We headed north into Kentucky & a one night stay at a Harvest Host location. Our first choice would have been the Railroad Museum in Bowling Green but the two available parking spots were taken before we called about them. So we settled for a new experience at an Antique Store in the country. It was very easy to find & the proprietor gave me perfect directions on how to find it & where to park the rig. She was off shopping when we arrived but said to pick wherever we wanted in their vast green field. It was lovely!. A very hilly field & I do believe we found the only perfectly level site there. We were the only Harvest Host visitor for the night.
The owner returned a couple hours after our arrival. A very friendly lady & her husband was super nice, too. She showed us into her “antique store” which turned out to be a simple 10×10 outbuilding. All the treasures were things she had found at Goodwill she felt were valuable. When staying at a Harvest Host, the guest is encouraged to buy goods or services (for example: a bottle of wine at a winery). So I looked & looked & then purchased a little wooden stamp dispenser. I won’t say how much she valued it but I will say we basically paid for our night’s stay. It was a funny/strange experience.
We drove into town for dinner & came across this teepee “motel” of sorts. I do believe it was closed for business but how cool is this?
The next morning we moved on up the road to our next reserved campground just north of Lexington, Kentucky. As we navigated the roads that were HEAVILY under construction going through Lexington (35 MPH on an Interstate?) we spotted a HUGE castle. I found it on the web when we got to our campsite because I sure was curious. It’s not old – maybe under 20 years – & is a special events venue. Murder Mystery Dinners are conducted there almost weekly. How fun would it be to participate in a live game of CLUE! I wish we had time while we were in the area!
Our purpose for going to the northern reaches of Kentucky was to visit The Ark Encounter in Willington, Kentucky & the campground we selected was the closest to that location. Well, sometimes it’s a hit & sometimes is a miss. It was more of the latter category, unfortunately. The road leading to the campground was just big enough for our rig going down the center so we sure were glad to have not encountered someone going out. The steep climbs, turns & deep pot holes were an adventure, too. But we made it & checked in with the owner who was a drill Sargent in another life, more intent on barking the rules & letting me know if any were broken we’d be kicked out. Bless her heart. I told Perry I’d be more than happy to move to a different campground but he said we’d be just fine.
On Day #2 I intended to use the facilities in the bathhouse but I was interupted by the male owner who insisted he couldn’t delay a clean-up of water that overflowed from the shower. I don’t take kindly to men being in the ladies room when it’s occupied so I just went back to the rig. I did have to return for a shower later in the day because we didn’t have full hook-ups to drain water. I just bathed very fast. Hurumph!
On Day #3 we went to The Ark Encounter. It was amazing! A life-sized Noah’s Ark, built to the specifications described in The Bible. The builder provided the funds to build the Ark, along with generous donors, & no government funding was used. The exhibits & displays were breathtaking! Although it reminds me somewhat of an amusement park, it has a specific purpose in bringing the Biblical stories of the great flood to life. There were several spots on our hours long tour (four floors / decks) where videos were playing & a very comprehensive story was told by reading the beautifully designed murals. Below are lots of pictures I took as we wandered through this wondrous structure.
Below are the story structures along the path to the entrance. Each had information about what they mean.
And the information on each sign was so helpful in understanding the Ark.
There was so much information on how it was built, with what & the timeline of construction. There’s even a comparison to the time it took Noah.
This is the message of what the Ark is about. Creationism vs. Evolution.
And there were soooo many life size & miniature exhibits. The artistic beauty & precision was gorgeous!
Below are the renditions of what human life (Noah’s family) experienced while on the Ark.
Then the creators explained their story through excellent murals & even more exhibits & a final mini-movie. Regardless of your beliefs in creationism vs. evolution, the purity of the message & the goodness of the people who built the Ark in northern Kentucky was astounding.
There was a very large area on the top floor that explained the Bible, how the stories were written & the interpretations over time. These artifacts were actually my favorites – the Bible is His word but interpretations are vast.
After touring the Ark, we moved on to the zoo which had many of the animals that would have been included on the Ark. That was fun! And the animals are so well cared for on the property!
We loved our visit to the Ark Encounter!
The following day we visited The Creation Museum, a sister park of The Ark Encounter. It is located about 45 minutes away which I thought was a little odd. It’s purpose was to delve more deeply into the Creationism vs. Evolution debate. The founders are of the complete belief the Book of Genesis is the only interpretation – Creationism. I’ll not agree or disagree in this blog, but will respect all who share those beliefs or not.
As was the case at The Ark Encounter, the life size & miniature displays were beautifully done. As we progressed through the exhibits, the story was told …
And then there were scale models of various Biblical events.
Then there was the gigantic skeletal replica of Ebenezer – WOW! I’ve included pictures of all the accompanying signage.
And a Cave Bear Skull?
The end of the tour lead us directly into the book store & gift shops. A little commercialization?
We wandered around the campus & found some beautiful hidden treasures, a stream, gorgeous gardens & camouflaged beasts.
As was the case at The Ark Encounter, there was a zoo with well cared for animals. We fed a few from the coin operated feed dispensers. The alpaca below was rather a bully – he kept spitting on his buddies if they dared to get ahead of him when food was being passed out.
After we left The Creation Museum, we headed north on the interstate – we were only a few miles to the border of Indiana & Ohio & we wanted to plant our feet on the ground in each state just for the fun of it.
One last observation while in Kentucky … they have some really strange looking water towers!
We loved our time in Kentucky but feel there was so much more to see! Like the horses & the massive ranches & the races! We will make another stop in this state again as our adventures continue!
Not all who wander are lost! #whereswaldocamping