Today my sister, the doodle, and I scooted up to Baltimore to the aquarium. It has been a loooong time since I've been there - probably since I was in college. Actually, I'm fairly certain it was either my freshman year of college or maybe my senior year of high school when I went up to visit a friend from high school who was a year ahead of me and was going to Hopkins and we went to the aquarium. We have laughed many times over the ensuing years that he considered it a date. I was clueless. (And completely disinterested, had I been asked.)
Still - the aquarium has changed incredibly. I think it's probably twice as big as it was when I was last there. You still have the main exhibits that are clearly in the 'old' aquarium, but the new dolphin area and the Australia and rain forest exhibits are cool (though both have entirely too many s-n-a-k-e-s on display. Aquariums are for FISH not evil things.)
We risked the 4-D theater (they recommend against it for kids under 3) - doodle and I nearly had to leave but it was just toward the end that he got antsy (and it wasn't because he was scared but becuase we were way past lunch time without eating) but just as I was getting up the movie ended. It has some fabulous sea photography and they do some neat things with the 4D (spraying water, blowing air, little rubber flippy things that flick at your ankle, rumbly seats, and jabs in the back) and the 3D parts of the movie were well done. (Well, I could've done without being poked in the back as one of the poisonous sea snakes in Indonesian waters was striking but the rest was good.)
We also did the dolphin show. It was fun, though they spent more time on their environmentalist propaganda than actually on the dolphins. It was clear that they've teamed up with the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet as the new areas have that slick save the earth feel all over them.
Still, it was fun. The kiddo seemed to enjoy the fish and dolphins and birds and I got a lot of exercise (they don't allow strollers, so I took him in my Ergo, which was great, but now my legs are very tired.) We'll do it again sometime when daddy can go.
1 day ago
No strollers allowed?? For shame...though I suppose they have a good reason for the rule. I've heard of the word "ergo," but not of an object named Ergo. I'll have to find out what that is. Anyway, you were a wonderful mom, hanging around the place even after espying s-n-a-k-e-s.
ReplyDeleteThe Ergo is a type of baby carrier - it's awesome. I didn't care for it when he was smaller (seemed that he slid out too easily) - until he was about 8 months I preferred either my sling our the snuggli. But now that he's big, the Ergo rocks. (It can do a back or side carry as well as the more traditional front carry - so very versatile.)
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