Stop #8: Cincinnati and The Ark Encounter

Cincinnati is a beautiful city. I love its bridges. Also, it was pretty cool to see the Reds ball park. I was a huge Reds fan for however many years Ken Griffey Jr. played for them. Full disclosure: I've always hated the Reds since then--primarily because they didn't win Griffey the championship he so very much deserved. I'll never forgive them or the Mariners for that. But, I digress.

One of my favorite memories from Cincinnati is incredibly random and comes from the parking lot of a Subway restaurant. A little old lady slowly, softly, but directly backed her car into the front of our van--while all of us were sitting in it. She clearly hadn't so much as glanced in her rear view mirror as she backed up. I mean, our van is really hard to miss. I got out, surveyed the damage (which was minimal), and walked to her window. She looked at me, smiling a great big smile as she rolled down her window. She kept smiling, but didn't speak. She must have been at least 90 years old.

Me: "I think we're fine here. There's hardly any damage to my big ol' van or your car. Are you okay?"
Her: "Ok! Have a great evening!"

She didn't stop smiling the entire time as she rolled up her window and drove off, leaving me standing there awkwardly in her dust. Then, it dawned on me that her smile looked familiar. It was the same smile my kids gave me when they were little and had accidentally (and sometimes purposefully) done something wrong. It was a smile of, "See how adorable I am? You aren't really going to get mad at me are you? Yeah, I didn't think so, because I'm adorable!" Well, she was adorable, and it worked for her just like it often worked for my kids.

Thanks for your role in helping create Struggle Bus 2.0, lady.

On to the ark.

The ark was certainly worth going to. The sheer size of the thing is awesome. I love that someone took the time to make it happen. It made me want to see a few other things rebuilt--like the tabernacle or Solomon's Temple. That said, there were a few times during our tour of the ark where I had a distinct, "I'm not sure how I feel about that" feeling. One such time was when we passed by a picture depicting a shark feasting on some doomed sinner. Anyhow, overall I'd recommend the Ark Encounter to anyone. It certainly makes you think and wrestle with some of the most difficult truths of Christianity...in a good way.

On to the next stop: Louisville, KY.

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Testimonials

"This is a quick read that you won't regret if you're a parent. Picture a family with 4 kids in diapers and 6 kids in car seats. I laughed out loud when I read "50 percent of the day was spent changing diapers, 50% preparing meals, 50% preparing the unholy mess of carnage that was created at mealtime, 50% bathing children, and the rest of our time searching for missing shoes, coats, toothbrushes, and more. Seriously, though, WHERE DO MY KIDS KEEP PUTTING THEIR SHOES?" Give this a quick read on the beach and you won't regret it!"

— Customer Review

"What a fun read! Every parent in America will be able to relate to many of the stories contained in these pages--even those with only 2 kiddos. If you are looking for a quick, easy read that is laugh-out-loud funny, this is the book! In a day and age where everything coming at us has a negative spin, this book will leave you with a sense of happiness by the end. Thanks, Josh, for telling your story. Thanks, also, for writing it in my primary language of sarcasm."

— Customer Review

“I'd heard the story of the Struggle Bus, but only the outside, viral story.

This well-written, quick-reading, approachable, fascinating tale talks about the family dynamics, the funny anecdotes, the life lessons. I'm a bit reminded, perhaps, of the Grateful Dead tour bus history by Wavy Gravy, "Living With The Dead". I think this is going to be a classic of modern folklore and a reminder that the trials, tribulations, and excitement of family, internet celebrity, and living in close quarters are all enduring subjects. I'm going to read this book pretty often; I really enjoyed it.”

— Customer Review

Josh Wood, Author