Aquarium and the Beach - Day Three

We were up at 8:00 and ready to start the day.  We had big plans for this morning.

First up was a trip to Krispy Kreme for donuts followed by a stop at Starbucks to wash it down.  Then we hit Crumb Buns (Mmm) for some cupcakes for later.  We were on the way to the grocery store to pick up a few items when Sammy brought up the aquarium.  We decided to head that way and play it by ear.  So shortly after 10:00 am, we pulled into Broadway at the Beach.  Tyler bought some cones from Ride Makerz which they hadn't sent to him in a recent order.  Sammy played on the playground and I bought some card games to play.

We talked through our options and all decided it would be fun to do the Ripley's Aquarium.  They've changed quite a few things since last year.  Starting off we toured an exhibit about animals that use / produce / create SLIME.  It was crazy interesting but pretty gross all at the same time.  Then we made our way through the tunnel with the conveyor belt and surrounding tanks.  Sammy and Katie moved on ahead while Tyler and I took our time.  It was really cool for me to listen as Tyler pointed out the different species of sharks and shared interesting facts about them.

 

 

Next, we caught a feeding in their big tank which was a first for us!  We got the chance to hold a horseshoe crab, touch a shark and even a jelly!  VERY cool.

After we finished, we stopped at Target for those groceries and then got fast food for lunch.  We made it home and changed to our swim suits by 1:30 pm... and back to the beach for us!

The waves were awesome.  The sky sunny and clear.  The ocean was warm.  There were lots of fish swimming nearby and I even spotted a big crab in the surf.  The waves continued to build as the afternoon went on... at one point we were standing in water that was up to Tyler's belly button and the waves were so high even I had to jump to get over them.

Tyler and Sammy practiced boogie-boarding and are really getting good!

Next the kids took a bit to play in the sand.  Tyler dug, Sammy carried buckets of water, I finished reading Ralph S Mouse to them.

Sammy and I headed up to the pool while Katie and Tyler took another round of waves at the beach.  After a bit they joined us to finish out the afternoon.

We got cleaned up and made tacos for supper while the kids watched the Incredibles for the second time this trip.  After the movie, we took a walk on the beach, collecting shells, until Sammy stepped on a sand spur... there was screaming, and running, and crocodile tears.  So we turned back.

We enjoyed the view of the sunset as we walked back to our room and then spent the evening quietly winding down.  I tucked the kids into bed at 9:00 pm so we could be up early for another big day.

Katie and I enjoyed our favorite cupcakes.  Mmm.

Highlights:

• Sammy: Shells
• Tyler: Touching the animals at the aquarium
• Katie: Getting more sun in one afternoon than I did all summer
• Jen: Jumping waves with the kids

Today - Cool morning; clear skies; High of 79*