Hey Arfcom

Taking the lovely lady of six years on a short anniversary trip. Heard about the Ark encounter and thought it would be something new and different. What else do you recommend in the area? I see there’s a casino nearby. We are not big gamblers but have been to Cherokee and wasted a hundred dollars and had fun. Open to suggestions. Whiskey tastings etc. help me out Arfcom.

Also I noticed the casino is in Indiana. Seems to be a free state for second amendment. I’ll travel anywhere I can bring my CCW.

There is really nothing near the Ark, unfortunately it is 30 minutes away from anything else interesting.  The casino I assume is Belterra.  It is decent.  They have/had a good buffet with all you can eat crab legs, price was just over $30 a person last time I went there.  The roads once you leave I-75 are very narrow and curvy adding a lot of travel time.  

No distilleries near the Ark but you do you have Elk Creek Vineyards if you drink wine.  They have a very nice building.  The property also features a hunt club with sporting clays and lodging.  
https://www.elkcreekvineyards.com/
http://www.elkcreekhuntclub.com/
https://www.elkcreekvineyards.com/page-350851/Lodging.html

In that area is also the Kentucky Motor Speedway.
https://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/

There is a distillery near the speed way.  I know nothing about them but they do offer tours.  
https://www.neeleyfamilydistillery.com/

For big name distilleries Frankfort or Versailles would be the closest and over an hour away from the Ark.  Lexington has a lot to see including breweries, wineries, and some distilleries.  That would be an hour from the Ark as well.

The Ark itself is a lot of walking and almost nowhere to sit to take a break and I think just one small snack shop part way through.  They have food outside the ark but once you go in it is several hours of looking and walking to see it all.  

For firearm laws Kentucky is now constitutional carry and it applies to non-residents inside the state border.  If you can legally own a firearm then you can legally carry concealed in Kentucky without a CCW.  Not sure on the Indiana laws any more.

Awesome reply. Thanks for the hunt club info especially.

Just talked to a friend that goes to Belterra casino.  He said the buffet dinning area is still closed and Indiana requires identifying everyone who enters for contact tracing.  You have have to give them your drivers license which they make a copy of and then they take another picture of your face for identification purposes.

Awesome thanks for the info on the casino.

If you're headed here for the Ark, might check out the Creation Mueseum too.  It's another Answers By Genesis attraction.  I've been to both.

If you plan to visit any distilleries you might want to call them ahead of time and see if you need reservations.  The Buffalo Trace commercial showed a group of maybe 4 people on a tour and said to book tours ahead of time.

Newport Aquarium is 40 minutes away...

https://www.newportaquarium.com/