Leslie and David's Wanderings: April 2022

1 April 2022 Carrollton KY to East Sparta OH

We knew this was going to be a long travel day, so we were up earlier and got on the road about 9:45. We took the I-271 loop around Cincinnati to avoid the narrow bridge over the Ohio River and the crazy mix master to get through downtown (it’s a white knuckler). The roads were reasonably good and the weather was cold and cloudy most of the way. But as we got within 30 miles of our destination, it started to rain and then snow. It was not really heavy, but enough to start messing up the roads. When we pulled into the East Sparta KOA ($700 per month plus electric) and checked in, we received some unwelcome news. They had assigned us to a long term spot at the very back of the RV Park at the top of a steep road with loose gravel. The parking site is cut parallel into the hill side and the access road is pitch climbing up the hill. The entrance to the site was pitched high on one side and low on the other side due to the hill. After driving the route with the RV Park guide, we chose a better approach but it would require backing up further. We made it up the hill by another road and backed up to the site entrance but could not get in. The Wanderer was leaning over so much on the downhill side, the rear passenger side leveler foot was starting to drag. We tried several approaches but with the same result. So, they told us to go to another site, more toward the front of the park but also on a steep hill. We had to leave the park, turn around and come back in and then go around so we could approach from the right angle. But we had the same issue, the passenger side rear stabilizer would start to drag on the gravel. We made several attempts, changing the angle a little bit each time, but to no avail. So, they assigned us to try another spot. One additional worry was that we were under ¼ tank of fuel, which on the steep hills, might be a concern. Again, we had to leave the park, turn around and come back in. This site would allow us to pull through an unoccupied site and into our assigned site. We were able to get in but did drag the rear passenger side roller (but that’s why it is there) briefly. We were in. As we disconnected and started getting set up, it started to snow harder. So, it was a cold, wet, muddy, job to get set up. The bad news is we cannot stay in the spot since it is assigned to someone else (by specific request) for Memorial Day weekend and they are booked full for that holiday weekend. They hope there will be a cancelation for another site that we might be able to get into, but there are no assurances. So, we need to look for another place to stay from 26 May and on, but at this late date, it will be hard to find someplace with room on the holiday weekend.

Our site

31 March 2022 Kentucky Vineyard

While researching the area, we noticed there were several vineyards. Never having tried Kentucky wine, and being a bit dubious, we picked a vineyard that had good ratings. It is called Smith Berry Vineyard and Winery. They name implied they grow their own grapes. The drive over reminded us of driving the narrow country roads of southeastern Ohio. As we drove up to the vineyard a massive dog approached to great us. His name is Burly, a Great Pyrenees/German Shepard mix. He got a good scratching from both of us before he lead us to the tasting room. We each got a tasting flight of their various red and white wines. Although the used to have grapes growing on the property, the vines had all died, so they import their grape juice from surrounding states. We were surprised to find that we enjoyed several of their wines and bought three bottles to take home with us. We would not rank these anywhere near on par with some of our favorite western wines, but considering these wines are made with different types of grapes that can grow well in the wet conditions of the eastern US, they were very drinkable.

Flight of wine for tasting

Smith Berry tasting room

30 March 2022 Ark Encounter

Having traveled down I-75 from Cincinnati several times in the past and seeing the Ark Encounter park from the road, we were curious about it. David’s step sister had said that it was very good in the past as well. So, we planned a day while we were in the area. The park is set up like a Christian amusement park with zip lines and other fun things to do with the kids. The center piece is a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark. Per the dimensions in the Bible, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. A cubit is the length from one’s elbow to the tip of the middle finger. So, the length will vary from one person to the next. The Arc Encounter decided to use a royal cubit which was used in many ancient projects. A royal cubit is a cubit plus a hand width or about 20.4 inches. The Ark they built is 510ft long, 85ft wide and 51ft tall. Standing at the stern of the boat, it is very impressive in size. Beyond these measurements, there is not much else in the Bible on the construction of the Ark. They used information from ancient ship wrecks and other documents to decide how to build the Ark. The hull is composed of 3 layers of wood that was engineered to allow expansion, contraction, and bending due to stress based on ancient ship wrecks. The Ark had no propulsion but did incorporate features to keep the Ark pointed into the wind. There are three decks inside based on the Bible. The interior organization of the Ark is all supposition on their part since there is no information in the Bible about the interior architecture. They show how the animals could have been caged, fed, watered and cleaned up after. Based on fossils identified after the flood, they estimate 1,398 species of animals were on the Ark, including 85 kinds of Dinosaurs. We had never considered dinosaurs being on the Ark! In total, they estimate there were 6,744 animals on the Ark. It’s not entirely clear on the exact number since the Bible states there was one male and one female of each kind of “unclean” animal and 7 (not sure if that is 7 pairs, or 7 individual) of each kind of “clean” animals. So, the number could have been over 8,000 animals. They believe that many of the larger animals would have been represented by smaller juveniles. With only 8 humans (Noah, his wife, their 3 sons and their wives) on board, that’s a lot of animals to keep up with each day. But they also would have had a means for feeding most of them using multiday feeders and watering systems. They showed the living quarters for Noah’s family on the bottom deck. But considering that is where the least about of rocking would have occurred, it made sense. They believe, based on Bible passages, that Noah built the Ark in 75 years. It took the foundation 3 years to build the Ark exhibit. They used many ancient technics for the construction but also included modern approaches where safety and comfort of the public was needed. The flood occurred when Noah was 600 years old and lasted for about one year. Several of the exhibits in the Ark describe the basis for their design as well as the scientific proof of the occurrence of the flood. We were fascinated with the exhibits and read our way through all of them.