Last week my parents and I planned an impromptu trip to Kentucky, and it happened that the Ark Encounter opened in time for us to go. If you get a chance to see this magnificent reproduction of Noah’s ark, you should!

The ark is built according to the size specifications God gave Noah in the Bible. Once we were inside, we enjoyed many educational displays that anticipate logistical questions about animals and the actual building process that I’d never considered. There is also plenty of information that explains how scientific evidence supports a catastrophic, world-wide flood as described in the Bible.

One display that stood out to me contained a plethora of children’s books that depict Noah’s ark in a cartoon-like fashion. The idea is that such portrayals actually mislead people into believing that Noah’s story is simply a myth. I’d never considered that perspective and appreciated the challenge to my thinking.

My favorite part of the ark was the living quarters. The artists took some creative license when developing this area, but it was fun to see how Noah and his family might have lived.

During my visit, I ran into a fellow writer friend, Elizabeth Van Tassel, who was visiting with her husband and sons. Elizabeth created a YouTube video of her experience at the ark, and you can check it out here.

Tips

• Emzara’s Kitchen is an affordable place for families to eat, so it’s worth including in your plans.

• Ark Encounter opened on July 7, and for the first 40 days and nights, it is open for extended hours along with the Creation Museum. With the extra hours it is possible to see both attractions in one day, which my parents and I did. (So did Bill Nye because we spotted him and his camera crew at both places.)