Adventure Aquarium

Our co-op set up a field trip to Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey. We're only 30 minutes from the National Aquarium in Baltimore (which I've heard is spectacular), but at $40 for adults and $25 for kids we've never bothered. Plus they don't allow strollers... So this was a great alternative, even if it was a LONG drive to get there.  Gratefully it ended up being really, really cool. Worth all the driving time for sure!

Checking out some fish up close

We got to watch the hippo feeding, which was fun.

This hippo is apparently a people-watcher:

Aaron is a bit wary of sharks, so this was a great place for a photo:

I thought he'd be nervous in the shark tunnel, but he was fine. Maybe because these sharks didn't really look like the scary Great Whites in his books?

They also had a really cool Shark Walk through a rope bridge over the shark tank. Both my little ones were pretty nervous the first time, but it was a huge hit! We ended up going through probably five or six times. 

Elise slowly walking across

Look! I was there too! And so was Seth!

There's never a bad time or place to stop for a Catherine pose:

My favorite part of this aquarium was all the hands-on stuff. They could touch sharks, fish, starfish, lobsters, and, of course, stingrays!

We ended up staying about two hours longer than I thought we would because it was so awesome! Even then Catherine didn't want to leave. She would have stayed with the stingrays all night if given the option. 

We have a trip to the National Aquarium planned for April. I'm excited to get the chance to compare so I can be a better tour guide when friends and family come to visit. So you should all come to visit, okay?