Southeast Tour Stop 7 ~ Kentucky

By Lincoln (2/25/20)

While in Kentucky we did a lot of things, so I am going to tell you my top four. All of them happen to be museums.

The Ark Encounter. It was a life size Noah’s Ark with a lot of interesting history and handmade scenes of Noah, his family, and the animals. I thought it was weird that Noah and his wife named his son Ham. The ark was absolutely huge! It was 300 cubits (450 feet) by 50 cubits (75 feet) by 30 cubits (45 feet).

The Creation Museum. The Creation Museum compares the evolutionary point of view to the biblical point of view on pretty much everything. I thought it was really cool to understand both perspectives. It helped me see why people might not believe the Bible and the evidence to support the Bible.

The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. It is located in, well, Louisville. They gave us a tour of how they make their famous Louisville slugger bat that over 8,000 professional baseball players use. They showed us how different professional players like different bats – like the types of wood, the color, length, hollow bottom, etc. We even got to hit a few balls in a batting cage. The guy running the batting cage said he wants mom on his softball team. It was a great experience. And we got a mini bat.

The Kentucky Derby Museum. We saw a wall of all the winners of the Kentucky Derby from 1822 to 2019. I learned that the horses racing at the Derby are all three years old. After a tour of the race track, we went inside and played a horse race video game. I think I beat Taite so often because I’m much lighter than him. We also placed our fake wagers on a screen, got our ticket, and watched a horse race simulcast to see who won.

In Kentucky we also ate KFC (I mean, we were in Kentucky), we did an Escape Room, swam, and played pool at our hotel. Kentucky was beautiful. I thought it was awesome that people would spend so much money, time, and effort into sharing God and his wonderful creation to the world. Just as Solomon said, “blessings crown the head of the righteous.” (Proverbs 10:6)

This little girl said I was her best friend. 

 

Southeast Tour Stop 6 ~ West Virginia

By Calla (2/25/20)

In 1992 an underground nuclear bunker (which Congress would have used if needed), under the Greenbriar Hotel in West Virginia, was exposed and decommissioned. We stayed at the Greenbriar Hotel (not in the bunker, thankfully).

Let’s start in the mountains, though, we entered through the Appalachian Mountains. I think we were above the clouds! It was so beautiful. We could see for miles.

Then we went to the hotel I was talking about earlier. The first thing I noticed when we drove up was that it looked like the White House! The inside was wild and fun! It had so many different patterns, colors, and shapes. It had chandeliers in almost every room, even one that was used in the movie “Gone with the Wind”!

We enjoyed swimming for a few hours, then headed to Drapers for dinner and ice cream. Side note: Dorothy Draper was the interior decorator, they named the restaurant after her. We went back to our room after a Shirley Temple and learned more about the history of the building. Then we found a Hallmark mystery movie, which I personally really enjoyed and hope to watch another one soon!

We woke up this morning, got smoothies (not from McDonald’s) (family joke), and drove away for Kentucky.  

God has blessed us with many memories. Over dinner we were talking about our previous and future travels. I hope we remember these travels long into our blue hairs!

Southeast Tour Stop 5 ~ Virginia

By Taite (2/24/20)

Virginia, the great state of Virginia. Our time in Virginia has been a wonderful time for our whole family. It was stimulating to all the senses.

To the eyes with it’s beautiful scenery. The majestic mountains only a few hours away from the grand Atlantic. The 17 mile bridge and tunnel over (and under) the Chesapeake Bay was also pretty cool.

 To the ears with the sounds of history ringing strongly in national historic sites like Yorktown and Williamsburg. Williamsburg kept all of us in rapt attention as we walked through the town straight out of the 18^th century. Watching the blacksmiths, gunsmiths, and shoemakers. Learning about gunpowder, the governors, and court systems. And Yorktown gave us an audio tour of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. While in Virginia we have come to more appreciate the French’s role in the Revolutionary War. They saved us.

To the hands (and arms and legs) Virginia gave us the joy of tennis, mini golf, and an unlimited arcade. A family set of tennis proved that mom could play despite her denial of any tennis talent. A game of skins was won on the last hole by dad (much to the discontent to the rest of us who played). And hours of Guitar Hero, PS4, and old-fashioned arcade games were loved by all. Even mom rocked out on the Guitar Hero. The girls might have stayed in Virginia if only to play more Guitar Hero, they loved it.

To the taste buds Virginia offered many scrumptious delicacies. Like Duck Donuts, a donut shop that made the cake donuts to perfection and then added more goodness on top. Food for Thought, a restaurant with wisdom plastered onto the walls (literally). Chowing’s Tavern in historic Williamsburg with colonial style cuisine that was incredibly delicious. And 2^nd St. Bistro that actually allowed me to enjoy squash (when blended with the savory combination of sausage, white beans, and barley).

And lastly we have the nose. Unfortunately the only thing I could think of for this was the extremely large number of farts that were expelled while we were in Virginia. I don’t know what it was, but we really cut the cheese.

But overall (minus the flatulence) Virginia was an awesome state that is deserving of its rich history, delectable delicacies, beautiful scenery, and unlimited arcade.

P.S We also stopped at Polyface farms (dad saw his hero of a farm), Sketchville U.S.A (Calla will remember you forever), Bruster’s Ice Cream, and ate at an Italian restaurant called Giuseppe's.