Grand New Adventure!

 

The kids are patiently waiting . . .

            
I knew that the Ocean Institute in Dana Point is only open to the public on weekends but that they hosted field trips through the week.  Their website is not particularly informative, so I had gotten the impression that it might be better geared for kids at least a few years older than ours.  Then Logan and I went to a meal-packing event at our church and a woman spent at least thirty minutes telling us how great this place was, so with Henry and Janet in tow, we decided to check out something new!

This looks promising!

               
First up: an underwater robot that the kids get to steer.  Yep, that’ll do the trick; they’re hooked!

       
Tanks of rays and sharks and lots and lots of hands-on exhibits make this a great place for inquisitive, energetic minds.

                 
A touch tank, of course.

Characteristically, this might have been the biggest hit with the kids out of everything there.  You know, give them a toy, they play with the box; give them an ocean, they play with the kiddie pool.

                        
This touch table was spectacular.  They had bones, feathers, shells, pelts, an alligator’s head, the blade/snout of a saw shark, baleen, egg casings and a bunch of other things I can’t remember.

                  
Craft station?  Yep, check that box.


And, of course, lots more fish and ocean animal viewing.

                         
I call that a win!  

               
We didn’t even get to get on the tall ship.  Oh well!  It’ll give us something new to do next time.