Ark

  One of our most adventurous trips with the FBC Seniors was to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky.  There were a lot of folks who wanted to go.  We rented a large tour bus, and we also had our smaller church bus.  Those who had paid early got to ride in the big bus.  Those of us who didn't got to ride in the smaller bus.  That was my group.

 We set out early in the morning and ate lunch in Knoxville.  I lived in Knoxville one summer, when I was three, and my father was working at the First Baptist Church there.  I remember that the church was dark, but I enjoyed our picnics in the mountains.  Our group headed on up the road to Kentucky.  We passed by the birthplace of Colonel Sanders and the first KFC restaurant.  It would have been cool to stop, but we kept going.  We passed by some horse farms and saw them grazing in the grass.  We also passed by a bourbon distillery.  We didn't need to stop there.  We got to our hotel in Florence, KY which is right across the river from Cincinnati.  There were a lot of restaurants around the area.  I settled on IHOP.  When I walked in, there were a couple of families with screaming children.  The service was horrible, especially considering that there were so few people in the restaurant.  

 One thing to say about the church bus:  I wish I had been on the big bus.  There was very little legroom, and I couldn't get comfortable in the seat.  I tried to sleep.  I leaned against the window, but the bumpy ride caused my shoulder to hurt.  There was a Walmart near our hotel.  I bought a neck pillow for the ride back.

 The guy who was to be my roommate cancelled out, so I had a room all to myself.  I prefer a single room.  We left the next morning for the Ark.  Seeing it from the highway was amazing.  Seeing it up close was awe inspiring.  It was built out of wood and to the Biblical specifications.  It was huge.  The thought of all of those animals in a vessel like that brought the Bible story to life.  It was a lot of walking.  They had a petting zoo outside with camels, donkeys, and more.  There was also a place to pan for gold, but it was too expensive.  It was a very humid day, and I got overheated.  Thankfully, the gift shop was air conditioned.  There was also a threat for rain, as remnants of a hurricane were headed our way.  I bought a poncho at the Ark.  Kind of ironic.  We left the Ark and got back to the hotel.  I went to Jimmy John's for supper.  The service was so much better.  I took my sandwich back to the hotel and settled in for a great sleep.

 The next day, we loaded up our luggage and headed to the Creation Museum.  It had started to rain.  I was a bit disappointed with the museum.  It was geared more to children, and there was a lot of dinosaur exhibits.  One theory expressed there was that the dinosaurs were on the planet the same time as Noah, but they drowned in the flood.  Also, that the Earth was only 6000 years old.  I think scientists have proven otherwise.  

 When we left the museum, the rain was getting worse.  I had an umbrella and ferried women from the museum to the buses.  We started down the road in a driving rainstorm.  We passed by the Louisville Airport, where my father and I had flown into a long time back on my first airplane ride.  We got back to Knoxville and had supper.  That restaurant had terrible service.  Maybe because it was a Saturday night, and it was just too crowded.  We got back home late that night.  It was a good trip, and I would recommend the Ark to anyone, but not so much the Creation Museum unless you have kids.  Due to the sleeping problems on the bus, and despite my new neck pillow, both of my shoulders got messed up by trying to sleep on the church bus.  Maybe one day, I'll get them fixed.

JAARS

 One of the trips that our church's seniors went on was to a place called JAARS in Waxhaw, NC.  I suppose that the folks of Waxhaw get tired of "Wax on, Wax off".  Anyway, it is in a remote area in eastern North Carolina.  Originally, the letters of the place stood for "Jungle Air And Rescue Service".  They would use small planes to fly in and out of remote places and help people to get out.  Later, it became a group of people to fly Bibles and missionaries into remote areas of the world spreading the gospel.

 When we got there, we found that they also have a shortwave radio station.  They use it to share the Word to others in their native languages.  They partner with Wycliffe to do this mission work.  The goal is to get a Bible translated into every dialect in the world.  There are thousands of those.  We went inside their main building and saw hundreds of Bibles, each one in a different language and dialect.  

 They took us around the complex.  There is a place, where they repair planes.  They also have a short landing strip to train pilots on how to get in and out of places quickly.  I just found this stuff fascinating.  After our tour, we had lunch there.  The dining room was really for the workers, but they allowed us to eat there, too.  I wished that they had signs about the two lines.  One line went into the salad area, and the other went to the more substantial food area.  I don't really like to eat salads as meals.  I got into the wrong line.  I did get to talk to some of the workers there.  Some lived on the property, whereas others lived in Waxhaw.  I didn't joke with them about the wax.  Probably a good thing.

 We then went to a museum that is on the property which showed the history of JAARS and getting the Bible to others.  I took some reading material and put my name on their list promising to pray for them.  I do.  We piled on our bus and left to go home.  It was a good trip overall.  

Aiken

  I was coming back from a record store trip in Augusta one day, and I saw a sign for an antique mall in Aiken, SC.  I had just been turned on to antique stores as a place to find pop culture memorabilia, so I took a detour from my trip.

 Aiken is a relatively small town in SC with a lot of old buildings and history.  They also have a lot of horse farms in the area.  In fact, Joe Walsh of The Eagles had a horse farm near Aiken.  James Brown used to live in a town near Aiken.  I found the antique mall on the main street through town and went in.  I wandered down an aisle and something caught my attention.  In a glass case, there were two signs noting "Beatle Bus" and a date (August 18, 1965).  I knew that The Beatles had played in Atlanta then, and I figured that there were designated buses to take fans to the stadium.  The owner wanted $80 each for the signs, so I bought both.  It was quite a find.  When I got home, I did some research and found that these signs were extremely rare and may be the only two still in existence.  I sold them for $500 each to a collector.

 So, when the FBC Seniors were going to go to Aiken for the day, I jumped at the chance.  Maybe, I would find another gem.  It was a cold and rainy day.  I walked into that antique mall.  It had been about 20 years since my last visit.  Once again, I wandered the aisles, but I noticed something different.  The prices had changed.  No more were there bargains to be had.  Instead, there were items marked at market value.  Aiken had changed to an upscale area.  The word had gotten out about Aiken, and their antique stores.  One thing that I have learned over the years is that you sell something at a price you think it will sell, not a price it is necessarily worth.  I found an autographed picture of Rudolph Valentino.  As I am into autographs, I thought this might be a good addition to my collection.  After all, how many Valentino autographs could be out there?  I couldn't see the price, so I asked the lady at the desk to open the case for me.  The seller wanted over $1000.  That was how much the autograph was worth.  I suppose it is still collecting dust in the case.  I ended up buying a couple of CDs and left.

 We then went to the Aiken Museum, which is in an old three-story house.  I couldn't find an elevator (I don't think they had one), so we all had to trudge up the steep steps to get from floor to floor.  My lungs were not happy.  As we were leaving, the workers there asked us where we were going to eat.  We were heading to Golden Corral.  They told us of a nice restaurant downtown that had better food.  They were right.  A nice ending to an otherwise disappointing day.   

Biltmore

  Toward the end of November in 2017, our church's seniors went to Biltmore House and Gardens outside Asheville, NC.  I had been before, but never seeing it decorated for Christmas.  The tree out front and the decorations inside were amazing.  It was a cold and overcast day.

 When we got inside for the tour, the first thing was a place to have your picture taken.  Of course, it cost money to do that, but I wanted a good picture of myself.  I usually don't take a good picture, but this one was better than most.  I had brought my camera, and it used a flash.  I started taking pictures inside, and I got in trouble for using a flash.  So, I had to use my phone for pictures, which were not near as good.  When I got to the library room, I made mention of the fact that one of my favorite films was shot in the library.  It was "Being There" starring Peter Sellers.  Apparently, the guide had not seen that film, but he did say that a horror film had been shot in Biltmore.  It was weird being in the same room that Peter Sellers, Jack Warden and Melvyn Douglas had filmed a scene in.  That film used much of the interiors and grounds of Biltmore.  

 Because it was so cold of our visit, I had put on four layers of clothes.  The inside of the house was very warm.  All of the walking between floors, and the many people in the house, was causing me to sweat profusely.  Toward the end of the tour, I thought I was going to pass out.  I got outside in the cold and found a place selling bottled water.  I sat in the cold and got back to normal.  And then, I walked around some of the gardens and saw some of the other places the film was shot.  I really enjoyed that.  If you get a chance to see "Being There", I highly recommend it.  I loved the book, too.  I read it as a student at PC.  It goes to show how gullible the media can be, and how opinion can be swayed by the media in the wrong direction.  

 We left Biltmore in the late afternoon and headed back to Columbia.  I should note that an ancestor of mine helped build the house way back when.  I hope they paid well, because that would have been a serious job.  

Dome

  King Day at the Dome is a special occasion in Columbia.  It brings people from around the area to the State House to celebrate the like of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Usually, it is held outside on the front steps, unless it is raining.  On this 2020 day, it wasn't raining.  It was just bone-chilling cold.  Why is it that these major events are either too hot or too cold? 

 Almost all of the Democratic Presidential candidates were there.  Pete Buttigieg marched from a downtown church with the others to the State House, but he had to leave.  I did get to see him, though.  The others were Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard, and Amy Klobuchar.  

 Each one had a few minutes to speak.  Most of the candidates came from Northern states, so I guess they were used to the freezing temperatures.  Except for Tulsi.  She was from Hawaii.  I don't know how many layers of clothing she had on, but it was a lot.  Each candidate got a warm South Carolina welcome, except for Tom Steyer.  No candidate can win, if they promise the sun, moon and stars.  I liked Amy's smile.  She seemed genuine.  Bernie was Bernie.  Tulsi spoke about helping veterans.  After her speech, I went over to where she was taking pictures with people.  I waited my turn and told her that I hoped she would work for homeless veterans.  I told her about homeless friends of mine who had trust issues and needed help.  She said she would.  She was very attractive.  Too bad that her views were a little too out there for most voters.  And, I didn't get a picture with her.  

 This event was right before the SC Presidential primary.  A lot of candidates had to drop out for lack of money.  Joe won our primary.  He stayed in the race.  He credits our primary in giving him momentum to move forward.  He did.