Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

2025 April 7-11: The Ark Encounter and Creation Museum Trip with the Club-Diamonds in the Rough (Five Day Trip) & Diamond Tours

 Day 1: Monday, April 7:

Hubby and I stopped at Jack's for breakfast. I ordered gravy and biscuits with Diet Coke. 

When we arrived at the club around 7:30, everyone went inside to sign in, pick up their name tags, and use the restroom.

Everyone was on the bus by 8:00 A.M., and we were on the road by 8:30 A.M.

We traveled north on Savannah Highway to Natchez Trace, getting off in Lawrenceburg. We traveled north on Highway 43 through Columbia, TN, to I-65, then to I-264, and finally to I-74, I-275, and US 27, before arriving at the Comfort Inn, room 226, located at 1610 Flossie Drive, Lawrenceburg, TN. 

We stopped at Love's in Bear Creek. The building was being repaired, so they had installed a bathroom outside. We had to stand in line outside in the cold, waiting to use the restroom stalls. (3) Loves was located just off I-65 on Highway 312. 

Grilled Cheeseburger and Tater Tots 

We stopped for lunch at Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in Bowling Green, Ky. $14.92

Hubby and I split a grilled cheeseburger with tater tots and ordered a Diet Coke. 

We stopped at Thornton's gas station in Buckner for a restroom break. 

We crossed the Ohio River into Cincinnati. Dinner at Logan Roadhouse, 3720 Stone Creek Blvd. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hubby and I ordered Grilled pork chops, a salad, creamed potatoes, rolls, and a cookie. 

We arrived at our hotel around 8:00 P.M., took a hot bath, and went to bed. 

Comfort Inns & Suites 1610 Flossie Dr. Lawrenceburg, Indiana 

Photos

7198-19 @ 12:30 P.M. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Bowling Green, Ky

7202-7221 @4:05 04:13 P.M. Traveling Louisville, Ky

7224-25 @4:42 Thorntons Gas Station

7227-28 @ 6:28 P.M. Ohio River Tannery Island Lawrenceburg, IN 

Day 2: Tuesday, April 8:

Breakfast at the hotel consisted of gravy and biscuits, accompanied by sausage links and eggs, and served with cranberry juice. 

We depart for the Ark Encounter around 8:30 A.M. and arrive at 10:09 A.M. 

The Ark Encounter 

Our step-on guide greeted us and instructed us on where to line up for the shuttle and when to meet at the end of the day.

We got off the shuttle at the Answer Center and were on our own for the rest of the day. 

Our first stop was to ride the carousel, where I rode the camel. 

Our next stop was the Virtual Reality Experience, where we traveled back in time to meet Noah. $30.74

We witnessed the construction of the Ark and experienced the flood alongside Noah.

We walked into the ark, which was terrific. It was filled with animals, Noah and his family, and the history of its construction. Several Diamond buses were present, making it difficult to see everything. 

We skipped a lot of the ark because we were getting hungry. 

We had a buffet meal at  Emzara's Kitchen, where I got chicken fingers, salad, slaw, creamed potatoes, and pineapple cake. $36.02

We visited the Ararat Ridge Zoo area, where we watched children ride camels. It was cold outside, so Hubby bought a cup of hot chocolate. $5.29 

Our last stop was the Answer Center, where we were entertained by Stage Song, a Christian group that sang gospel songs. 

We made a group picture in front of the Ark.

We stayed at the Ark until 3:35 P.M.

When we were leaving, someone said, "I don't have my phone," so we turned around and returned to the Ark. Our leader informed the park about the lost phone. It had been left in the men's restroom. Someone at the park retrieved the phone, which was brought to our bus. Dinner at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, 3633 Springdale Road, Cincinnati, OH, at 5:00 P.M. 

I ordered chicken fingers, French fries, coleslaw, and ice cream. It was a huge plate, and I didn't even eat half of it. 

We head back to the hotel around 6:30 P.M. 

I took a hot bath, wrote in this journal, and went to bed. 

Photos:

7229 Breakfast at Jack @ 7:13 A:

7230-31 @ 7:45 A.M. Smoking Factory 

7232 @ 10:09 A.M. The Ark Entrance

7233-34 @ 10:36 A.M. Riding the carousel 

7235-42 11:04 The Ark 

7243 @ noon Lunch at Emzara's Kitchen

7244-46 @1:03 P.M. Zoo

7247-49 @2:25 P.M. True Song Entertainment 

7251-53 Group Picture

7254-55 Receipts

Day 3, Wednesday, April 9:

For breakfast at the hotel, I ate apple strudel and cranberry juice. 

Depart for the Creation Museum, 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY, around 9:00 A.M. 

Dinosarus

We watched two 4-D Movies, and True Song entertained us. 

We visited the New Exhibit, "Borderland: Israel in the Time of Jesus," and the Allosaurus fossil exhibit.

We saw dinosaurs & Dragons, and the Garden of Eden. 

We walked through the creation Zoo, where Hubby petted the goats. We saw Kangaroos, Alpacas, goats, and other animals. We visited the Conservatory and walked through the gardens. 

We ate lunch at Noah's Cafe. Hubby and I split a hamburger and fries. We had to eat outside because the cafe was full. $25.70

We returned to the hotel to freshen up around 2:30 P.M. 

We had dinner at The Radisson Hotel, located at 668 W 5th Street, Covington, KY, around 6:00 P.M. Seven other diamond buses were also present at the Radisson. 

We were served a buffet-style meal. 

I got baked chicken with gravy, roast beef, creamed potatoes, steamed green beans, and various rolls. Each table had a large plate of chocolate chip cookies. 

All the group leaders were called to the front to showcase their work.

There was music, entertainment, and some dancing. All the Veterans were honored. 

Everyone was singing, and we sang back to the hotel. 

Return to the hotel around 8 P.M.

Photos

7256-57 @7:30 A.M. Breakfast at the hotel

7258-64 @9 A.M. Creation Museum 

7265-75 @10:22 The Dinosaur Area 

7276 @11:47 Lunch 

7277 video 

7279-80 @12:33 P.M. outside

7282-84 @2:29 P.M. Traveling 

7285-86 @6:Dinner. Dinner 

Day 4: Thursday, April 10:

Breakfast at the hotel

Leave for Cincinnati History and Natural History Museums around 8:15 A.M. 

Arrive around 9 A.M. 

We watched National Parks at the Omnimax Theater.

At the History Museum, we saw Public Landing, Cincinnati in Motion, Shaping Our City, You Are Here, and Made in Cincinnati.

You are here 

At the Museum of Natural History and Science, we saw Dinosaur Hall, the Science Interactive Gallery, The Cave, the Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery, the Ice Age Gallery, the John A. and Judy Ruthven Get into Nature Gallery, Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight, Advancing Health, and the stem lab. 

My favorites were the Cave, the Ice Age, the model train, and the town buildings. There is so much to see and little time to see it all. 

Depart for the Levee around noon.

Several in our group ate lunch at  Hofbrauhaus, a German Restaurant. Hubby and I split a Munchi Sampler. $31.80

A sampling of Jagerschnitzel grilled bratwurst, and bratwurst, served with German potato salad and imported sauerkraut.

The People's Purple Bridge spans the Ohio River, dividing Ohio from Kentucky. 

The Purple People's Bridge

After lunch, we walked across the People's Purple Bridge. 

Everyone loaded back onto the bus and rode back to the hotel. Five of us rode to the nearby Walmart.

$50.91 for candy and $74.24 for iPhone connections. 

We depart for dinner at The Farm, 239 Anderson Ferry Rd. Cincinnati, OH 

Arrived around 5:15 P.M., there were several other Diamond buses there. 

We were served a buffet-style meal. I got BBQ baby back Ribs, green beans, Mac and cheese, salad, and creamed potatoes. For dessert, I had strawberry pie and Cheesecake. 

After eating, the owner's son and daughter sang several gospel songs, and we sang with them.

The owner then shared the history of the barn, Cincinnati, and the notable people who had become famous in Cincinnati. 

Returned to the hotel around 6:45 P.M. 

We've packed, and we're leaving for home tomorrow.

Photos:

7287-7387 @8:56-11:46 P.M. Cincinnati History and Natural History Museum 

7388-7409 12:04-12:16 P.M. traveling Cincinnati 

7410—7428 @12:17-12:33 P.M. Newport, KY 

7429-7436 @12:28-1:39 P.M. Hofbrauhaus German Restaurant 

7437-38 @2:35 P.M. Newport, KY

7439-7481 @2:36-2:40 P.M. Cincinnati 

7482-86 @ 2:41 P.M., Covington, Ky 

7487-97 @3:07-4:21 P.M. Lawrenceburg, IN

7499-7505 @ 5:41-6:02 P.M. Delhi Hills 

7506-7529 @7:36-7:50 P.M. Traveling Cincinnati, Addystor, North Bend, Cleves Sunset

Day 5, Friday, April 11:

We set our overnight luggage outside our room and went to breakfast.

I got gravy, biscuits, and cranberry juice.

We loaded the bus at 8:30 A.M. and began our journey home. 

We stopped at a Rest Area in Shepherdsville, Kentucky.

We stopped at Buc-EEs in Smith Grove, Ky. 

We ate lunch at Panda Express in Nashville. Hubby and I shared a large plate of walnut shrimp, broccoli, beef, and orange chicken. 

Arrive home around four P.M. 

Photos

7530 Receipts

7532-33 @10:07 A.M. Louisville, KY

7536-49 @10:2910:39 A.M. Rest Stop Shepherdsville, Ky 

7550-53 @11:04-11:11 A.M. Buc sees Smith Grove, Ky

7555 -81 @1:09- -1:24 P.M. Traveling through Nashville, TN

7582-83 @1:32-1:38 P.M. Panada Express Nashville, TN


Monday, December 16, 2024

2024 Christmas Journal Activies

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 

To all my friends and family

Hope this year brought you lots of health and happiness. 

Just a recap of our adventures this year. 



In January, we took our first cruise on the NCL Cruise Ship from New Orleans, where we visited Cozumel, Roatan Bay Island, Honduras, Harvest Caye, Belize, and Costa Maya, Mexico. 


In February, we took a cruise on Carnival Spirit from New Orleans to Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico.


In April, we did several Walking Tours: the Huntsville Walking Tour, the Walking Tour of Courtland, and the Museum Tour. 

We also attended our great-grandson's T-Ball game. 

I took Ava to several museums and bought a new computer.


In May, we went to the Cullman and Moulton Strawberry Festivals. 

We went to Atlas Tee-Ball Games.

We took Ava to several museums, including the Space and Rocket Center, the Train Depot, and the Muscle Shoals Municipal Art Display.

Attended Ava's School Program.

Went to a baby shower.

Attended the Front Porch Story Telling Festival.


Hubby and I took our third cruise to Alaska on the Norwegian Encore in June. 

We flew into the State of Washington, boarding the NCL Cruise Ship for seven days.

We visited Juno, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC.

We attended Atlas's fourth birthday Party and Hazel's third birthday party. 


At the end of June, we took a seven-day bus trip with Diamonds in the Rough to Niagara Falls, Canada. 


In July, we took several day trips with AVA: Pulaski and Lynville, TN (to see the train depot), and Corinth, MS(Corinth Museum & Depot, Welcome Center, Civil War, and Coke Museums). We ate lunch at the old Borrums Drug Store. 

We also took AVA to the Jesse Owens and Oakville Indian Mount Museums. 


My husband and I rode to Granville, TN, to tour several museums dedicated to Andy Griffith and Lucille Ball. 


In August,  we took AVA to the Savannah Museum, then to the Battle of Shiloh and Museum; from there, we rode to Iuka, MS.

We attended the Killen's Founder's Day in Killen Park. 

We rode to Lutts, TN, to see the sunflowers and zinnia fields. 

We took a bus trip with Diamonds in the Rough to South Dakota at the end of August.

We visited Mount Rushmore, the Journey Museum, Wall Drugs, the Corn Palace, the High Plains Heritage Center, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and the WWII Museum in South Dakota. 

We toured Deadwood and the Black Hills.


We took a train trip from Chattanooga to Chickamauga, Ga, in September. 


In October, we attended the Oktoberfest Festival in Cullman and St Florine.

We participated in the Banana Pudding Festival in Centerville, TN. 

We did our fourth cruise on NCL Gem out of Quebec.

We flew into Montreal, and the next day, we took a three 1/2-hour bus ride to Quebec, where we boarded the NCL Gem for a seven-day cruise. 

We visited Prince Edward Island, Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor, Maine; and Portland, Maine. We took a bus from Portland to Conway, New Hampshire, to ride the train. 

We flew home from Boston, Massachusetts. 

We took AVA to the Renaissance Faire, the Fall Festival, and the Trunk-or-Treat event at Shiloh Church of Christ.


In November, my friend and I rode the AM Track Train from Tuscaloosa, AL, to New Orleans.

We took the trolley to the Audubon Park and the WWII Museum in New Orleans.

We took a taxi to the Cruise Terminal and boarded the Carnival Liberty for a seven-day cruise. (This was my fifth cruise this year.) 

We visited Montego Bay, Grand Caymans and Cozumel. 

We rode the AM Track Train back to Tuscaloosa, where Hubby picked us up.

Hubby and I rode to Decatur the next day and bought a new car. (A Hyundai Sonada Hybrid)

That Friday, I woke up with Bronchitis but did not go to the doctor until Monday.

She gave me a Steroid shot and several bottles of medicine. 

I went back to the doctor a week later, still coughing, and got another shot and another round of Medicine. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving with family at our house, and everyone had a great time.


In December, I attended a Christmas party with new and old friends at Zoey Bells, and my Hubby and I attended Haynes's fifth Birthday party at the Launch Pad. 

I attended our CBS Christmas Party at the Church. 

Attended our Wednesday Night Zoom Bible Class on December 13. 


My daughter and her Husband are coming home for a week for Christmas, and we will celebrate Christmas with the whole family.

And on New Year's Eve, I will be celebrating with my sisters.


Another year has come and gone. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends and family


Museum that we have visited

  Dates & Places of Museums   1988 Dec 3-4, The Jack Daniels Distillery 133 Lynchburg Hwy, Lynchburg, TN 1989 Dec 22, Kennedy Space Ce...