11/04/2021

November 2, 2021 The Ark Encounter

The Ark Encounter has been on my bucket list for a few years so when I decided to start traveling again, we just had to go.

All I can say is WOW! WOW! WOW!

We arrived in the parking lot not too long after it opened, paid our fees (BTW, if you go, they give senior discounts and senior/military discounts) and then boarded the bus.

About a half mile from the parking lot, the bus dropped us off at the Answer Center where we saw the video “New Beginning” about Shem’s wife recalling life before, during and after the flood.

Once the movie ended, we headed to the Ark.  This is what we saw as we left the building. WOW!

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It was HUGE.  As we walked to the entrance, there were a number of topiary animals – it looked like the animals walking to the Ark.

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As we got closer, it was mind boggling:

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The entrance:

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We entered on Deck 1:

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And can I say WOW again!

Each deck (3) was an education.  There were numerous story boards, examples, and biblical references.  Each deck had a continuous show about the building of the real Ark (interviews with Noah) or about the Bible and the references to the Ark.

I have taken a ton of pictures and have tried to condense them to give you an idea of what it was like.

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While putting together the Ark, they tried to get as much information from the Bible and from references on the cultural from that time.

This is what greeted us when we first walked in – the small animal area and food/grain storage.

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There was quite a few story boards on the systems that may have been used for housing, feeding, watering, and removing waste.  Very interesting

The large animal area:

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And the fish:

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Even bats:

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The hallways:

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The center of the Ark:

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Storage and working areas were in all the nooks and crannies:

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This was very interesting to me.  I did not even think about “kinds”:

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Noah’s family area:

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There are many interpretations on how long Noah spent on the Ark, but most agree it was a year or less.  This is how he knew the waters were receding.:

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We spent quite a few hours going from deck to deck and taking advantage of all the displays.  What an AWESOME place.

Our view as we left:

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The side door where the animals came and God shut when the waters came.

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Last look.

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More information can be found here:

https://arkencounter.com/about/

No matter what your beliefs are I HIGHLY RECOMMEND visiting.  It is truly a work of art and an incredible learning experience.

On our way home, we stopped at the local pub and grill - Boondocks.  Great meal!

Tomorrow we are off to the Creation Museum so stay tuned and enjoy today.

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