About twice a year, we go for an overnight trip to someplace within driving distance of home. For the past 5 years, one of those trips has been to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Usually what happens is that the Brewster Boys keep pestering us to take them to the aquarium about 4 or 5 months after the last trip. Eventually, I'll cave in.
This week is Spring Break for the kids and the first week of my month-long sabbatical from work. It was just the right time, because the kids are driving me nuts at home and Jenny wanted to go away somewhere for a break from cooking and cleaning. Going to a hotel next to the aquarium accomplishes all of these objectives, plus the aquarium tickets purchased at the hotel allows us to go to the aquarium over 2 consecutive days.
There was nothing different about this trip from the others, except the fact that we stayed at the new InterContinental Hotel right next to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the jellyfish displays have been replaced by an equally interesting seahorse exhibition. Plus, we got to meet the Bubba Gump Shrimp in person (see below).
Punky and Russell test drive the new Splash Zone wave-generating pool
A sea otter peers down at a tired Punky
Russell shakes hands with the Bubba Gump Shrimp while Punky stares in awe
Russell and Punky sit in from of the Coral Reef window
Russell's favorite sushi at the aquarium: Saba (mackerel)
Zachary (formally known as Punky) touches the giant fungus in order to calm Russell down
Close-up of the huge mushroom that had Russell worried
