The Ark Encounter

 May 26 2023 Friday

We got away earlier than normal and were on the road by 8 AM. We plan to drive about 75 miles to the Ark Encounter near Williamstown, Kentucky. After touring the ark we will drive about 50 miles to the west to a campground in Carrollton Kentucky. 

Today's travel plans

The morning went almost as planned, when we got to Lexington we had to get on the interstate. Once around the city I got off at the first exit. Our plan, which I admit is very loose, is to stay off the interstate highways and see the back roads of America. I don’t remember the exit number because I was winging it, but I remembered a country road that paralleled the interstate north. 

We try to avoid big cities

My decision to find the side road from memory was not a good one. The road we were on slowly narrowed the further we traveled, first too two eight-foot lanes, then one 12-foot lane and finally one lane that couldn’t have been over ten foot wide. By this time the road had many blind hills and curves, plus deep drop offs on each side. Our travel on this road went on for what seemed like five miles. It was almost like a trap, the further you traveled the fewer opportunities you had to turn around. We only passed two oncoming cars and this was in the wider section. Luckily, we encountered no others as there is no way two vehicles could pass on the one lane portion of this road. 

Our road was about this wide.

I have no pictures from this little detour, I feared we might meet an oncoming car and did not want to spend any more time than I had to on this narrow strip of asphalt. Towards the end of this adventure, we ran into one more apprehensive situation, and I did take a picture this time. Our RV is 10’ 2” high; the tunnel was 10’ 6”. We made it with inches to spare!

Ouch Oh!!!!!!

We arrived at the Ark Encounter at about 9:30, a half hour after it opened and the parking lot already had a lot of cars, buses and RV’s in it. This should have been an indication of things to come. You walk to a centrally located bus terminal, purchase your tickets and take a bus to the Ark. 

Prior to arriving I thought this was a religious experience and I planned on refraining from writing anything negative and chance ruining the visit for Millie. I cheerfully paid the $20 parking fee. Stood in line, one of my least favorite things to do and yet was undaunted by the wait and the $108.00 entrance fee for two seniors. I continued my happy demeanor while standing in line again, for the bus this time.

Millie and the Ark

As we rolled into the receiving area I couldn’t help but think this is like an amusement park, all sort of attractions awaited the pilgrims. Zip lines, virtual reality games, a zoo, snack stands, a restaurant and at all of them you exit through a gift shop. Most of these side show amusements had an additional cost to participate. 

The ark itself is pretty amazing; it is built to the biblical specifications and is huge. It is entirely made of wood and two thirds as long as the Titanic. Once inside a close inspection reveals they had to adapt to modern building standards for the safety of the visitors. I don’t think Noah’s ark had a fire suppression system. Looking beyond those little deviations from the ancient plan, they have done a truly remarkable job of recreating mankind’s lifeboat.

If your interest is naval architecture, the logistics of transporting all those animals or the mysteries of the bible, you won’t be disappointed. Is it a religious experience, it could be I guess. Is it a learning experience, again it certainly can be. Is it just an amusement? Despite my initial impression of the park, this is definitely more than just an amusement park. I would say, with the exception of the very young children most of the visitors seemed genuinely interested in the story of Noah and his ark.

The one criticism I have is the volume of people they have funneling through the ark. You often could not get up to one of the exhibits or wall plaques due to the crowd. I often felt like I should keep moving so as not to hold up the line. It’s a shame as there were several areas that I was genuinely interested in learning more about.

In conclusion, and this is sad that this is my most prominent thought; I have to wonder about the intension of the ark owners. Was this built as a tool to enrich the faith of Christians or is it merely a for-profit enterprise with a biblical theme? 

For all the believers and even the curious, I say yes to a visit to the Ark. My only caveat is plan on going during a slow time to avoid the crowds. 

Epilogue: We continued our travels westward through the farm country of Kentucky. We arrived at our overnight destination in the early afternoon. Two Rivers Campground is owned by the City of Carrollton Kentucky. The campground is located in the city adjacent to a small river and just up from its junction with the Ohio River. We were in site 12, it is a nice park with full hookups for the RV. Our one night stay cost $39 with senior discount.

view of campground from the pier on the river.

Tonight's overnight stop