Back in the States, we are having to make some adjustments. The biggest has been pulling the sneakers out of storage. For the past two months in the Bahamas, I rarely wore shoes and when I did they were flip flops. We had to take care of some boat maintenance first thing in the morning, but finished up as quickly and were able to catch the 11:00 marina shuttle into town. I have to hand it to the Charleston City Marina for having a sense of humor. Their pumpout boats are called Bow Movement and The Grateful Head and were docked near the office and on our way out. We started at the Visitor's Center and got tickets for this afternoon and tomorrow morning. Our Waterfront Pass included admission to the South Carolina Aquarium, the Charleston Water Taxi, and Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum. We walked over to the aquarium and were greeted out front by the frog on the bench. Before we even entered the aquarium proper, we visited with the cow-nosed rays and stingrays in the large touch tank.
We truly enjoyed the aquarium and all the exhibits. We were able to get within 10 feet of the bald eagle, and marveled at its size and its talons. A secondary exhibit had multiple placements of Lego art throughout the galleries. This river otter stood about three feet tall. Other creations included an eagle, a full coral reef, a hatching turtle, and the diver photo background. The pretty little American kestrel came to the rehab center after she landed on a poorly insulated electrical wire and burned her feet -- losing one toe and most of her talons. A rare albino alligator prowled around in his own tank. The python was out for a show and tell. Barry got close enough to give it a touch, while I maintained my distance.
There were several tanks with large fish like this Goliath Grouper. I apologized for enjoying way too many of its relatives while in the Bahamas. A second touch tank allowed me and twin four-year-old boys to touch small sharks. The main attraction, however, was the two-story, 385,000 gallon Great Ocean Tank occupied by over 700 animals. I enjoyed watching the loggerhead turtle swimming around. As we were leaving, we took a look at our souvenir photos and thought they were pretty good.
The water taxi took us over to Patriot's Point. We first toured the USS Laffey, which was attacked by 22 Japanese aircraft in a single day and survived to earn the moniker "The Ship That Would Not Die." Several decks were open and there were a surprising number of interactive exhibits and video presentations. Barry enjoyed pushing the buttons. I thought it was hot and stuffy inside and preferred to keep moving. The panic alarm seemed like a good option a few times, but thankfully a breeze was never too far away.
The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown shared the pier with the destroyer. The hangar and flight deck had dozens of aircraft on display. We ran short of time and didn't see the submarine or Vietnam experience before having to catch the water taxi back to our starting point. We took a chance and stopped by the highly-regarded Hyman's Seafood for dinner. Much like the Lobster House in Cape May, Hyman's does not accept reservations. We waited out front for a half hour, then enjoyed a excellent meal. Small placards marked the previous visits of more famous diners. Martin Sheen had dined in my spot and Jodie Foster had once sat in Barry's chair. We walked back to the marina as darkness fell. The architecture and flowers served as dessert -- eye candy along the way.
We truly enjoyed the aquarium and all the exhibits. We were able to get within 10 feet of the bald eagle, and marveled at its size and its talons. A secondary exhibit had multiple placements of Lego art throughout the galleries. This river otter stood about three feet tall. Other creations included an eagle, a full coral reef, a hatching turtle, and the diver photo background. The pretty little American kestrel came to the rehab center after she landed on a poorly insulated electrical wire and burned her feet -- losing one toe and most of her talons. A rare albino alligator prowled around in his own tank. The python was out for a show and tell. Barry got close enough to give it a touch, while I maintained my distance.
There were several tanks with large fish like this Goliath Grouper. I apologized for enjoying way too many of its relatives while in the Bahamas. A second touch tank allowed me and twin four-year-old boys to touch small sharks. The main attraction, however, was the two-story, 385,000 gallon Great Ocean Tank occupied by over 700 animals. I enjoyed watching the loggerhead turtle swimming around. As we were leaving, we took a look at our souvenir photos and thought they were pretty good.
The water taxi took us over to Patriot's Point. We first toured the USS Laffey, which was attacked by 22 Japanese aircraft in a single day and survived to earn the moniker "The Ship That Would Not Die." Several decks were open and there were a surprising number of interactive exhibits and video presentations. Barry enjoyed pushing the buttons. I thought it was hot and stuffy inside and preferred to keep moving. The panic alarm seemed like a good option a few times, but thankfully a breeze was never too far away.
The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown shared the pier with the destroyer. The hangar and flight deck had dozens of aircraft on display. We ran short of time and didn't see the submarine or Vietnam experience before having to catch the water taxi back to our starting point. We took a chance and stopped by the highly-regarded Hyman's Seafood for dinner. Much like the Lobster House in Cape May, Hyman's does not accept reservations. We waited out front for a half hour, then enjoyed a excellent meal. Small placards marked the previous visits of more famous diners. Martin Sheen had dined in my spot and Jodie Foster had once sat in Barry's chair. We walked back to the marina as darkness fell. The architecture and flowers served as dessert -- eye candy along the way.
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