3 Day Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum

We depart Knoxville this morning traveling to Williamstown, Kentucky to visit the Ark Encounter. We experience the life-sized Ark, built according to the dimensions given in the Bible. Dozens of exhibits within this unique attraction bring to life the biblical account of Noah’s Ark. We learn howNoah and his family could have fit and cared for the animals on the Ark. Other exhibits showcase what Noah and his world were like before the flood, while others highlight the enormous impact the flood has had on our world.We will enjoy a buffet luncheon at Emzara’s Kitchen, the Ark Encounter’s two-story casual restaurant, with a spectacular view of the Ark. After our visit to the Ark, we have a short drive to Newport on the Levee, a retail dining and entertainment center. If you enjoy a nice evening walk, take a stroll across the Ohio River on the Purple People Bridge, a one-of-a-kind walking bridge, for a great view of the Ohio River and downtown Cincin- nati. Overnight in Newport, Kentucky area.

The state-of-the-art Creation Museum allows you to venture through biblical history, stunning exhibits, botanical gardens, planetarium, petting zoo, zip line adventure course, and much more. The museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. The museum allows for personal interaction with each of the 160 exhibits. Walk through the Garden of Eden, see life-size dinosaurs, and enjoy the Special Effects Theatre. At the Stargazer’s Planetarium, we learn about the heavens from a biblical perspective. After lunch we continue to Lexington, Kentucky the second-largest city in Kentucky and known as the “Horse Capital of the World”. It is the heart of the state’s Bluegrass region. We will see many horse farms as we tour through the beautiful countryside. We will visit Keeneland considered one of the most beautiful race tracks in the country. Tradition, beauty and world- class thoroughbreds make Keeneland racing a spectacle to behold. For more than eight decades, the best horses, owners, jockeys and trainers have converged at Keeneland each April and October to compete in “racing as it was meant to be”. We will spend the night in the Lexington area.

This morning we travel to Georgetown to visit Toyota’s largest vehicle manufacturing plant outside of Japan located in this growing community in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK), covers 7.5 million square feet of floor space, the equivalent of 156 football fields. But don’t worry about your legs get- ting tired on the plant tour, because you’ll be riding comfortably in one of their trams. Each day around 2,000 Toyotas are hand crafted at this plant by skilled Kentuckians, including America’s best bestselling car for 13 years running, the Camry. After our tour we travel to Versailes, for lunch and a guided tour of The Kentucky Castle. This castle serves as a B & B with a restaurant. We depart for home in the aftternoon.