Creation Museum: Dinosaur Den

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The final stop on my tour of the Creation Museum's displays was an exhibit area known as the Dinosaur Den. This displayed a number of modeled dinosaurs based on fossils that have been discovered around the world.

The dinosaur below looks quite scary, at least when it has its mouth open. All of the specimens in the display seemed remarkably life-like.

Dinosaur

This model shows a skeleton only, which is actually more realistic, because this is all a paleontologist could hope to find at a dig site. Fossil sets this complete are, in fact, very rare. The look of the scales and skin of the other models are primarily determined by the ideas of the sculptor.

Dinosaur Skeleton

Creation Museum: The Ark 2

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Following the replica Ark construction site were a number of detailed models representing Ark-related scenes.

The model below shows the animals arriving at the Ark and being stowed inside. The tiny elephants on the ramp show the enormous size of the Ark. The rows of barrels and sacks in the ground are supplies waiting to be brought aboard. This enormous boat did not have to be transported to the water. The water came to it in a deluge on a scale never seen before or since.

Loading the Ark

The Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat 150 days after the Flood began. The model below shows what this might have looked like. While high mountain areas had been exposed, the water continued to recede in torrents and rivers.

Ararat

Creation Museum: The Ark

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The next display brought to life the historical account of Noah's Ark. This photograph shows what Noah might have looked like as he supervised the construction of his enormous ship.

Noah

To carry every kind of animal, the Ark was an enormous boat. Below we see several workmen assisting in its construction. The exhibit filled a whole room, and yet it only represented one percent of the Ark's actual size.

Under Construction

Creation Museum: Garden of Eden

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The next museum highlight was a recreation of a small part of the Garden of Eden. With lively model animals and luscious plastic vegetation, this room almost felt like it was outdoors.

These llamas were one part of the exhibit that stood out. One seems to be craning its neck to observe some distant object, while the other smirks at the viewer.

Llamas

The creature below was one of the more unusual. It looks like a leopard, except for its mottled pattern of scales. Apparently it is an artist's idea of one type of dinosaur, and it is seen here voraciously devouring a pineapple.

Pineapple-Eating Dinosaur

Finally, these two kangaroos could be seen peeking out of the vegetation.

Kangaroos

Creation Museum: Dinosaur

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As I mentioned earlier, the Creation Museum exhibits a number of life-sized dinosaurs. While there is an entire room, which we will get to later, dedicated to this purpose, I passed a lone dinosaur specimen early on along the exhibit trail.

This model is a Tyrannosaurus Rex, with sharp, knife-like teeth. It could grow to forty feet long and twenty feet high, with a weight over seven tons. Maybe this model wasn't quite life size, but it definitely was bigger than any T. Rex I'd like to meet!

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Another exhibit displayed ancient scrolls from around the world. The scroll shown below dates from around 1825. Scrolls were often made of vellum produced from animal skins, resulting in a document that could last almost indefinitely. The scroll below contains Hebrew portions of Genesis and Exodus.

Hebrew Scroll 

This exhibit depicts a famous scene of Moses and the Ten Commandments. As you can probably tell from the stone tablets, Hebrew is read from right to left.

Ten Commandments

Creation Museum: Dinosaur Dig

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Located in Petersburg, Kentucky, the Creation Museum provides a detailed look at the origin and history of our planet and its inhabitants from a Biblical perspective. Its impressive displays include life-sized dinosaurs, a number of large fossils, and a detailed model of Noah's Ark. Outside, a petting zoo, landscaped garden, and three-acre lake provide additional activities for visitors.

Creation Museum

The first display includes an extremely realistic life-sized fossil excavation, complete with a dinosaur fossil buried in the rock.

Dinosaur Dig

Great care must be taken when unearthing the fossilized bones so they are not damaged. This archaeologist is using a number of tools to extract this dinosaur skeleton.

Archaeologist

Icy River

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Because of the extremely cold weather, the Scioto River was covered in a layer of ice and snow. The viewing deck shown below provides an excellent view out over the river. The last time I had been here, there were ducks swimming in the water. The sparkling river and chirping birds were nowhere to be seen on this bleak winter day.

Icy Scioto River

All signs of life were gone, except for a few footprints in the fallen snow. Nevertheless, the stillness and placidity of the scene seemed to add to the contrast of dark railings and brilliant snow.

Viewing Deck

Swan and Wolves

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This white swan was one of the few birds that could survive the winter at the zoo. It was sitting near a small pond. Although the pond was mostly covered in ice, it had a small hole at the center where the swan could get a drink.

White Swan

These wolves seemed quite at home in the snow. Their natural habitat in Canada and Alaska can get much colder than our mild winters.

Wolves

Reindeer

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Another cold-loving animal, and a famous one as well, is the reindeer. They seemed to be enjoying the cold weather just as much as the polar bear. While fourteen distinct subspecies of reindeer have been recognized, I doubt if I could tell them apart. However, their thick fur and large antlers set them apart from other deer species.

Reindeer

Bears

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Every year, the Columbus Zoo creates a luminous display of Christmas lights throughout the zoo. While these are best viewed at night, I planned my recent tour to include enough daylight hours to visit the animals as well. Some of the animals are moved elsewhere during the winter, but many of them remain at the zoo.

The brown bear below didn't seem to mind the cold weather at all. While I watched, it playfully rolled over on its back in the snow.

Brown Bear

Polar bears, such as the one below, are native to climates even colder than the day I visited the zoo. Their layers of thick fur insulate them from frigid air and ice-cold water. This bear almost looks as if it were grinning.

Polar Bear

Ohio Caverns 2

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The picture below shows one of the iron oxide formations that add color to the ceiling throughout much of the caverns. Although the dim lighting in the caves masks some of the bright colors, they come out quite clearly when exposed to a camera flash.

Iron Oxide Formations

One of the more unusual formations in the cave is shown below. It is called a helictite because of its unusual shape. It seems to resemble a water spigot or old hand pump.

 

Water Spigot

Ohio Caverns: Crystal King

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The Crystal King is the largest stalactite found in the Ohio Caverns. With a length of almost five feet and an estimated weight of 400 pounds, it is also one of the largest stalactites in Ohio. The Crystal King is found at the deepest point in the cave from the surface.

 

Crystal King

The stalactites and stalagmites in the photo below reminded me of a shark's mouth. The minerals in this picture are known as dual formations because they consist of calcite stalactites growing on an iron oxide base.

Shark's Mouth

Ohio Caverns

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Located in western Ohio, the Ohio Caverns showcases some amazing crystal formations spread throughout a maze of winding tunnels. The abundance of crystals, which have taken thousands of years to form, makes the caverns unique.

As with most underground passages, the majority of the Ohio Cavern's tunnels are quite narrow, but the picture below shows a slightly larger area. The oranges and browns on the ceiling are caused by aqueous iron that trickles down through the rock above and oxidizes when it reaches the cave ceiling.

Crystal Cave 

This next shot depicts a more tunnel-like part of the caverns. When the caves were first discovered, most of the tunnels were partially obstructed by mud and other sediment, which had to be cleared away to make the passageways passable.

 

Rocky Passage

Eden Park: Ducks

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Eden Park also contained a small pond, which had a healthy population of ducks. They seemed quite tame, and a few waddled after me, waiting for food. I caught these Mallards taking a spin out on the water.

Like a Duck to Water...

Also at the pond were these two beautiful white Pekin ducks. They seemed to be the only ones of their kind, but were quite tame nonetheless.

White Pekins

Eden Park

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To finish up my tour of southwestern Ohio, I stopped at Eden Park, located on the northern side of the Ohio River in the Cincinnati area. Although not too obvious in these pictures, the park was located on top of a high ridge along the river, giving an extensive view in both directions.

The River

Across from the park lies the town of Dayton, Kentucky. Here, the buildings reflect the slightly warmer evening rays.

Dayton, KY

Purple People Bridge: Flowers 2

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A number of the planters also contained red plants. The broad-leafed red vegetation below added some interest to the planter it occupied.

Red & Spiky

And finally, I ran across these pink-leafed plants. They seemed to be thriving, despite their unusual color.

Pink Plants

Purple People Bridge: Flowers

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As I mentioned earlier, one side of the Purple People Bridge was lined with planters containing a variety of colorful flowers, many of them purple.

These colorful bluish-purple flowers made a nice contrast in front of the geometrical patterns of the bridge behind them.

Purple Flowers

This cluster of pink blooms seemed a little lost in the sea of green vegetation and unusual purple flowers surrounding it. I could hardly tell which plant each flower belonged to.

Pink & Purple

Purple People Bridge 2

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A number of other bridges also cross the Ohio River in the Cincinnati area. This yellow bridge, seen from the Purple People Bridge, is one of them. A variety of barges, such as the one in this picture, motor up and down the Ohio River.

Yellow Bridge

This skyscraper, owned by the Great American Insurance Group, forms part of the Cincinnati skyline.

Skyscraper

Purple People Bridge

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Although many bridges span the Ohio River between Ohio and Kentucky, the Purple People Bridge is one of the more unusual—for its purple color, if nothing else.

The bridge first opened in 1872 as a railroad bridge. Since then, it has supported trains, streetcars, automobiles, and pedestrians. After many years of deterioration, the Purple People Bridge was restored in 2003 as a solely pedestrian bridge, which it remains to this day. The intricate framework of metal girders make the long walk across quite interesting.

 

Purple People Bridge 

This "lane" of the bridge, running parallel to the one previously pictured, probably used to accommodate trains or automobiles. Today the outer side is lined with flower boxes maintained by local botanical societies. Many of the planters specialize in the color purple.

Flower Boxes

Cathedral Basilica 2

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The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption also boasts the largest handmade stained glass window in a church in the world. While a German church used to hold this claim, its stained glass windows was sadly destroyed by bombing during World War II.

The lower half of this window depicts the Council of Ephesus, which met in A.D. 431. Below it are images of various saints.

 

Stained Glass Window

 

Another feature of the cathedral is a massive pipe organ in one balcony. The organist was rehearsing some pieces for a mass while I was there.

Pipe Organ

Cathedral Basilica

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Another ancient landmark of Covington, Kentucky is the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. It is an old Catholic church with magnificent arches and colorful stained glass windows.

Many of the arches are found in the sanctuary. The photo below shows the front, which includes an alcove lined with stained glass windows.

Sanctuary 

The back of the sanctuary is equally impressive. The center stained glass window is unusual because of its size and round shape.

Round Window

Carroll Chimes Bell Tower

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A few hours south of Cowan Lake lies the city of Covington, Kentucky. That is where I found the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower. Dedicated in honor of Kentucky's 64th governor, the tower faithfully plays a set of chimes on the quarter hour.

Carroll Chimes Bell Tower

 

The ancient tower was recently restored, being rededicated on August 18, 1997. The fancy brickwork and archway underneath make it a striking landmark.

The Tower

 

On the east side of the tower is a balcony, on which small automated figures sporadically emerge from the building and parade across the platform. The children below are following the Pied Piper, barely visible at the left.

Pied Piper

Cowan Lake: Lily Pads

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In addition to sailboats, Cowan Lake provides sailing room for a variety of other vessels. The pontoons below were moored on the end of the lake opposite the boat dock I launched from.

Moored Boats

The end of the lake also supported a thriving colony of giant lily pads, most of them larger than a dinner plate. It sure would be something to see them all in bloom, if they do grow flowers.

Lily Pads

Cowan Lake: Sailboats

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On that gloomy Sunday afternoon, the lake was actually populated by a fleet of small sailboats, probably members of a local boating club. The boats circumnavigated an obstacle course marked out by orange buoys in the lake.

Sailboats

 

The sailboats seemed to racing at times. Such may be the activity the three boats below are preparing for.

Racing Sailboats