Okay, technically we didn’t actually get wet at the aquarium, but you get the title, I know you do.
On the last day of our DC trip, we went to the Baltimore Aquarium.
First, we walked along the waterfront, where the kids were spellbound by the large ships and small paddle boats.
Monkey Girl loved everything about the aquarium, even the cylinders with no sea life, but just bubbles.
The jellyfish were absolutely beautiful.
Monkey in the Middle usually spends a great deal of time each summer vacation at the beach with his cousin, Alexa, (see Real Small Town Fun for a reminder on these two…double trouble), collecting Jellyfish. He was so excited to see the jellyfish this way, as by the time he and Alexa get to them, they are just see-through lumps.
At the top of the Baltimore Aquarium is a rainforest. I think it’s the neatest thing there. Real monkeys climbing around, mist, insects, animals. All of it right there for you to walk through. The kids thought it was pretty neat, as well.
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The sharks were awesome, but the highlight of the day was the dolphin show.
You have to remember, this is the end of three days of walking, touring, and sight-seeing for these little monkeys. It was tiring for Real Man and I as adults. It was exhausting for the monkey. So, by the time we got to the dophin show, they were shot.
However, the excitement of the dolphins brought the smiles back.
It was a beautiful show.
On the way out, Monkey Girl insisted that she have her picture taken inside the mouth of a great white.
Love that kid.
We left and went over to the Barnes and Noble which is an old power plant and is the coolest Barnes and Noble I’ve ever been in, however, Baby Monkey was completely done with anything other than getting back to Beth and Warren’s house, by that time, so Real Man took the big monkeys in and I sat outside with Baby Monkey, watching the ships.
Baltimore is an amazing city. I think you could do a whole vacation right there and never be bored. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of taking a short trip.
We left from the aquarium and drove directly home to NJ. I think we weren’t even out of Baltimore when I turned around and found this in the back seat.
Baby Monkey was soon to follow, and although she tried, like her Mom, Monkey Girl is not a napper. But, she lounged and relaxed as we drove.
Real Man and I talked about what we had done and seen and decided that we need to do more of this. Sometimes, it’s just easier to say, “Eh…it’s only a few days, we can’t do anything. Might as well stay home.” But, the truth is, just by taking this short trip, we’ve been able to create memories for the kids that they’ll always carry with them. Maybe Baby Monkey won’t remember (although, he can read the blog later in life) but the big monkeys will. So, hopefully you’ll be reading more of these type of entries as we endeavor to do more and help our kids broaden their life experiences.
