The Aquarium of the Pacific

We've been wanting to check out the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for a while and finally got our chance last week.  It was cool and we had a good time, but for that price I don't think we'll be going back again for a while.

Avery was really cute as each time that we'd walk into a new room she'd go "oooooh" at the fish behind the glass.  This was one of the biggest aquariums with hammerhead and leopard sharks in it, sting rays that would show us their stomachs, and lots of other neat fish.

Sophie and Avery could've kept their little noses pressed up against the glass for hours if I'd have let them.  Here a seal is getting up close and personal with the girls.

They had a place where you could pet sting rays, but Sophie wasn't too keen on trying that at first.  So I was trying to be brave and show her how easy it was, but I got kind of grossed out by how squishy and slimy they were, and then it jumped and my hand flew out of that tank so fast and sprayed everyone around me with water.  It was a little embarrassing, but dang, don't they know they can't jump like that?  Sophie did end up petting one eventually, and she also rode a shark.

There were some pretty cool looking jelly fish there, of all sizes and colors.  These were the biggest.

Enjoying a little cheesy snack in front of some silver colored fish.

One of Sophie's favorites was the tank with all the Dori's and Nemo's in it.  She thought that was pretty cool that this is where they hang out when they're not filming. :)

While we were waiting for the others in our group to arrive the girls entertained themselves with some interesting things.  Sophie chased pigeons and seagulls (and we got a kick out of how there were pigeons all over the grass near the buses because I told Sophie they were all wanting to drive the buses like in "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" which is one of Sophie's favorite books.)

Avery chose to spend the time pushing the stroller all over the place.  She got some funny looks and comments about how such a tiny thing can push such a large stroller (especially when Sophie was still in it) but she's definitely no wimp.