We were up early to try and arrive at the ark before everyone else, and perhaps beat some of the crowds we saw from the previous day. The last time we were here, it was 2021, and with COVID rules, there was a set pathway for each floor and we were still "Southern Distancing", so it was not very crowded. My kids know the morning routine for breakfast at a hotel, so we had to share with MawMaw so she could decide which group to join. First group is me, Ruby and usually Sam, then the Davis/Belle group come down, and then I get up to take breakfast or coffee up to mom who is always last. MawMaw was up and ready and joined with the Ruby and dad group. It was your typical hotel breakfast, but they had some good flavored potato wedges that were surprisingly good. And after packing up all our bags on the roller, we were out of the hotel at 8:30AM and into the front row of the parking lot at the Ark Encounter at 8:37AM. I guess we rushed it a bit, but it did help us get onto about the third bus of the day taking you over to the Ark.
At the ark, I did get a wheelchair for MawMaw, but it was almost completely useless for the intent, but very useful as a holder for our jackets and bags, I later called this wheelchair Onesimus (Colby...Com'n, Is this mic working? That was good, right?). We began with the typical picture of the Ark behind us in the distance, and found a really nice couple to take our picture. That is one thing with the typical people here, there is no problem getting anyone to help around this place. Everyone loves the Lord, but not all are in line with my form of humor. Such as this couple that took our picture, then when the dad looked at me and said "It is amazing how this was done with God's command", and I replied with "Yeah, I hear he told Ken Ham to build it in a dream". I seriously got a stern look, and immediately the man began a sermon on Genesis 6 he apparently had recently given his congregation. When he continued his sermon leaving his family behind as we continued forward to some of those silly head shots at the family of Noah, I politely said "I think your family is looking for you". "They will catch up" he said, but we were finally able to slip away. Good guy and good family, and I am sure a good lesson, but I did not pay $60/person to hear it.
At the bottom of the ark was a long switchback back and forth up a steep hill to get to Level 1 of the Ark, so this was the one place where MawMaw accepted a ride up with Davis pushing the chair, but she did not need any assistance beyond that for the remainder of the day. Inside the ark, Level 1 does not have a lot to see, but some cool views of what the inside of the ark may have looked like. And it shows an illustration of how all the waste may have been dealt with, along with how some of the caged creatures were fed and watered. We then took the elevator to the 3rd floor, because I thought that is what I remembered from 2021, but in hindsight, I think was completely wrong. But it placed us on a completely empty 3rd floor with plenty of time and room to look at how Noah and his family lived. It is really well done here at the ark, with full backstories that I don't know where they came from, but as good as any.
There is also a good set of videos that shows on the 2nd Floor Noah being interviewed by an ancient journalist just prior to the flood, then on the 3rd floor an updated Noah that worked at the Ark being interviewed by the same journalist in modern times, ending with a challenge to accept the bible. Exhibits on the Ice Age, the Bible Museum in DC, Ark stories across the world all lined the floors of the ark to help explain some of the science of a young Earth. Magan's favorite was part of the museum of the bible exhibit showing the copies of other ancient manuscripts of other books of antiquity represented as coffee beans. Each of those books was recognized as truth, yet we have only 3 or 4 old manuscripts. When we come to the bible, the guy pours out over 20,000 coffee beans representing the copies of the bible. As always, we exited on the bottom floor thru the gift shop, MawMaw picking up a book and some gifts that are currently hanging in my closet to get to her soon.
Both mawmaw and our family, while in the ark, picked up a refillable soda cup where you could get as advertised "A Flood of Refills" throughout the day. We were all pretty hungry leaving the ark, so we went into Emzara's (Noah's wife) Buffet. All you can eat, with a LOT of food. This is the perfect meal for this place, and I would never skip it. With full bellies, we left the buffet headed towards the zoo. MawMaw had a tough decision with a Refillable mug full of diet coke, and now a buffet diet coke full...which one to choose? And she went with keeping both! Haha, I love that lady, and she loves that Diet Coke.
In the zoo, I could see Ruby's disappointment with the kangaroo did not come up to her like it did in 2021. Back then, she even bought a kangaroo at the ark, and we called him Kissy because he had kissed her hand. But they were all a little bigger now, and with the crowds that day, difficult to get close enough to pet one. One came hopping towards Ruby, recognizing her as her friend from many years ago, but then a crazy kid stepped in the middle and frightened her old friend. At least that is the story both Ruby and I will tell.
The zoo had zonkeys and zorses, camels to ride, and a large petting area where the girls got to meet Abednego, the famous goat. This goat did tricks by shaking hands and standing on its back legs, then showed how it knew colors and numbers through an assortment of tricks. I did not get the chance to see this goat, but heard the amazing feats of skill from Magan. MawMaw, Davis and I were outside watching the "Ric Flair" parrot (This is the name we gave it). We were watching this parrot, when it jumped on a branch, walked over to our side of the cage and went "Wooooooo" in a perfect Ric Flair moment. And once everyone else heard it and started mimicking it, the bird continued to share his "Woooo" with everyone.
We finally made our way back towards the front of the Ark Encounter, where the kids rode the carousel, Ruby played at the playground, and then all had some ice cream. It was a good day full of a lot of good smiles, especially getting to see our MawMaw right there with us full of smiles. Even after a lot of walking across that place. She told me about the secret of mustard packets for muscle spasms at the end of the day, and maybe she was feeling it a bit, but you would never have known. As in most of these pictures, she was always ahead of me looking for what is next.
But our time at the Ark came to an end, and we wanted to make it to Nashville the next morning, so I found a Marriot in Elizabethtown KY that night. But that meant 2 hours before we could get to the next hotel and rest. We passed the Kentucky Castle once more on this journey, Magan was asleep and missed it, but that led to the most exciting part of this driving adventure on this day. Shortly after leaving Lexington on our way to Elizabethtown, it was such a great drive. Very little traffic and beautiful drive along the Bluegrass Parkway...WHEN WHAMMM!!...Magan awoke from a dream swinging both hands wide and shouting! She smashed her coffee cup up and out of the cup holder spilling a little on the floor of the van. I immediately return to Joe Pesci mode completely forgetting about that peaceful drive we had going. But now she was up, and back to periodic jerks to the grab handle.
Our next hotel did not have adjoining rooms, but we were only a few doors down the hall. That night as the kids were swimming, I ordered some pizzas to be delivered, so we did not have to get out any more that night. Ruby broke her handstand record and set the new bar at 12 seconds. Not to be outdone, Davis set the record at 17 seconds in the all male division. The pizzas were brought down to the girls room for dinner, and seeing that they were watching figure skating, me and Davis took our pizza back to our room to watch Indy Car racing then the Alabama basketball game. Magan finally came down after figure skating was over, and while we tried to find Shark Tank as a joke, it magically was not on that night.
And I could leave this day like that, but I will admit there were a lot of giggles today after people were stepping on bullfrogs all day. Davis was just murdering them left and right, probably due to the massive amount of chicken and yogurt he was eating. But little Ruby, in a fit of giggling, told me that she actually heard MawMaw step on a big bullfrog. So maybe they were just around Davis. Looking at pics below, I think Magan got a copy of both of those pictures painted below. Another fun day!
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