Today we woke in our Best Western...several times. My sister set the alarm for 7 AM and then spent the next two hours hitting the snooze button. Also, we couldn't close the curtains so the sun shone brightly in the room. Our parents went down to the continental breakfast while my sister and I changed before packing up our overnight bag. After checking out, we drove the less than five minutes to Mystic Aquarium Institute for Exploration.
NOTE: The last entry noted that it was cheaper to buy tickets at the Mystic Tourist Info Booth. It is, but what they don't tell you is that you have to redeem what they give you for the actual tickets into the aquarium.
Our first stop was for...some advice on how to tackle the aquarium. The staff at the aquarium are extremely nice and knowledgeable, quickly setting us on a good path. We visited with the beluga whales, watching them swim around and play with some of the things in their tank before moving on to the penguins. My mother loves the penguins, but still remembers that the last time we visited the aquarium, they kept their backs to us. This time was no different and one penguin seemed very interested in a rock wall. These particular penguins were from South Africa, so they were more accustomed to the warmer weather of today than Arctic temps. They were also preening, preparing to dive in.
After the penguins, we walked through a marsh, trying to spot the animals. We found a frog, some tadpoles, fish, a couple turtles sunning themselves on a log and a LOT of lily pads. At the end, was Birds of the Outback. It has it's own separate admission and you can go in to feed birds who are not in cages. So if you like that thing, spring for the extra two bucks. If you're like my family, don't and watch the baby seals across the way for a bit. It's free and they're cute.
The next part was the indoor aquarium, with tanks of many different species--not just fish. We saw bats--I remember being on a church vacation and a bat got into the chapel we were using. We realized it was following the fan in the chapel, so we turned it off and started to strum the guitar by the window in hopes it would follow the sound. It did. We also saw an iguana. There was a shark tank and I jumped every time one passed by me. We saw sting rays, made the obligatory Steve Irwin joke (RIP) and then felt bad. We saw piranha, who had a glittery appearance. And my family being Disney fans, went around and identified the different species in the movie. We just couldn't find a prawn--but we did find a diver, some poor employee who had to clean a tank with a toothbrush. The fish, though, found him fascinating.
We left the indoor aquarium and decided to skip the Challenges of the Deep movie, which is also a separate admission price. From what I've seen, it's also a ride along the veins of Star Tours in Hollywoodland in Disney World and you have to be 40'' to ride. So families with small children or people who might get motion sickness are urged to skip it. You can go straight to the exhibits, which are all about Dr. Robert Ballard's work in exploring the deepest parts of the ocean and the wrecks she keeps. There is a whole section dedicated to the Titanic, whose resting place Ballard discovered in 1985. There are pictures of items on the ocean floor, the ship herself and the first image seen of the Titanic since her sinking--a blury shot of a boiler. There was also two short videos--one about Ballard's exploration of the wrecks in the Great Lakes as well as his return to the Titanic. Also, there was a section dedicated the lost island of the Minoans, an ancient Greek civilization, as well as the Phoenicians. There is an amphora pot in this section you must look into. It's a real treat!
After leaving the exhibits, we made it in time for the next showing of something I definitely recommend doing--Seal or No Seal? It's held in the marine theater, starring a trio of sea lions. It is a fun time, the kids get to answer some questions, get free prizes and learn about sea lions at the same time! The trainers also have demonstrations with the sea lions, who are easy to train. There was an adult, Coco; a teenager, Surfer; and a baby, Boomerang. Earlier, a staffer told us Boomerang's story. He had been nursed in captivity and when released, he kept coming back--he preferred human company (he probably preferred the free fish). So, now he's being trained and is part of the show. He reminds me of the young animal character in those cartoons we all watched as children--eager and energetic.
After the show, we returned to the penguins who were now in the water. They swam around, enjoying all our attention. After marveling at them, my family bid a fond adeiu to Mystic and began our journey to Massachusetts. Note about Masspike: Service areas seem hard to come by, so you might want to make sure you go before getting on or waiting until you get off, as we soon passed about two or three. We're staying in another Best Western, this time located just outside Boston in Woburn. It's a lovely hotel with a refrigerator and a microwave. We chilled in the hotel room, just relaxing before heading down to the restaurant, Spud's. And if you are in Woburn, you need to eat here! The food was delicious! I had country fried chicken, some fries, corn and an orange. I also managed to squeeze an apple crisp in there too! I'm surprised my family didn't roll me back to our room. Oh, and the bread is to die for, especially hot!
Tomorrow: We're taking a van tour of Boston. Pick-up is at 9:05 AM, so I should be turning in soon. I do hope they have a haunted Boston tour...I love a good ghost story!
Pictured: Surfer from "Seal or No Seal"
Pictured: Boomerang (L), Coco (C), and Surfer (R) with their trainer from "Seal or No Seal"
Video: The penguins swimming around during our afternoon visit.
