Something Fishy

 

It’s amazing the difference a year can make.

Last Labor Day weekend we went to the Georgia Aquarium on the spur of the moment. I should have known there was an opening day football game and with Alabama and Duke on the docket, the area around the aquarium was, well, a zoo. Which incidentally is where we ended up going when we couldn’t find parking.

This year the process was much simpler, thanks to the pandemic and no game. Buying timed entry tickets online cut down the wait time by an hour and we easily got into the aquarium lot.

Connor has been getting books about whales and sharks and fish in general and was so excited about the visit. He wanted to see the featured whale shark and his patience wasn’t tested as that was one of the first things he saw. He also saw a huge grouper, which I immediately named Hans. He didn’t get my reference which is understandable since it will be a few years until I introduce him to “Die Hard.” He also doesn’t get the majority of my jokes, but at least I amuse myself.

It was a success all the way around, from its interactive activities, including feeling the soft, slimy stingrays at the touch pool, to viewing its albino alligators, puffins and penguins among others.

I hope the aquarium keeps some of the new procedures in place, but if it’s affecting their bottom line I wouldn’t expect that.