Who knew Northeast Ohio was such a significant holy site for the Mormon religion?
The Republican National Convention’s Utah delegation, that’s who.
On Wednesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and 75 other state delegates and family members spent several hours in Historic Kirtland Village, the Lake County community where Joseph Smith received spiritual visions that led him to build his first Latter-Day Saints church.
“It has been a highlight of the trip,” Utah delegate Spencer Stokes said about being given the opportunity to step into original rooms and restored buildings where the prophet said God and Jesus Christ appeared to him several times during his residence from 1831 to 1838.
While nearly 2,500 RNC delegates from every state and territory have been convening in Cleveland each evening this week, their mornings and afternoons have largely been given up to sightseeing all over northern Ohio.
From riding roller coasters in Sandusky to making football pilgrimages to Canton, small groups fanned out over a dozen counties enjoying blue skies, warm temperatures and diverse attractions.
The Hilton Akron/Fairlawn sent two shuttle buses filled with 70 Oregonians to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens on Tuesday, where the visitors took a tour and dined on a boxed lunch.
Stan Hywet spokeswoman Gailmarie Fort said other RNC-connected people are visiting on their own.
“We are here with open arms,” Fort said.
But with Salt Lake City being the center of the Mormon faith, it was unlikely the Utah delegation — which has been staying at the Holiday Inn Akron-West in Bath Township — was going to leave Ohio without a stop in Kirtland.
The delegates did not have time to cross the county line into Portage County’s Hiram, where the Mormons preserve the John Johnson House as another holy site. That’s where Smith survived an assault by villagers who dragged him from his bed and tarred and feathered him.
But Karl Ricks Anderson, a scholar affectionately known as “Mr. Kirtland” for the depth of his knowledge about Mormon history, promised the Utah folks that they would “feel the spirit” on the land Smith called home before marching his followers to the west.
The day was a subdued change for the family of Utah Sen. Todd Weiler and wife Elizabeth, who took their teenagers to Cedar Point the day before.
Eliza, 13, and Styles, 15, tried out a few roller coasters, with the family deciding GateKeeper was their favorite.
As a host city, Akron got thumbs-up from the Weilers and Stokes.
“Hats off to everyone who’s rolled out the red carpet for us,” Stokes said, giving a special nod to West Side Bakery, whose employees were up bright and early Wednesday morning to fill the delegation’s order for 100 breakfast cinnamon rolls.
Added Elizabeth Weiler: “Everything we could ever want is right there in Akron so we feel very fortunate to be staying there.”
The Missouri delegation — which sheltered in Fairlawn this week — couldn’t decide between the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the First Ladies National Historic Site in Canton on Wednesday, so they split up and tackled both.
At the first ladies museum, delegate Sara Walsh called the attraction “charming” and the visit timely since the RNC may be deciding the next first lady to go into the museum.
“It’s such a wonderful treasure you have here,” she said during a tour of the restored home of first lady Ida Saxton McKinley.
Walsh said she and her husband, Steve, plan to spend a couple of extra days in town after the convention to continue exploring.
Their extended itinerary will include a trip to Luigi’s. The couple are fans of the Food Network and did some online research, learning the famed Akron pizza place was on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Meanwhile at the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few miles away, the Missouri delegation brought along its own attraction in the form of George Engelbach, who is spending his fifth convention dressed the entire week as Abraham Lincoln.
In his top hat and coat, the tall, lean Engelbach generally gets as much attention as whatever he’s sightseeing.
“It reminds everyone that Lincoln started the [Republican] Party,” Engelbach said of his unique attire.
Other popular local attractions — including the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hale Farm & Village and the Akron Zoo — said they weren’t specifically aware of any RNC visitors.
But zoo spokesman David Barnhardt, who said Destination Cleveland listed the zoo as a potential destination for convention-goers — said there’s still time.
“Maybe Friday,” he said, noting that other delegates might lengthen their family vacations. “It would be nice to see folks.”
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis. Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.