Join Us for The Adventure of a Lifetime!
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Available PackagesMondaySeptember 7, 2026ThursdaySeptember 17, 2026$2699
Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday, along with commemorating the sites of the restoration in 2026, with Tim Taggart & Morris Murdock Escorted Tours! Join Morris Murdock Escorted Tours and one of our favorite tour directors, Tim Taggart. On this tour we will journey to two very special time periods! We will go back to the beginning of our country and to the time of the restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Some of the highlighted experiences will be: Witnessing the Historical sites in Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and much more!
Your Love and Testimony For the Prophet Will Never Be the Same!
Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday, along with commemorating the sites of the restoration in 2026, wih Tim Taggart & Morris Murdock Escorted Tours!
Join Morris Murdock Escorted Tours and one of our favorite tour directors, Tim Taggart. On this tour we will journey to two very special time periods! We will go back to the beginning of our country and to the time of the restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Some of the highlighted experiences will be: Witnessing the Historical sites in Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and much more!
On this tour we will open this history to you in a way that your love and testimony of the prophet will never be the same.
Please note our cancellation policy:
If a participant needs to cancel their reservation, written notice must be provided. Cancellations within seven calendar days of booking (if not past the final payment date) will receive a full refund, excluding airfares, which follow the airline’s policy. Cancellations after the seven-day grace period incur a 50% penalty on the deposit until the final payment date, and cancellations after the final payment date are non-refundable, including for unused portions of the tour.
Tour ID #9226I07
To book this tour contact your favorite Morris Columbus Travel Advisor or the Group Tour Manager listed below:
Sarah Wangsgard, Tour Manager
Tel: (801) 483-6473
Highlights
- Hosted by Tim Taggart for the whole tour along with local guides
- 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour!
- Licensed, insured, and bonded travel agency with 65 years of experience!! It matters who you travel with!
- Meals as outlined in the itinerary
Our adventure begins as we arrive in Washington D.C.! Welcome! At the airport we will meet up with other tour members and board our motor coach to make our way to our hotel.
Today we will take a ride along the Virginia countryside to Mount Vernon, the home and burial place of George Washington. The evening is free for you to enjoy Arlington or maybe take the Metro back to the mall area for some nighttime viewing of the monuments.
What an exciting time to be in DC! Today we will cross the bridge into the capital city to tour the great monuments. We’ll see the White House and many other well-known sights. Your afternoon and evening are free to visit the National Archives, the National Art Gallery, or any of the thrilling Smithsonian Institute buildings including the new Space Museum.
Today we leave our Nation’s Capital and see Fort McHenry where the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write our National Anthem was fought. We will continue to our first nation’s capital city of Philadelphia. We will get to tour Independence Hall and see the famed Liberty Bell. After a lunch stop, we will continue to New York City. We will arrive with time for you to enjoy a free evening of your choice. You can plan a nice dinner, catch a Broadway show, or for those who would like you can do a session at the LDS Manhattan temple if time permits.
Today we will have a half day bus tour of the Big Apple including the NY Stock Exchange, Trinity Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Wall Street, the Top of Rock building, Radio City Music Hall, the United Nations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Lincoln Center. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours. You can choose to take time to rest, shop at Macy’s or Fifth Avenue shops or go over to Ellis Island. Tonight would be the night to plan a Broadway show if you so desire.
Historic New England, here we come! See the countryside come alive as we drive through Connecticut and Rhode Island. In history packed Boston, our Historian will share sites such as the famous SS Constitution (Old Ironside), the oldest U.S. Naval ship in service. We’ll stroll the Freedom Trail and see the Old North church and Paul revere’s statue. You’ll want to browse the quaint shops and choose a restaurant for some Boston clam chowder and seafood, Next, we motor through the scenic and quiet New England countryside past Lexington and Concord to our hotel for the night.
This morning we will attend a local sacrament meeting and will depart from Boston to Sharon, Vermont, birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith. We will pass some historical sites along the way. At Sharon, we will stop and enjoy the peaceful woods, grounds, and Visitor center, which is located on the site of Joseph’s birth.
Today we’ll visit the town where the Church was organized in 1830, Fayette, New York, before continuing to Pittsford, New York which is near the Hill Cumorah.
This morning we will spend time in the Sacred Grove and reflect on the special events that have taken place there. We will visit the Joseph Smith Sr. home, the Hill Cumorah, and the Grandin Printing complex where the first Book of Mormon was printed.
As we bid farewell to Palmyra, we travel to one of the Wonders of the World – the mighty Niagara Falls. Here we will have time to enjoy the sights and even take an optional boat ride behind the falls. After we leave the falls, we will get to visit the Church’s first temple in Kirtland. Tonight, we will also stop at the Isaac Morley farm.
This morning we will spend time visiting the Morley farm, Joseph and Emma’s house, and our last stop will be to see the John Johnson Farm. It was here that Joseph Smith completed the new translation of the Bible, received the vision of the three degrees of glory and was tarred and feathered by a local, minister-led mob. This afternoon we travel to the Cleveland airport for our late afternoon flight home.
- 1 tour-bus size experience for the whole tour
- Hotel accommodations in first class hotels or best available
- Morris Murdock escort Tim Taggart and local guides at historical sites
- Meals as outlined in itinerary
- Ground Transportation via luxury air-conditioned motor-coaches
- Tips for local sightseeing guides, hotel and provided meals as outlined in itinerary
- Sightseeing & Transfers
- Travel document package and study books
- Whisper headsets throughout tour, so you don’t miss a thing.
- Airfare from your hometown city to Washington DC/BWI Airport and return from Cleveland, OH.
- Transportation not scheduled in itinerary
- Meals other than those specified
- Tipping for guide and bus driver
- Personal expenses (phone calls, beverages, etc.)
- Trip Cancellation insurance
Join Us for The Adventure of a Lifetime!
-
Available PackagesMondaySeptember 7, 2026ThursdaySeptember 17, 2026$2699
About Tim Taggart
Tim Taggart has been a pioneer in LDS travel pretty much from the beginning of the industry, traveling to the lands of the scriptures in the Middle East and Europe the first time in 1981 and conducting tours since 1983.
He was born and grew up in Cache Valley, Utah and served his first mission in Australia. He received a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Utah State University with a career goal to become a master teacher’. He began his teaching career in the LDS Church seminary program, completing a master’s degree in instructional technology from USU at the same time. His teaching career changed course in 1982 when he and the family came to Salt Lake City to work for the Church producing media. The new focus was to teach through the technology of visual and audio media to a worldwide audience.
Tim has retired as a director for the Audio-visual Department of the Church for which he worked for over 20 years. Over the course of his career he had the responsibility for production of General Conference, the Church Satellite System, film and video production, and global media. He also was in charge of overseeing the media for the international areas of the Church and worldwide language production. After serving as Stake President, he was called with his wife Gloria to serve as Mission President of the England Bristol Mission from 1997 to 2000. Since his retirement, he is currently teaching Religion to Adult Education classes.
Tim has traveled to nearly every area of the world, professionally and as a tour guide. Needless to say, he has a great love for travel, exploring the various regions of the world, learning of their cultures and photo journaling his experiences! His love of teaching has shown while he has conducted dozens of tours to Church History, Holy Land and Book of Mormon sites.
He and his wife Gloria are the parents of two children and three grandchildren.
Pricing Information
Optional Pricing: TBA
Please see our cancellation policy:
If a participant needs to cancel their reservation, written notice must be provided. Cancellations within seven calendar days of booking (if not past the final payment date) will receive a full refund, excluding airfares, which follow the airline’s policy. Cancellations after the seven-day grace period incur a 50% penalty on the deposit until the final payment date, and cancellations after the final payment date are non-refundable, including for unused portions of the tour.
Most tour and cruise packages are sold as “Land Only”. This allows you the freedom to purchase tickets on your preferred airline and from your home city. We may offer group flights depending on the tour.
Yes! Once the frequent flyer reservations have been confirmed and ticketed by the airline, please provide a copy of the itinerary to us to ensure that proper transfer arrangements are made. We regret that we cannot assist with making frequent flyer reservations.
Yes! If you want to save some money, this is the ideal option. All reservations paid for by check or cash will receive a discount. The amount varies by tour and will be listed on the web-site.
Yes! If you are a Deseret Book Platinum Club member an additional discount may be available. There may be Expo discounts or other promotional discounts offered from time to time. However, only one discount per person will apply with the exception of the cash discount. Please call for details.
Because unforeseen circumstances may arise, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. This insurance will cover you in case you need to cancel a tour after final payment has been made. Certain restrictions apply.
Some tours do include gratuities for the local guides and bus drivers and others do not. Please refer to the “What is Included” section for your specific trip to find out.
Please note that many of these tours require that participants be in good physical and mental health. You must be capable, without assistance, of walking a minimum of one mile over uneven terrain and of climbing stairs that may not have handrails. Participants should have sufficient stamina to keep pace with an active group of travelers on long days of touring. Anyone with disabilities should have a travel companion who is willing and capable of assisting. Please let us know if you fall into this category.
In order for the enjoyment of all tour participants, we generally request that children be a minimum of 8 years old to participate on the tour. Parents should be advised that they may be the only youth on the tour. Some tours may be designed with family travel in mind and will be advertised as such. Please contact us if you have any questions.
All U.S. citizens are required to have a current passport valid for six months beyond the return date if the trip is international. In some cases a visa may also be required. For tours wholly within the United States a valid Drivers License is acceptable documentation.
Please remember that your first and last name on your ticket must match your passport or drivers license. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please call our office for assistance.
The final payment for an international tour is due 90 days prior to departure and for domestic tours it is due 60 days prior to departure. Full payment is required for new reservations received within the final payment period.
Per person cancellation fees are based on the date we receive notice from you.
For tours in the United States:
- Cancellations within 7 days of booking (if not within final payment date): full deposit refunded.
- Cancellations after the grace period ends to 91 days prior to departure: $125 will be refunded (50% of tour deposit)
- Cancellations from 90 to 61 days prior to departure: no refund of deposit
- Full payment due: 60 days prior to departure.
- Cancellations made 59 days or less prior to departure: no refund.
- Cancellations made on the day of departure: no refund
- Cancellation by Morris Murdock Escorted Tours: full refund.
- No refund for unused portions of the tour, including but not limited to, missed meals, hotel nights, and sightseeing.
For all other tours including international tours and cruises:
- Cancellations within 7 days of booking (if not within final payment date): full deposit refunded.
- Cancellations after the grace period ends to 91 days prior to departure: $250 refund (50% of tour deposit)
- Full payment due: 90 days prior to departure.
- Cancellations made 89 days or less prior to departure: no refund
- Cancellations made on the day of departure: no refund
- Cancellation by Morris Murdock Escorted Tours: full refund.
- No refund for unused portions of the tour, including but not limited to, missed meals, hotel nights, and sightseeing.
Will I receive a refund?
The refund amount, if any, will be paid according to the cancellation schedule listed above. We highly recommend travel insurance.
Since each tour is different, please refer to the individual tour recommendations on the web-site. Generally speaking, you will want to pack comfortable walking shoes, slacks and shirts that can be easily layered should there be a change in temperature. Be sure pack an extra change of clothing, camera and prescription medicines in your carry on bag.
Carry-on: Most airlines permit each passenger to take one carry-on bag, total dimensions (22″+ 14″+ 9″) of which must not exceed 45 inches and which cannot weigh more than 22 lbs., and one additional personal carry-on item, such as a purse or briefcase/laptop case; all carry-on items must fit under the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment.
Checked: Please check with your airline to confirm the current luggage limitations and any applicable fees. Most carriers charge a fee for any checked bags, with a discount if this is done ahead of time online.
Overweight: Please note that many airlines charge significant fees for overweight or oversized luggage. Be sure that all baggage and personal belongings are properly insured. Items such as medications, jewelry, or other valuables, breakable or perishable items, and important documents should be hand-carried. Responsibility will not be assumed by the airline for loss of or damage to these items.
Due to recent security issues on flights coming into the United States, the Transportation Security Administration has updated its aviation security measures. For an up-to-date list of items banned from carry-on luggage and items you can carry on, please visit: www.tsa.gov.
**Please see our complete Terms and Conditions for more information
