2022 Big Trip (New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Chattanooga)
We left for
our big adventure May 20th and made it home June 3rd. We
drove about 2300 miles and went through 10 states (South Carolina, North
Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana,
Kentucky, Tennessee).
This was a trip of a lifetime. I know the children are young,
but I pray they will remember many details of it for the rest of their lives. I
cannot say just how thankful I am to the Lord for providing a way for us to go
on this trip and for His protection. I am also thankful for Matthew’s Uncle
David who has always treated our kids like his own and gone above and beyond
for them. This trip was no different. I cannot thank him enough for wanting to
be with us for two weeks straight in tight quarters and taking us on this trip!
We love him and appreciate him so much!
Drive to Niagara Falls
Our sweet
friend, Casey Kilgore, helped plan our trip. She suggested we do the “long
driving days” on the front-end of our trip, when the kids were excited instead
of exhausted. So, we decided to spend
the first 3 days driving north (6 hours, 6 hours, 4 hours). When we left Friday,
we drove to Charlotte, NC. We didn’t have a campsite reserved, because we
didn’t know where we would be stopping, so we spent the night in a Walmart
parking lot. That was a fun experience for the kids. Matthew’s birthday was the next day, and I
made a cake for him before we left, so we were able to celebrate him right
where we were! Saturday, we drove to Canton, Ohio and spent the night at a
KOA. The highlight of this spot was mini
golf! Sunday morning, we drove to Niagara Falls. We stayed at Niagara Falls
until Sunday!
Experiences in Niagara Falls
When we got
to our campsite (Branches of Niagara) we unhooked and got everything set up. We
ate a late lunch at Cracker Barrel back in Pennsylvania, so we didn’t have supper.
We hung out at the campsite until about 8:00 and then drove to the state park
to explore. They light the falls up at night and do fireworks. It was
beautiful. Sumner was so disappointed we
were so close to Canada and couldn’t go visit!
The next morning, we got an early start and headed back to
the state park. The first thing we did when we got there was the Maid of the
Mist. It was incredible! The power of
the waterfalls would just about knock you down.
Sumner’s wish came true on the boat ride because while on the boat you
technically go into Canada, so he feels like he can officially say he has been
to another country!
Afterwards, we rode the trolly and did some sightseeing.
Later that afternoon we did the Cave of the Winds attraction. We climbed as far
up as possible. Unfortunately, the Hurricane Deck was being repaired so we
didn’t get to go to the very top. That
was fun, but we liked Maid of the Mist better. All I could think about as I was
climbing up the steps, fighting the water, and holding onto Abigail for dear
life was her falling through the steps and going into the river! I was thankful
to be on solid ground when it was over.
She was a trooper! I still can’t believe she wasn’t scared to death!
That night
our dear friends, the Kilgores, came to visit. We had pizza and great
conversation, the kids played, and we roasted marshmallows and had smores. We
were sad to have to say goodbye but were so thankful to have been able to see
them on our trip!
The next day we stayed around the campsite. The kids were able to swim (I don’t know
how--- it was COLD), they rode their bikes, and we even rented a family bike
and enjoyed riding it around together. Wednesday, we packed everything up and
headed towards Amish country!
Amish Country
During our
time in Amish country, we stayed at Timber Crest RV Park. I have always been
the type of person to get homesick, even when I am with my family. I guess I am just a creature of habit and I
love being home. I have never been
anywhere in my life where I didn’t get that “homesick” feeling… Until I visited Walnut Creek, Ohio. I felt
like I had gone back in time. And it
wasn’t just because of the Amish. The
whole community was conservative. Even in the neighboring towns, there were no
chain restaurants or billboards. I didn’t see any Walmart’s. I did look to see
where the nearest one was located, and it was a supercenter several miles away
and it closed everyday at 11. Even the CVS had shorter hours. I saw children (“English” included) riding
their bikes all over town. We went to
play putt-putt one evening and there were so many pre-teens and teenagers there
without parents. They all rode their bikes.
I can’t imagine living in a place where I felt safe letting my kids ride
all over town…. But you can in this area. I did some research, and the crime
rate in this area is so very low. What
an amazing thing!
While in Amish country, we ate so much food! Goodness! I
vowed to myself to not eat anything bad for a week after we left Ohio!!! Every place we ate was so generous with their
servings and the prices were very low (compared to most touristry type places).
Many places used the “honor system” for payment.
I was worried the kids may get bored on this part of our
trip, but they did not. Even they enjoyed the beauty of the land and the
lifestyle of the Amish. Abigail’s
favorite line during this part of the trip was “what a beautiful view”! Anna
Ruth and Sumner both asked if they could move there. Even they are painfully aware of the hustle
and bustle of our lifestyle and long for more simplicity! I found a quote in
one of the Amish books and I loved it. It said…
Become Amish? One Amish writer responded this way, quoted in Small
Farm Journal some years ago:
"If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire our
sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build
your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character
and enduring values, live them yourself."
Besides
riding through the beautiful countryside (which would have been enough), we did
so many other fun things:
· -Guggisberg Cheese (award winning cheese
factory)
· -Amish furniture stores
· - Amish Country Theater (it was so good, we
went back the second night)
· - Browsing and shopping in the unique stores
· -Toured an Amish farm- this included a
wagon ride similar to the Animal Safari in Pine Mountain (so much fun!)
· - Toured real Amish homes, school, farm,
and took an Amish buggy ride
· - This doesn’t need mentioning but ATE
REALLY GOOD AMISH FOOD! LOTS OF IT!
· - Took a detour for Matthew to visit
Bearded Butchers/Whitefeather Meats (he even got to meet and talk to one of the
brothers. They are really good people).
· - Mini golf
· - World’s Largest Coo-Coo Clock
North Kentucky
We
left Amish country on Sunday. Because it
was a holiday weekend, we were not able to find a campground for that
night. Therefore, we stayed in a Remke
Market parking lot in Harrison, Ohio.
The next day we drove about 45 minutes to the Creation Museum. We were able to park our RVs there while we
toured the museum. When we left there, the campsite was about 20 minutes at
North Kentucky RV Park. We got
everything setup and grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for supper. And of course,
s’mores…
The Creation Museum was very interesting. It is
state-of-the-art museum where you get to
venture through biblical history, stunning exhibits, botanical gardens,
planetarium, special effects theater, walking trails, fun playground, & zoo.
The pages of the Bible dramatically come to life as you walk through all the
exhibits! There was so much to read, and
I couldn’t take it all in because of the kids.
I took pictures of the things I found the most interesting so I could
print them out and put in a notebook when I get home. The kids enjoyed the life-like animatronic
dinosaurs, talking heroes of the faith, and professional displays that honor
God´s Word.
What
I loved the most was the chronological retelling of biblical history in seven
parts called the Seven C´s, Beginning with Creation, and fast-forward to
Christ´s return. Along the way, they see how God´s Word provides the
big-picture answers for our most difficult questions, whether about science,
the Bible, or our personal relationship with God.
The next morning, we got up and
headed towards the Ark Encounter. There
is so much to do at the Ark Encounter, it is almost impossible to get it all
done in a day. And they are steadily adding to it. My hope is one day this
theme park will grow so much and be able to compete with secular theme parks
like Disney and Universal.
The Ark Encounter is a one-of-a-kind museum, featuring a full-size
replica of Noah's Ark where you can learn all the details of the ark, life on
the ark, animals on the ark, and more. They’ve taken a strict commitment to
historical accuracy and artistic excellence in building the largest
timber-frame structure in the world, built in part by skilled Amish craftsmen
(my FAV lol). Ark Encounter is the only exhibit of its kind that will cause you
to think differently about the Biblical account of Noah's ark and the
flood. Touring the ark is only one of the things to do here. They have
shows, movies, virtual reality rides, camel rides, an awesome playground, a
zoo, and I am not going to lie… AWESOME FOOD! We ALL said the buffet we ate at
while at the Ark Encounter was the best food we had eaten the entire trip
(including Amish). If you ever go, do yourself a favor and eat at the buffet!
It is hard to
pick a favorite at the Ark Encounter, but I was able to narrow it down to four
things and they are listed in no particular order.
·
First,
the 12 stones exhibit. I’ve always loved this part of Scripture. It’s always
convicted me and made me want to put down my stones so I can remember what God
has done for me and so generations after me can also remember!
·
Second,
the Fairytale Noah’s Ark exhibit. A quote from their website describes this
exhibit as “While they are meant to be cute and fun for kids and were surely
drawn with good intentions, fairy tale arks ignore the fact that the biblical
account of the flood is about a righteous and holy God judging an exceedingly
evil world yet showing mercy to animals and mankind through Noah’s family. The
Bible explains that the size of the ark was 300 x 50 x 30 cubits. Some
children's books send mixed messages by citing the biblical dimensions of the
ark while displaying an image of a fairy tale ark. Presenting contradictory
information confuses readers rather than properly instructing them. Using
artistic license and stylizing the ark is not necessarily sinful, but these
cute arks drastically distort Scripture and make the account look like a fairy
tale.”
·
Third,
is not really an exhibit, but rather the way the Ark Encounter was able to help
me (and my children) comprehend how Noah was able to fit all of the animals
(and everything he needed to survive).
· Fourth, “The Door” exhibit. A quote from the website describes the exhibit as “Another Door- Noah’s family entered the ark’s door to escape the physical destruction of the flood. God has provided another “door” to save people from the coming eternal judgment. Jesus Christ said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7). In that culture the shepherd really was the door to the pen—they would rest in the entryway, ensuring that the sheep would be kept safe. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the door through which we must enter to be saved from our sin. The Substitute- Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a man, lived a sinless life, and then willingly died on the cross as a substitute. As man’s sin brought death, the Son of God died to redeem man from his sins. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, showing that he held power over death and demonstrating God’s acceptance of Christ’s payment for sin. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)”
Chattanooga (the halfway point back home)
We got to Chattanooga, or Ringgold (to
be more specific) Wednesday and stayed at the Battlefield Campground. We
planned to stay two nights but ended up leaving about 7:30 PM Thursday evening
to avoid Atlanta traffic on Friday.
Wednesday
night we ate at a neat place called Sugars Ribs. The food was OK, but the neat thing was the
goat feeding. They had a basket of cabbage at the door with a sign not to
forget to feed the goats. We went out back and we didn’t see any goats. Then we
saw a dinner bell with a sign that said “goat bell” so the kids rang it. Out of
nowhere all these goats started coming up the huge hill ready to eat. They were
the sweetest goats!! Now we are all begging Matthew to put goats behind our
pond. 😊 That night when
we got home the kids were able to swim for a little bit before bed.
Thursday, we went to the Tennessee
Aquarium. I don’t think anyone loved it more that Abigail. She was ecstatic! I
loved watching her excitement! We ate at a DELICIOUS restaurant next to the
aquarium called Puckett’s. The kids and I enjoyed a serious game of Hangman
while we waited! When we got back to the
campsite, the kids swam! We decided then
it might be a good idea to go ahead and head home that night instead of waiting
until the morning, so we got busy getting everything packed up and ready.
We got home about 1:00 AM. The kids
were able to sleep, so that was nice. On the way home I had so many things on
my mind. One thing was Sumner’s upcoming birthday. I am having a hard time with
him turning ten. I feel like I was just telling him he was “a whole handful”
when he turned 5. And just like that, that 5 has doubled! I guess thinking about him growing up led me
to think about the second thing which is how incredibly thankful I am to have
had this trip with my family. Not only me with them, but I am also thankful our
children were able to have this special time with Matthew’s parents and Uncle
David. I know a lot of people think we
are crazy for going on a two weeklong camping trip, but there isn’t anything
better to me (except Hawaii…. I think Hawaii with the fam might top a 2-week
camping trip haha)! Yes, the kids argued A LOT. Yes, it irritated me. Yes, I
lost my patience more times that I want to remember… BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH
IT! I love my family and have TRULY
enjoyed every second of this trip, even when I was about to lose my mind! Thank
you, Lord for this opportunity!!!!!
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