You will notice in our August 2019 print issue a full-page ad promoting a four-day tour to Kentucky, where you will be able to enjoy the Ark Encounter, the Creation Museum, and the Kentucky Horse Park.
Our tour leaves Greenville on Oct. 21 and returns the evening of Oct. 24. The trip includes Deluxe Motor Coach transportation, hotel accommodations, breakfasts at the hotel, buffet lunch at the Ark Encounter and tickets to various attractions.
This is the relaunch of Courier Tours, which has not been in operation for over two decades. In addition to producing a denominational publication, our charter grants us the opportunity to operate “religious and educational tours” for the benefit of The Courier and as a service to South Carolina Baptists.
In 2020, we are hoping to offer at least four tours, including a trip to Orlando, Fla., for the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, Disney World, and the Holy Land Experience.
Managing Editor Todd Deaton will host the Kentucky tour. He spent the past 10 years in Kentucky as editor of The Western Recorder and is very familiar with the state. He said, “Many Baptists in our state have wanted to see the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, and this is an excellent opportunity for them to travel with fellow believers. We hope this is the first of many trips we will be taking in the future.”
As we begin this new ministry, we are hopeful of including international trips, including the Holy Land, and some cruises that will offer inspirational music and Bible preaching.
From left: Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, and Kentucky Horse Park.
The Ark Encounter is actually three exhibits in one. The massive ark structure itself spans 510 feet in length and 85 feet in width, with three decks (51 feet high). It is the largest timber-frame structure in the world and is filled with world-class exhibits recounting the story of Noah’s Ark and the great flood. The second attraction is the Ararat Ridge Zoo and Petting Zoo that features animals from around the world. The third attraction is a zip-line course (for an additional fee) that includes 22 different lines. The longest is 2,100 feet.
The Creation Museum is a high-tech, 75,000-square-foot facility offering 150 exhibits including animatronic dinosaurs, heroes of the faith, and professional displays that honor the Scriptures. Visitors can walk through a depiction of the Garden of Eden and choose to watch over 50 video displays and view 130 static and animatronic figures. The themed gardens and three-acre lake provide visitors with a mile of paved trails. People can ride the raptor zip line across the lake (for an additional fee) and experience the “Dragon’s Descent” free-fall experience.
Tour guests will also visit the Kentucky Horse Park, a world-renowned International Museum of the Horse that is affiliated with the Smithsonian Museum and the American Saddlebred Museum.
We hope many of you will join us on the reopening of Courier Tours and pray for us as we seek to arrange tours for 2020 that will be a blessing to the Baptists of South Carolina.