31 May 2022 - The Ark Encounter

 31 May

LOL I can remember this Bill Cosby classic from my childhood,  like it was yesterday.  It was originally recorded in 1963: 

God: (standing on a chair behind Noah, he rings a bell once) NOAH.   
Noah: (Looks up) Is someone calling me? (Shrugs and goes back to his work)   
God: (Ding) NOAH!!   
Noah: Who is that?   
God: It's the Lord, Noah.   
Noah: Right ... Where are ya? What do ya want? I've been good.   
God: I want you to build an ark.   
Noah: Right ... What's an ark?   
God: Get some wood and build it 300 cubits by 80 cubits by 40 cubits.   
Noah: Right ... What's a cubit?   
God: Well never mind. Don't worry about that right now. After you build the ark, I want you to go out into the world and collect all the animals of the world, two by two, male and female, and put them into the ark.   
Noah: Right ... Who is this really? Am I on Candid Camera?

Here is a young Bill Cosby on stage in New York:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bputeFGXEjA

So today we drove about 26 miles north of the campground and visited The Ark Encounter. In the blog entry below I will attempt to describe our day at the Ark Encounter but I won't try to go into a lot of detail on the history from the Bible as I would surely get it wrong.  

The Ark Encounter opened in Williamstown, Kentucky on July 5, 2016,  Unless you have been here, it is hard to describe it's enormity.  Yeah, I know, 300 cubits by 80 cubits by 40, cubits, right?  (Bill Cosby's voice) Right...!  No really!  510 ft long x 85 ft wide x 51 ft tall (seven stories) - a full-size Noah’s Ark reproduction, built according to the dimensions given in the Bible.  There are four levels including the ground level and three decks.  Each deck is complete with exhibits, displays, theatres, restrooms, some snack areas, etc

Look at the size of the people entering the ark compared to the height

The Ark Encounter is described as a one-of-a-kind historical, family-friendly theme park and a place to experience bible history, and it is both of those.  From a theme park standpoint they have a zoo, multiple zip-lines, an "Answer Center", a "Truth Traveler Virtual Reality Experience", multiple gift shops, places to eat,  

The Ark Encounter opens at 0900 hrs and it was about 1000 hrs when we arrived.  You process through a parking booth where they charge $15 for regular vehicles and $20 for oversized vehicles.  The line moved quickly and we qualified as a regular vehicle.  We were pleasantly surprised when the attendant told us our parking fee had been paid by the person ahead of us.  We thought it appropriate to pay it forward and do the same for those who followed us.

This venue is geared for massive crowds.  Everything from the ginormous parking lots to the robust bus system they use to transport you back to where the ark is located.  Luckily the crowds were thin today, at least this time of the morning, so we got parked and made our way to the bus stop quickly.

The passenger loading area - empty!

Shaded outside loading area

One of the nice coaches

Hardly anyone on the bus

We were quickly transported to the Answer Center building where the buses unload. Inside we watched our first of many movies before leaving the building and walking to the ark.

A peek inside the theatre

 

The control center for the audio-visual and lighting - of course this would draw my attention!!

 Once the movie concluded we made our way outside, through the rainbow arch and along the Monument Walk towards the ark.  We passed several animal exhibits on the walk, but all of the bird exhibits were closed to protect from avian influenza (bird flu)..

A distant view of the Ark

Shrubs trimmed like animals

Bird exhibits closed

Monuments along the pathway

  We entered the Ark on the lower level and proceeded through a maze of gates to the ramp which lead up to the first deck.  We asked one of the employees about this and they said they had over 8000 visit this past Saturday.  The most they have ever had was 12,000

Again, they are really geared up for massive crowds. These mazes go from one end all the way to the other,

We headed up the ramp to the first deck and we found ourselves in the center of an amazing wooden structure with massive beams.  The layered plank construction featured mortise and tenon joints that prevented them from sliding and loosening up.  Trunnels were also used and then it was coated inside and out with pitch to further assure the construction would be waterproof.  Of course the firefighter in me would pick out the monstrous sprinkler system throughout!!

We made our way though the displays and watched movies on each deck that furthered our understanding of  Noah and the Ark.  

Bird or poultry cages with feeders

Containers of food

Beautiful displays

Deer and other animals depicted in their cages

Rope-making machine

Massive beams in the center of the Ark

Blacksmith shop

Scrolls of information on how to feed the animals

Noah's room with the Ark plans visible

Another view of the center beams.

That was just a small sample of the pictures I took and just a fraction of the displays.  We spent several hours here and could have easily made it the whole day.  We finished at the third deck and made our way down to the lower level and exited the Ark.  Our doggie clock was running tight so we did not go through the zoo or wait in line for the virtual reality experience, but that would have been neat!

Outside we took a few more pictures and then made our way back to the Answer Center and the bus to the parking lot.  

I would highly recommend this Ark Encounter.  It is very educational and extremely well done.  

On the way back we stopped at Loves and refueled using my EFS TSD Logistics fleet fuel card which is available for RV'ers.  It provides fleet discounts for diesel and the ability to pay at the pump where the semi's refuel.  The retail fuel cost was $5.189 and my cost was $4.909 plus a small transaction fee.  I have to refuel at the trucker's pumps to use it but that worked out.  Before the discount this fill was $132.07 - ouch!

Back at the campground we concluded the day with a swim in the pool before heading back to the camper.  

Tomorrow we will likely go to Georgetown and Lexington to catch some local sites.

30 May 2022 - Arrived at Whispering Hills RV Park near Georgetown KY + Trip Stats

 30 May

This morning we got up with the birds and at 0658 hrs we pulled chocks at the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds Campground in Goshen IN.  We had an outstanding time at the 2022 Alliance RV Rally but the time has come to move on down the road.  We programmed our GPS and set sail for out next destination, the Whispering Hills RV Park near Georgetown KY, our eighth stop on this years 37 stop trip. 

The trip was uneventful except for a couple GPS hiccups.  It really decided to go nuts around Cincinnati, so much so that we pulled off at a fuel stop and reset everything. So just the way the interstate highways are laid out, we went from Indiana into Ohio, then back into Indiana and then into Kentucky! 

We caught the Ohio sign but not the Kentucky sign!

 Other than that it was a beautiful, sunny travel day but the southerly wind took it's toll on the fuel mileage.  We chewed through the diesel and made a refueling stop part way down.  

Six hours and 23 minutes and 331 miles later, at 1321 hrs we rolled into the Whispering Hills RV Park.   We in-processed quickly and were escorted to our camping spot, a full-hookup pull-through.  There are two other Alliance fifth wheels here besides ours, our friends Michael & Donna Pizzi and Phil & Pam Lau.  The Pizzi's departed the Rally yesterday and the Lau's departed about the same time we did this morning. They both leave tomorrow morning but we are staying for four nights. 

Difficult to see but there are three Alliance coaches intermingled here,

This is beautiful campground with 232 sites.  Some are pull-through and some are back-in.  They have a nice pond that you can fish or use non-motorized boating, and a lot of amenities for the kids, sich as inflatable "jumpy-jumps".  They have a very nice swimming pool with some slides and an adjacent bath house that also houses their laundry facilities.   

Popular pool on a hot day!

Community building with large doors that open facing the pond

Stage area and picnic tables

As soon as we got unhitched and set-up, Doreen headed up to the laundry facility and did three loads.  The dryers were mediocre, so she brought a lot of my dry-fit shirts and other items back here and hung them up to further dry.  The fabric softener makes it smell pretty good in here!

Tomorrow we are going to the Ark Encounter, which is a "Christian young Earth creationist theme park that opened in Williamstown, Kentucky in 2016. The centerpiece of the park is a large representation of Noah's Ark, based on the Genesis flood narrative contained in the Bible. It is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high." 

On Thursday we have a reservation for a Buffalo Trace Distillery tour and tasting.  I got an a waiting list for that and sent a pleading email to them which they accommodated!  My hope is to score a bottle of the hard-to-find Eagle Rare bourbon.  We will see....

Also bring considered is a Kentucky Horse Park tour, a possible visit to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, a stop at the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, a tour of the Mary Todd Lincoln House, and maybe a road trip to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.  More to follow!

Trip Stats:  

This is campground number 8 of 37!

# States Traveled Through So Far This Trip: 6 (IA, IL, IN, MI, OH, KY)

Baseball Parks Visited So Far This Trip:  0 (____)

Lighthouses visited:  0

Lighthouses climbed:  0

Point to point travel miles:  1132 miles

  - Avg point to point travel miles:  126 miles

Vicinity miles:  853 miles 

  - Avg vicinity miles:  122 miles

Total miles driven:  1985 miles

Total point to point driving time:  27 hrs 38 minutes

Total diesel fuel purchased: 140.385 gals

Total diesel fuel cost:  $743.21

Average diesel fuel cost/gal:  $5.256

Max diesel fuel cost:  $5.489 (Tipton IN)

Min diesel fuel cost:  $4.869 (Ankeny IA)

Avg MPG:  11.46 miles/gal

# Nights at end of this stay:  57 (Includes Griffs)

Lodging cost:  $1869.13 (includes Griffs)

 - Avg lodging cost/night:  $32.79/night

29 May 2022 - Last Day at Goshen

 29 May

This is our last day at Goshen and this post will be quick.  We will be rising early tomorrow to get on the road and head down to just north of Georgetown KY and the Whispering Hills RV Park.  More about that tomorrow

So today we started making preparations to depart.  Part of that is saying our goodbyes to friends.  We had lunch with Kate and Lance at King Gyros and had a great conversation with them.  Lance is an Army infantry combat Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Kate and Lance bought an Alliance Valor "toy hauler" and they are "living the dream" traveling around the United States full time.  We really enjoyed talking with them about their experiences.  They are wonderful friends!

After lunch we stopped in a Meijer grocery store specifically to look for two items and we found them both.  Lawry's seasoned salt with black pepper (black lid) and Old Bay hot sauce.  Neither of these are available at home and I really like them both.  Needless to say we stocked up a bit!

We always try to refuel the truck before departing so we checked Gas Buddy app and found diesel for $5.199 but I used my EFS card which should yield a further discount.

Back at the campground the departure prep resumed including flushing and emptying the sewer tanks.  Because of the nastiness of the water at the Elkhart Campground I also changed water filters, and they needed it.  They are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.  

This is a used and a new sediment filter.  Check out all the iron!

This is junk that would have contaminated our water system and possibly been ingested if we did not have an effective water filter system onboard.

All done.  The filter on the right is the first stage sediment filter.  The one on the left is a second stage carbon filter

Tomorrow we head south into Kentucky, north of Lexington.  Next report from there and I will try to pull together a stats summary.

Thanks for tagging along!

28 May 2022 - Lunch with Daughter Jennifer and Family

 28 May

Today we said goodbye to many Ally's as they pulled chock and headed to their next destination.  Others worked on their coaches such as cleaning, washing, venting the microwave stove vent or routine maintenance like greasing wheel bearings.  Others had contracted for services such as drum to disc brake upgrade or sewer tank deep cleaning. I helped an Ally plan the splitting of his black tank spray line. Some used the beautiful sunny day to relax and recover from the hectic Rally or a bike ride into the local community!  We had a mix of that Doreen did some cleaning inside and preparations for departure in a couple days.  

Late morning we headed out to meet our daughter Jennifer and her family in Middlebury IN for lunch at the Das Dutchman Essenhaus which is a popular Amish-style restaurant located just nine miles from the Goshen Fairgrounds.  We took the back roads and enjoyed the Amish area of northern Indiana.  There were many Amish on the road with their horses and buggy's.  Others were working in the fields with their teams of horses.  This is such a picturesque area.  

Sharing the roadway with one of the locals.

Many gorgeous horses in pastures along our drive

We got there a bit early and secured a table and Jennifer's crew showed up minutes later.  They have a buffet area and a menu order area and that was the choice of the kids.  The food was great and we all left full!  That did not prevent u from stopping by the attached Amish bakery for some take-away treats before we departed.  We exchanged items at out vehicles, exchanged hugs and said our goodbyes since we won't see them again until July when we all gather at our oldest daughter Michelle's house in Oak Creek WI for our oldest grandson Joseph' high school graduation celebration.  I got wrapped up in the moment and dropped the ball on getting any pictures of them.  By the time I realized it, it was too late so you will have to settle for a  picture of the restaurant.

On the way back to the campground we diverted a few miles south to visit an RV surplus store located at an Amish farm, but it closed at noon.  

Later in the day we attended a surprise birthday party for Charles Tyer, a friend and one of our Texas Ally's.  His wife Leslie did all the planning and pulled it off without his knowing!  The food was great and seeing many of the Ally's one last time was even better.

Tomorrow will be our last day here and we will make final preparations for departure early Monday morning.  We will also have lunch with friends Kate and Lance also from Texas.