in Kirtland for about 4 hours and felt like we were able to see all that we wanted to and not feel rushed. Kirtland is much smaller than other LDS historical site locations. Although it is much smaller, the Spirit of the Lord was not diminished or the feelings of love and compassion for those that sacrificed so much. For me, the smaller size made me love the early Saints even more.

We pulled into the parking lot at the Visitor Center (7800 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland, OH). There were two beautiful buildings in the parking lot – the Visitors Center & The Schoolhouse. We walked inside the visitors center and had a wonderful introduction by an older couple that were serving as senior missionaries for that area. We watched a 20-min film about the early Saints and their time in Kirtland. After the introductions the led us on a walking tour to the Newel & Ann Whitney Home, The Newel K. Whitney Store, The Ashery, and The Sawmill.

The Whitney Home was beautiful and we loved seeing how the early settlers in Ohio lived in the mid-1800s. I loved hearing the story of when Joseph & Emma came to town and Emma was pregnant that the Whitneys gave up their bedroom for them. Newel K. Whitney and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Whitney, were early settlers in Kirtland, Ohio, and were searching for greater religious truth. When Joseph Smith and his wife Emma arrived in Kirtland 1831, Newel Whitney brought them “directly to [his] house”. The Whitneys were honored to have the Prophet and his wife in their home. Joseph and Emma spent their first month in Ohio living in the Whitney home. During the time the Smiths lived with the Whitneys, the Whitney home became a place of meeting and revelation for the Saints.
The Newel K. Whitney Store was a very well thought out mercantile store. Newel ran the store with his friend and business partner, Sidney Gilbert. The two merchants sold a variety of goods, most of which were likely shipped to Kirtland via Lake Erie. After the Saints’ arrival in 1831, the store became a place of meeting and revelation. A portion of the Newel K. Whitney Store was transformed into a home for Joseph Smith and his family. The School of the Prophets was held in a room on the second floor. Among the significant revelations Joseph received in the Newel K. Whitney Store was the Word of Wisdom after Joseph Smith inquired to the Lord about the men using tobacco during meetings.
As we walked upstairs and saw Joseph’s office and where the School of the Prophets met, it was a powerful realization and the Spirit testified that many truths occurred in that space.
The use of the ashery and sawmill to help with the construction of the temple was so fascinating to me. It was a powerful reminder that the Lord can provide what is needed.
In 1824, Newel K. Whitney established an ashery on the Kirtland flats. Money from the ashery helped pay off loans, finance the construction of the Kirtland temple, and print Church literature. Asheries were common on the American frontier. In asheries, ash was turned into potash, an alkali that was used in manufacturing many products, including soap, pottery, and bleach. Thanks to its wide variety of applications, potash was a valuable commodity that sold for high prices. The replica of the Whitney Ashery sits on the location of the original and is likely the only example of a reconstructed ashery in North America. 
The lumber from the sawmill was used for the roof, gables, and tower of the Kirtland Temple. The priesthood pulpits were likely assembled in the woodshop at the sawmill before being installed in the temple. Carpenters used a water-powered plane available at the sawmill to cut intricate moldings found in the woodwork on the temple.

After we toured those areas, we drove down the street to the Kirtland Temple site. We visited Joseph & Emmas house first and then walked up the hill to the Temple. We went into the Temple Visitors Center and met with a group and walked through the Temple together. The guides discussed the history of the Temple and because of the age of the Temple, we were encouraged to be extra careful in what we touched and handled. The temple was completed in late 1835 and dedicated on March 27, 1836. We learned about the original windows in the Temple & the 66 stairs up to the upper rooms of the Temple. They showed us how you could look between the floors and see the original construction of the Temple. When we walked into the upper room and saw where the School of the Prophet met and the priest pulpits, you could feel an even greater outpouring of the Spirit. You could tell it was a holy space. It was incredible to think that the Savior appeared to Joseph Smith in that room. The Kirtland Temple was very different than other LDS temples we have visited but the Spirt of peace and truth was the same.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We decided to hurry and go to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, even though we only had about an hour and a half before it closed. It was a good decision. It really only took us that amount of time. It goes pretty fast. There are a lot of exhibits, but you can walk through them pretty quickly. My daughter was disappointed when she got to the Michael Jackson display and the white glove was no longer on display. It had been sold and people weren’t sure where it was. The top floor of the museum was a huge display for the band Bon Jovi. They are one of mine and Brad’s favorites. We loved it.

After the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame we had lunch downtown at Wahlburgers. Brad is a huge Blue Blood fan (Donnie Wahlburg) and it just made sense to eat at the restaurant. The burgers were great!

We were trying to decide what to do next and thought we’d try Lakeview Cemetery. There are some very unique buildings in the cemetery. We actually arrived too late, as things were closing, so we ended up returning the next day and loved our time spent there. We visited President Garfield’s memorial. It is an incredible building with so many amazing things. The James A. Garfield Memorial is the final resting place of President Garfield. The memorial, which began construction in October 1885, was dedicated on May 30, 1890 and placed on the National Register of Historic places on April 11, 1973. President Garfield was a resident of Mentor, Ohio and was shot in Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1881. He ended up dying on September 19, 1881. The view of downtown Cleveland and Lake Erie from the top story was incredible. It was fascinating to see the casket of the US President.
The memorial cost, $135,000 ($4,800,000 in 2025 dollars) and was funded entirely through private donations, some even from pennies sent in by children throughout the country. The stone for the monument was locally sourced. On the exterior are scenes depicting Garfield’s life. The round tower is 180 feet high. The interior has the most beautiful stained glass windows representing the original 13 colonies and the state of Ohio. There is also a 12-foot-tall white marble statue of President Garfield.

The caskets of President Garfield and his wife, Lucretia lie in a crypt beneath the memorial, along with the ashes of their daughter Mary and son-in-law Joseph Brown.

We saw the obelisk for John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company of Ohio and the first Billionaire in the United States. It was extremely tall and towered over so many of the other monuments in the cemetery.

Wade Chapel was our favorite. What a stunning building! The chapel is one of the few remaining interiors completely designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The Chapel was built in 1901 in memory of Jeptha Wade, founder of The Western Union Telegraph Company and the first president of Lake View Cemetery. Wade Memorial Chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic places on June 18, 1973. We learned so many amazing things from our tour guide who was also a skydiver. He was trying to get Brad to go and jump with him.

Cleveland Sign & Edgewater Beach. Above the beach area in Edgewater Park is one of the best skyline views of the city along with the Instagrammable Cleveland script sign. We found it and of course took several photos together. We enjoyed a couple hours and the sunset at Edgewater Park. We were impressed with how many people were there and just doing various things and hanging out. Our youngest daughter loved swimming in Lake Erie. I made sure to put my feet in the water of the Great Lakes! The sand wasn’t Florida gulf coast pretty and the water was kind of dingy BUT it felt good to just be able to relax and enjoy the sunset on the water was amazing.

We spent our first night at the Drury Inn. It’s located in the Downtown Square area by the war memorial. It is a stunningly beautiful hotel. We had an extra large room and amazingly comfortable beds. We walked out the back of the hotel and looked at the war memorial and the lights of the buildings at night. It was beautiful. The hotel also has a great pool and hot tub. Both of our girls loved taking advantage of some swimming and relaxing time.

Little Italy. Upon a recommendation from our Wade Chapel skydiver tour guide, we ate lunch at Little Italy Lunch & Patries. The food was incredibly delicious. I had lasagna, Brad had chicken parmesan and the girls had pizza. Everyone’s food was good. We made sure to have several pastries, including, a lobster tail, which is always my favorite.

Westside Market. This public market is over 100 years old and the architecture alone is worth visiting for. West Side Market is Cleveland’s largest and oldest continuously operating public market. The Market has served fresh produce, meats, and bakery prepared foods since 1912. The Market is in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood and typically has more than 800,000 guests each year. I’d recommend picking up some pastries or other treats, while you are there. It was great shopping area. There were so many cuts of meat and any kind of produce. We didn’t buy much but did try several items. Our youngest daughter has always wanted to try dragon fruit. We bought one at the market. We tried it later in the hotel and although it wasn’t bad, it won’t make her list of top things to eat. I think her dragon fruit quest is over.

GE Chandelier. The GE chandelier is located in the heart of Playhouse Square at Euclid Avenue & E 14th Street. It hangs 44 feet above the street and is the largest outdoor chandelier in North America. The chandelier dazzled the area for the first time on May 2, 2014. It is made up of 4,200 crystals. It is stunning.

Michael Jackson Musical. Amazing. Our oldest daughter said it was the best thing she had ever seen. As we were taking pictures of the GE chandelier in the theater district was saw advertisements for M.J. the Musical. I thought our oldest daughter was going to lose her mind. Her favorite celebrity is Michael Jackson. The musical would be playing the next night. We decided then to stay an extra night in Cleveland so she could see the performance. It was unreal. The musical was at the Keybank State Theatre in Playhouse Square. The venue was so ornate and gorgeous. We were amazed by the talent of all the performers. We learned so much about Michael Jackson and his family and loved getting to dance to the music. We walked from the building to our hotel, the Hilton. There was a large crowd walking with us and only a few times were we ever alone. I felt safe in the downtown area.

Mitchells Homemade Icecream. In the downtown area is a cute little ice cream shop. We had to wait in line which is usually a great sign of good food. As we parked and were walking to the shop there were all these people running, like hundreds of people. We finally asked someone what was going on and they told us that it was a running club. So wild. The ice-cream was delicious!

Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial. We stumbled on this memorial as we were driving through downtown looking for the arcade building. We ended up parking and walking through the memorial. It’s a small but well-done monument that commemorates the American Civil War. From their website: “it consists of a 125′ column surrounded at its base by a Memorial Room and esplanade. The column, topped with a statue of the Goddess of Freedom, defended by the Shield of Liberty, signifies the essence of the Nation for which Cuyahoga County veterans were willing to and did give their lives. Four bronze groupings on the esplanade depict, in battle scenes, the Navy, Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry. Inside the Memorial Room are four bronze relief sculptures:  Women’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Aid Society,  Beginning of the War in Ohio, Emancipation of the Slaves and End of the War at City Point, Va., as well as busts of Gen. James Barnett and Architect/ Sculptor Levi T. Scofield, together with 6 officers, who were either killed in action, or died of disease or their wounds.”

We stayed our second night at the Hilton. It was a lovely hotel and beautiful against the Cleveland skyline but we actually preferred the Drury Inn.

WE LOVED CLEVELAND. We found so many great things to do and see and could have stayed a couple more days to see more. We felt safe the entire time we were in the city, day or night. Great big city. Thank you, Cleveland.

Dear NEXT TRAVELER to Puerto Rico!
https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. El Morro
2. Cathedral of Ponce de Leon
3. San Jose Church
4. Calle de la Fortaleza
5. Puerto Rico Instagram famous door

Next Time:
1. Fort San Cristobal
MORE TIME!!!

One year we celebrated Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico. It happened to be a stop on our multi-day cruise. We only had a few hours and decided to explore the city and try to find the most famous points of interest. We were NOT disappointed. Puerto Rico is a beautiful city and we felt like we didn’t even come close to scratching the surface. We couldn’t believe how beautiful and mountainous the land was. At the port the street is full of vendors and solicitors for taxis and tours, but it wasn’t nearly as aggressive as other ports we have been tohave been. The day was beautiful and we decided to just walk the historic part of the city. We soon found out it was a very, very steep walk up the cobblestone streets. We were relieved to reach the top. The buildings in San Juan are all brightly colored and typical of buildings in the Caribbean. All the cobblestone streets were incredible.

There were beautiful high stone walls between the road and the sea. We walked another block or so and saw the amazingly beautiful white memorials of the cemetery by the sea and Morro. It was all breathtakingly beautiful! The cemetery, Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis is stunning. The Cemetery was established in 1863 and is the final resting place for many notable residents of Puerto Rico, including famous poets, composers, and artists. Located just outside the walls of the Castillo del Morro, the cemetery is named in honor of the Catholic saint, Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis. According to an Internet search – “The locals say the location of the cemetery, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, represents the path a spirit takes as it crosses over to the afterlife. Sitting alongside the Atlantic Ocean, filled with colorful flowers, life-sized sculptures made of marble, and bright white burial sites, the cemetery is a photographer’s dream. Visitors are welcome to walk into the cemetery.”
I wish we would have had more time to explore the headstones and architecture. Beautiful!

Castillo San Felipe Del Morro fortress, commonly referred to as El Morro, is a massive fort that construction started in 1539 and took 250 years to build. Once it was completed, it was a six-level fortess to protect the Spanish colony from attackers approaching from the sea.
There is a $10 entrance fee and it allows you access to the entire fort and a guided tour from the park rangers. We walked the top of one of the side walls. Stunning scenery. We took lots and lots of pictures.

After El Morro, we walked a couple blocks and saw a beautiful white church. It was the San Jose church with a life-size statue of Ponce de Leon. It was constructed from 1528 to 1735. Juan Ponce de Leon, the first governor of Puerto Rico, was buried in the crypt of the church from 1559 to 1836, when his remains were exhumed and later transferred to the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista.

Couple more blocks to the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist. It is the oldest cathedral in the United States. It was constructed in 1521. The cathedral contains the tomb of Juan Ponce de Leon. It is a beautiful sanctuary and we were warmly welcomed to tour the cathedral on our own. We live close to New Orleans, Louisiana and this cathedral reminded us of the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter.

Just a short walk from the cathedral is “Calle de la Fortaleza” what used to be known as umbrella street. There were no umbrellas or the Puerto Rican flag. This time there were white lights strung across the top of the street and white doves mixed in with the lights. We were there during the day, so I didn’t see the lights lit up, but I imagine that it was spectacular at night. There were barricades at the street and four officers there. It looked like they didn’t want too many spectators on the street.

After some souvenir shopping, we found the Instagram famous door. When we visited, it was painted black and white instead of the red, white and blue Puerto Rican flag. The black and white painting is in protest of what they feel is a financial crisis for the territory. The door is painted on one of the city’s uninhabited buildings and is easy to find on Calle San José, near its intersection with Calle San Sebastián.

Walking back towards the ship, we stumbled across the Caminalo Store that was 50% socks. Incredible selection. We made sure to buy several for Christmas gifts for family members.

We took pictures at the “I love Puerto Rico” sign and got back on the ship, just in time.

We loved Puerto Rico and know that we just scratched the surface of what the island has to offer. The historic area was beautiful and we could have spent a full two days exploring.

Dear NEXT TRAVELER to the Dominican Republic!
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. Damajagua Waterfalls
2. Beach & Cabanas at Taino Bay

My husband and I traveled to the Dominican Republic and it would be fine with children but I would make sure you are with a reputable tour group. 

NEXT TIME:
1. Mount Isabel de Torres-large Christ the Redeemer statue
2. Cayo Arena-snorkeling and sand bar

From our cruise ship, the view of the Dominican Republic was beautiful. We were amazed at how mountainous the area was. At the end of the pier there were dancers singing Feliz Navidad. It was a great party atmosphere. We gathered in the center of the port area and met with our excursion group. We walked as a tour group through the gates to the port and onto the big charter bus.

The drive from the port to where we were going to slide down the Damajagua Waterfalls was about 30 min. We were able to see a lot of the area, and we noticed a lot of poverty. Our hearts hurt for the people. There were a lot of people riding motorcycles. There were roadside stands everywhere, selling fresh fruit.

When we arrived at the waterfalls area, our group leader took us to a building to get our lifejackets and helmets. We also had the option to rent a locker to put our belongings in. Our group walked to the start of the hiking trail, which had a couple souvenir shops and a dining and bar area.

The hiking trail was intense. It was 45 minutes and a huge majority of it was a steep hill. It was definitely not an easy climb. There were actually several women in our group that started up the hike, but quickly realized they were not going to be able to do it and walked back down. Our group leader provided water bottles for us and we were happy to have them. At the end of the hiking trail, we were able to rest at the top before we started jumping and sliding down the waterfalls.

Our excursion was for 7 waterfalls, but there are a total of 27 waterfalls on that mountain. We walked down a platform and then jumped into the first waterfall. The water was cold but the rush of the jump and the cool water was exhilarating. We jumped or slid down 6 more waterfalls – such an incredible outdoor experience. Our group then hiked back down the rest of the mountain to the bus. At the bus area we got our things out of the locker and changed into dry clothes to ride back to the port.

At the port, there was a fantastic designed beach area with a pool and live music. We found us a private little cabana.

We loved our time in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic! We felt safe with our excursion group and they took excellent care of the entire group. The cabana beach time was the perfect relaxing end to an adventurous day.

Dear NEXT TRAVELER to St Kitts!

Highlights/Recommendations:
1. St Kitts Scenic Railroad Train
2. Timothy Hill – Caribbean & Atlantic views.
Next time:
Brimstone Hill Fortress & National Park

The Scenic Railroad was fantastic. It was a two hour train ride. By the end of the tour, we had circled the entire island of Saint Kitts either by bus or by train. The lady that was our tour guide gave us so many details of the area. She was very knowledgeable and friendly. The train actually broke down a little over halfway, something happened with one of the hoses. Within about 15 minutes they had it fixed and we were back on our way. We loved seeing the island. It was beautiful!

We caught a taxi to take us to Timothy Hill. Our driver’s name was Ace and he was so kind and accommodating. Timothy Hill has a view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Beautiful! The view is incredible. You can pay for a tour of Timothy Hill but we didn’t find that was necessary. The local taxi drivers were perfect – look for Ace. He was awesome!

The island of St Kitts was beautiful. We could feel the locals gratitude for travelers and their financial contribution to their island. On our NEXT TRAVEL to the island we want to visit Brimstone Hill Fortress & National Park.

Dear NEXT TRAVELER to St Croix!
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. visit the ruins at Ft Christiansted
2. buy a St Croix hook bracelet at Sonya’s
3. eat a burger at Shupes and enjoy the view of the boardwalk and beautiful water
4. Paradise Beach shells and sea glass and St Croix sign picture

NEXT Time: boat trip to Buck Island – snorkel National Monument, underwater guided trail

We went to a large souvenir shop, walked the boardwalk, admired all the sailboats in the harbor, and the beautiful blue and green water. We walked a couple blocks to Fort Christiansted and met a local couple who took our picture and then recommended going through the fort and then buying a local St Croix bracelet from the original design jewelry shop, Sonya’s.

The fort ranger asked us if we had been down to the dungeon. When we told him we had not, he led us to that area of the fort. Once we went down into the dungeon and realized the conditions the prisoners had to be in for months and even years at a time, it became really sad. Then we started noticing each of the separate rooms and how they were actually cells and felt how isolating it would’ve been. We even went to where the original latrine was located.

At the top of the fort were the cannons and the overlook. We saw the room where the black powder was kept. It really was fascinating. We were very glad we took the time and made the effort to get there. After the fort, we walked a block up to the recommended jewelry shop, Sonya’s (2101 Company St Suite 1, Christiansted). Brad bought me a silver Saint Croix hook bracelet. The shop owner told us that it was designed by a lady who wanted to represent the culture in the area. It was stunning.

We walked back a couple blocks to where the taxi dropped us off and ate lunch at Shupes on the boardwalk. Shupes is a hamburger joint. It reminded us of a similar place on St. Thomas. They have menus on the table and you place your order on the menus. The burgers are amazing! Our waiter was a travel waiter from the mid-west and had just arrived at the island that day. He was planning to work for a few months and travel to all the surrounding islands. We loved the hour sitting on the upper deck and watching the ships in the harbor and enjoy the beautiful day.

The island of St Croix was welcoming and friendly. We felt relaxed and enjoyed learning about the history of the island. On our NEXT TRAVEL to the island we want to visit Buck Island – Big Beards Adventure Tours seemed to be very popular.

Dear NEXT TRAVELER to St Maarten!
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. rent a car and explore
2. soak up several hours on a beach (Mullet Bay was incredible – LOCAL FAV)
3. Maho Bay & Beach (watching the planes) is a very small and crowded beach
4. enjoy French pastries in Marigot

St Maarten was one of our day stops on our southern Caribbean cruise. I had waited two decades to make it there. I could barely wait for our ship to dock and us to be able to explore the island. I had always been fascinated with the island being split between the Dutch and the French. I didn’t do a lot of research before. Honestly, I just wanted to get there and feel it. But I had read that the island was easy to explore by renting a car. I was so glad I took that advice and planned for that. A couple things were at the top of my list. 1. I wanted to go to Maho Beach and see the low-flying planes 2. soak up the sun on a beach 3. shop the French stores and eat French pastries.

We worked our way around the island and tried to find “castle” the french ruins but only found very narrow streets and friendly people that looked like they wondered what we were doing. We moved on to Marigot. As we were driving into Marigot, the view was spectacular! Imagine a beautiful mountain background, lush green landscape contrasted by the beautiful blue shades of Caribbean waters and that is what we were experienced. The views were incredible. When we got into the town, I was not impressed. The streets were narrow and crowded and the shops on the main streets weren’t filled with Parisian styled items. It looked more like flea market leftovers. I was disappointed. We were about to pass Marigot by and head to the beach but saw a marina and decided to just stop by the water and see the boats. So glad we stopped! We saw some people walking toward a pier and followed them. The Atlantic Ocean and harbor were beautiful! So many impressive boats docked in the harbour. The water was the most beautiful shades of green and blue. Stunning!

We drove on to Maho Bay where the airplanes fly super low to the beach. The beach was really small and full of large rocks. The fence where people hang on as the planes fly over is across the street from the narrow beach. We took pictures of the beach and the airport and called it good.

The island of St Maarten was even more beautiful than I hoped it would be. I hope you love it as much as we did on your NEXT TRAVEL to the Island of St Maarten.