Road Trip 2011 - Cincinatti

Yes, we made it to our first stop on the Road Trip 2011 Cincinatti...time to rest for awhile. NOPE, the kids wanted to go swimming.

The boys loved the hot tub...and refered to the pool as the cold tub. So dad kept Belle in the Cold Tub, while everyone else enjoyed the hot tub. I think the 8 hour drive got Sam and Davis very stir crazy as I remember a lot and lot of noise, high pitched laughter, then screaming as one kicked the other or the other punched the one... Little Belle loved laying her head back in the water and letting it touch her hair. She just kept smiling.

The Creation Museum

This was something recommended to me by a good friend at church, Chris Baker. And this is definately a trip you need to make if you can if only to visit this museum. This is a one of a kind museum showing how science works with Genesis 1:1 and the creation story. The scenes in the museum walk you through the Garden of Eden (equiped with some vegetarian dinosaurs) and lead you through the sin of Adam and Eve, then to the pain and suffering caused by sin in the world today.

Me and Belle hanging out with Moses and Isaiah

I think that was Paul writing from one of his prison houses.

If you notice in the picture above, there are two dinosaurs right behind the giraffes. www.answersingenesis.org describes many ideas on how the flood could have attributed to many of the issues scientists question about the bible. There is some really good information there. This museum had a lot of cool miniatures that magan captured with the camera. The museum will also have a full size replica of the arc ready by 2014. Check it out... www.creationmuseum.org

The Planaterium was ok, Sam and Davis really liked it. I might recommend skipping this if you go.

How can you beat a museum with so many animatronic dinosaurs, along with a message about our creator. Great, and as you see above, the boys loved it. Sam tried on some elephant ears in the gardens outside the museum.

And we are off...away from the Creation Museum to catch out 4:00PM Cincinatti Reds vs. the Atlanta Braves game.

Sam and Davis were very excited to see the Tornado Alley tank. This is the tank featured in the IMAX movie "Tornado Alley" that actually drives into the tornados for pictures and video. "Awesome" says Davis. They both climbed into the tank, then I was told that was not allowed, but anyway they then got some cool tornado tatoos to help them remember this momentous event...and it helped as the tornados were still showing in Charlotte.

This was also a free Promo day, we each got a Jonny Gomes bobblehead. Yeah, I know, I haven't heard of him either. Our seats were great, way up in the top deck, but in the shade with a good view of the city. Sam was amazed (along with me) to see the directTV blimp riding high above us. And I think we made it to about the 5th inning before going to the kids play area.

Did I mention it was Hot...I mean stinking hot...But those kids just played and played till there checks were as red as...I don't know, you make something up.

I found me a Reds ball cap...and even tho it pained me to wear it as they easily defeated the Braves on this day, I have a plan to visit every MLB park and get a ball hat from each one. Go Reds!

Our hotel had a big selection of free chuppa pops (suckers) at the front desk, and Sam kept coming up to me to whisper if those were for the kids. I told him yes...for him and Dave to go pick out one. Then we got up to our room and realized that the electronic key would not work. So I had to go back down to the lobby. And here is where the really weird happened. Anabelle left her Mom to come down the elevator with me...this is weird because that girl is stuck to her momma most times. Back in the lobby Belle races ahead of me and appears to know right where I am heading...she runs right to the front desk. Then it hits me as she runs right past the front desk and over to the side...she reached up and found her a sucker and brought it to me to open. She knew where I was going, and knew she missed out on the earlier opportunity. Funny, I didn't even think she noticed.

I have previously mentioned Sam's backseat creations, and here is another picture of one. The boys both got these fun straws when we ate at Bob Evans (the best I can tell, this is a Northern folks Cracker Barrel).