We've been the traveling family lately; first the girl and I went to Massachusetts, and then our whole family traveled to Florida's west coast to celebrate our daughter's birthday. We decided to forgo the party this year and, instead, visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to see Winter the dolphin and her fellow residents there. In addition to Sparkle Fairy being old enough not to really desire a bounce house and a full scale party (last year was a whole different story-mentions of traveling instead of partying were met with fierce indignation and lots of dirty looks on her part), she'd been wanting to see Winter dolphin to human in real time since we watched the movie quite awhile back. We also have friends in Sarasota, which is near the aquarium, so we were able to spend a little time with them as well.
The aquarium is amazing. There are some seriously dedicated folks working there to help injured marine life get a second chance, and we found everyone there to be very friendly and happy to answer questions. There is something about a dolphin that just makes you smile, and Winter, Hope, and Nicholas were no exception. As it turned out, the day of our visit was Winter's and Hope's birthday, and our daughter got a kick out of sharing a birthday season with them if not the exact day. In addition to the dolphins, the aquarium also houses sea turtles, otters, sea rays, sharks, fish, and a pelican (who we didn't see but were assured is still around). I would heartily recommend a visit to this place if you're in the Clearwater area.
The next day we were off to Busch Gardens. We spent the whole of Sunday wandering the park, checking out the animals, and riding some of the rides. The roller coasters there are SCARY. We rode one as a family, but the coaster with ninety degree drop was too much for my husband or I to ride. We stood outside the gate for the Sheikra, discussing all of the reasons why we couldn't do it, and I briefly considered getting on the damned thing just to make our daughter happy. Suddenly, we saw a family we'd spotted at various places in the park who had two children younger than our daughter. They were headed for the entrance to the aforementioned ride, heard my hubby and I moaning and lamenting about things like hearts and backs and fear of heights and offered to let Sparkle Fairy ride with them. Generally, I wouldn't do this, but there was only one way in and out of the area, they looked like a pretty normal group of people, and my daughter was desperate enough to make me feel terrible for being such a wimp. We waited safely on the ground while our brave daughter boarded the car and took the literal plunge on Sheikra. If you have a chance, and you haven't ridden on this roller coaster, Google it and watch the video for the ride. Some crazy person video taped the whole thing, complete with the ninety degree dive. I was impressed with the animals housed throughout the park. The habitats are such that visitors can feel like they're getting very close without being in danger.
So now, we're home, and planning yet another trip out of town to visit with family in another month!
Samhain Blessings!
