After that, we drove up to the Newport, KY area and checked in our hotel. Clearly, folks there are not accustomed to seeing large families, because someone commented on the size of our family every time we got out of an elevator. I giggle every time I think of it, because we are one of the smallest families in our church.
After we checked in our hotel, we went out to dinner at Brio Italian Grille. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was very nice, too. Our waiter seemed a bit uneasy at first about serving a table with four small children. When we were ready to leave, he told us that it had been a joy to wait our table. While he could have been looking for a good tip, our children were very well behaved. It is always so nice when that happens and people's presuppositons about lots of children are changed.
That evening (and the next) we cooled off in the hotel pool. The kiddos loved it and I felt like I got good and enjoyable exercise walking through the water with Shiloh. :) Daddy played catcher, as all the kiddos wanted to jump into his arms, climb out of the pool, and do it all over again.
The following day, we went to Creation Museum. It was a great facility and one we will go back to when the kiddos are a little older. There is much to read, so they couldn't get the full effect on this trip. There were over 50 videos through the creation walk, though, so they did get to see those, all the pictures, and some really neat exhibits including a model of Noah's ark with people and animals placed in for scale and an animated Noah who would answer questions.
Following the Creation Walk, we went to the Planetarium Show. Shiloh and I got kicked out because she was fussy. Clearly not the Family Integrated Church crowd there. Oh well. Everyone else loved it! There are two different planetarium shows and we only saw one of them. Something to do on another trip! It also makes me want to check out when the Western KY Univ. planetarium has their public shows. It was the most enjoyable part of my astronomy class there.
While at the museum, we also perused the bookstore. Of course. :) Wonderful curriculum materials! I got an incredible 25 foot long poster that outlines the history of the world based on Ussher's The Annals of the World and I am trying to figure out where to put it. It is just the thing I wanted as a little girl studying history and trying to make sense of it all and how it all fits together. If only I had a blank 25 foot wall in my house... This will take some work. :)
We went outside to look at the gardens at the Creation Museum, which provided us some good photo opportunities. Of course, our family would look less sweaty and dissheveled if it were not 100 degrees out that day, but we are together and the background is nice. :)
We enjoyed the petting zoo while there. The goats at Nashville Zoo's Critter Encounters convinced us that we needed goats. The sheep at the Creation Museum Petting Zoo... well, you get the idea. That, and David is particularly fond of lamb. :)
After the petting zoo, the kiddos and I had a short ride on Gomer, the camel. Following that, we went back to our hotel and got cleaned up for dinner.
That evening we went to Chart House on the Ohio River for dinner. It was a delicious dinner, but the food wasn't quite as good as Brio, and it was a lot more pricey. The view was spectacular, though!
The next day, we made our way home, stopping at Mammoth Cave for a tour on the way. We took the 2 mile historic tour. Shiloh rode in the baby carrier on my belly the entire way. I was thankful for the 54 degree cave air! Really, I know it doesn't sound that bad, but she's 35 pounds and I'm not in the shape I used to be! (a little more round now)
All in all, it was a fun, busy, and educational trip. We came home to well cared for animals and are ever so thankful to have had the opportunity to go!
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