Ack! We’ve been home from Atlanta for over two weeks and I just realized we never shared our other animal-filled adventure in ATL. This one was more of the aquatic variety.
In addition to the zoo, the Bowers took us to the Georgia Aquarium, and it was truly impressive. I don’t visit a lot of aquariums, so maybe I’m easily wowed, but there was so much to see and so many activities for kids that we spent three or four hours wandering around with our mouths open.
We shared a few photos elsewhere, but we’ve added more here. The aquarium is full of bubbles, tubes, and portholes where kids (and adults) can get up close to sea life for an engaging, hands-on experience.
Sherry managed to capture a great shot of the penguin interaction; Clara and I barely had a moment before the swarm of excited tweens nearly swallowed the exhibit.
If you don’t believe me, look at Jeremy Bower’s face as he watches the advancing wall of kids while we wait in a plastic tube to pop up and see the penguins — claustrophobia, hello.
Like the Maui Ocean Center we visited earlier in the year, the Georgia Aquarium has a walk-through tunnel that surrounds you with fish. Clara was mesmerized, and we were grateful we didn’t have to take a red-eye flight to get there.
You’ve already seen Clara cuddling up to her favorite by the dolphin tank.
But the moment didn’t end perfectly — the look on Clara’s face afterward was unmistakable: tiny heartbreak at an unreturned glance.
Will, however, found affection elsewhere when he climbed onto a seahorse-shaped ride and happily posed for a turn.
As charming as the kids were and as interactive as the exhibits can be, the true stars were the animals. Some of the most striking displays were the simple tanks that let you stand back and admire the sea life.
Even the jellyfish were mesmerizing in their simplicity and movement.
Sherry thought a few of the seahorses looked like characters from her childhood cartoons.
Our favorite stop was the massive tank with the whale sharks. Those enormous, graceful animals were captivating — we could have watched them for hours.
Not everyone stayed awake for the whole visit. The dim lighting lulled Will to sleep, and Clara nodded off a little later in the car on the ride home.
That wrapped up our visit. We’re no travel experts, but if you’re planning something to do in Atlanta, we highly recommend a trip to the Georgia Aquarium.
