Do the zipline they said. It’ll be fun they said. So I saved it for last at The Ark Encounter in WIlliamstown, KY.
Tuesday was a hot day to pull into the Ark. My tires felt like they were melting. I wished for a little rain and thought what an oxymoron that would be considering what was ahead.
For those not familiar, The Ark is a 5-story replica of the biblical Noah’s Ark. It is on the edge of Williamstown, KY and was built by Ken Ham and “constructed by Amish builders using traditional timber framing techniques.”
You could see The Ark from the highway. More than massive and according to one of the info tidbits it was larger than a 747.
Families flood into the Ark (pun intended). It is a multi-cultural experience with people coming from across the US.
Walk up the wooden ramp and into the lower level of the vessel and you’re hit with a barnyard aroma and growls and squeals to match.
Bamboo cages are stacked 3 and 4 levels high with a pair of animals or birds in each. They sounded hungry…
Into the bow of the boat you hear the powerful storm and the creaking of the timbers as the vessel rocks and pitches against the waves.
The overall feeling is how much thought, time and creativity went into this production.
The displays, especially the dioramas, are vivid and evoke feelings of fear, greed and hate.
There are obvious liberties taken with the some of the storytelling and images but each section wraps up with a Biblical message or artifact of discovery.
There is a strong balance of fun material for children and thought-provoking information for adults.
Impressive overall is the size of the structure and its surroundings which include fantastic foliage, an interactive zoo, a theatre with live performances and the zip line.
I didn’t think much about the zip line, other than it came highly recommended. I didn’t think about the height or signing a waiver … or flying over treetops… Not until I was getting gear on and standing next to the little girl in my group.
Dayanara V. was 15. She weighed a smidge more than the 75-pound minimum to go on ”the ride.”
“I’m afraid of heights.” she said.
Which was the first I had really thought about the height factor.
Our 19-year-old instructors, Jonathan and Julie, gave us confidence and made sure our harnesses were, most importantly, secure.
It was an interesting dynamic to watch how comfortable Julie and Jonathan climbed the 3-story spiral staircases and jumped with enthusiasm off the platform while trusting the cable.
Dayanara had nothing to worry about as her feather-light frame glided over the treetops.
I, on the other hand, clung to every cable and railing thinking a spasm would throw me violently over the edge at any moment.
“Just lean back into your harness and tuck your legs up into your chest,” advised Julie.
“The oldest person we’ve had do this is 95,” she said.
Odd, I wasn’t thinking of this as an age thing but since a 15-year-old who, admittedly scared of heights, was already on platform No. 2 … there was only one thing to do and that was to trust the line and step off.
Scared, but reveling in surviving the 5 zip line towers, that entire experience made The Ark Encounter one of the best tours. Highly recommend it.
Now to start the pedal home.
If the way that somebody lives pleases the Lord, the Lord will lead him into good things. Psalm 37:23 Easy English Bible
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