Rounding Out Vacation

So I've been back a few days now and have been looking back on how last weeks vacation went. It really was awesome! You saw my yoga beach trip and my kayaking trip with hubs. The last bit to share was our trip to the aquarium.

I LOVE aquariums. I spend a lot of my summer working on the beach with sea turtles helping them to get to the sea. Well, hubs took me to the Virginia Beach Aquarium. It was so amazing!

First, the size of the aquarium is huge. It is two buildings with about a 10 minute walk between them. The first building had all kinds of awesome animals and learning. We saw sharks and my favorite sea turtles. Sadly, we missed the sea turtle tour they had. But they were so active and friendly. I absolutely fell in love all over again with these beautiful creatures! They even came over for pics with me!

The walk to the second building was through a wooded area with paths. There were some stop and overlooks over the inlet. We got to see all kinds of butterflies, birds, and bird nests. As we got closer to the second building, there was an adventure course in the trees. Ropes, ladders, and bridges looped across the trees at different heights. It will definitely be on my to do list next time I go.

Building two had river and inlet animals. It had river otters. They are so personable and funny! I loved watching them play and swim. We also checked out the snakes and turtles. Unfortunately, the aviary was closed. They also had a dinosaur exhibit. We all know how much I LOVE dinosaurs. So of course I had to ham it up with them.

In addition to the aquarium, there was a lot of beach time and pool time. The weather was awesome. Nights were filled with laughing, stories, a wild game of cards against humanity, and a song challenge to the house a block over behind us. We also took a trip to downtown Virginia Beach for some video game fun. Nothing like playing like kids in an arcade.

Since it was vacation, I was a bit more loose with my meals. OK, I was very loose with foods and ate things that I normally won't eat (read ice cream, donuts, and fudge). Needless to say, I found some extra pounds that will be worked off. I have to admit, I am happy to be back to eating clean again!

Overall, vacation was a success! Can't wait for the next one!

An Aquarium Adventure

Remember I talked about happy minds? Well here is another of my happy places. I LOVE the aquarium. For me, it is peace, getting to learn and see animals, and interacting with them as well. There is something so peaceful about animals in the ocean (yes, even sharks).

So Hubs took me to the aquarium and here, my friends, is the adventure.

After fighting traffic, we walked from the lot to the front door. It is spider season in North Carolina. I am absolutely scared stupid of spiders, especially giant ones. These things had condos built. It took all I had not to walk in the middle of the road and run screaming. I'm proud to say I made it. (No, there are no pictures because.....spiders.)

The first thing we did was head to the lorikeets. These birds were beautiful. We purchased some nectar to feed them and made some bird friends. One wanted to drink the nectar so bad it hung upside down to drink! No two were alike. We just had to watch that we did not get pooped on. Lets face it, they are birds and a lot were sitting up high in the rafters.

We then went inside. I am always filled with childlike wonder when I go in. The front room is all local fish and animals that can be found here in the Carolina's. Everything from alligators to giant fish and frogs to box turtles. They also have a special exhibit with a beautiful junior bald eagle. What a HUGE bird! He was also stunning. Just to see this bird up close is amazing!

The next room is my favorite. Why? Because I LOVE sea turtles. I spend my summer volunteering to help these sweet endangered babies get to the big blue sea. I have been posting some pics as I head to the beach each day on my Facebook page, but once they hatch, I will add some more about them here. Anyway, they build a new enclosure for the loggerhead turtle and she is so cool! It was a highlight of my trip there.

We went downstairs next and checked out the jellies. Gotta love the jellies. They are so pretty (as long as they are not stinging me. Finally, we checked out the exotic aquatic area which had all kinds of cool fish and frogs. No trip to the aquarium is complete without getting to pet a shark.

I hope you get the chance to visit the aquarium at Fort Fisher in North Carolina. It is not huge but it is ours and it is full of our local wildlife. I hope it becomes a part of your happy place too.