We are so surprised at how many things that we have been able to do while here! We had wonderful weather for a visit to the zoo and chose Richmond Metro because it is closer to where we are staying. Although we had a later start than we had planned, it ended up being perfect. As we entered the first trail/path, a keeper was feeding some of the primates and that allowed us to interact with them in a very fun way. The monkey's would chatter at us and expect us to answer them. I could have done that all day! They were very excited to have a snack of fresh fruit and they were very playful. Around the corner we ran into the giraffe. Unlike at another zoo we know, they were very interactive as well. Anybody that approached their area got an up close experience. I turned my head to show the baby and I received a kiss! Talk about friendly! :) All of my children had an opportunity to feed them a little and pet them. We made sure that we were around the otters while they were having a feeding as well. The keeper there had a lot of information for us and the male decided to do a cute climbing trick for his fish. He would climb up the enclosure so that he looked the keeper in the eye and then he would do this hilarious grunt and sniffle thing. The train ride was close by so we decided that it sounded fun. It had views that were only available from the train and we wanted to see it all. Included was a ride through an open range area with gazelle and ostrich. Several other bigger animals were there as well, but they didn't come as close as the others. In fact we had a very unsettling, but very cool, interaction with a male ostrich. He was very curious about us and he followed us so close that we could have touched him! What a neat bird. His bone structure under his wing was wonderful. Those were a few highlights of the zoo. I think it was worth the visit, even if it was a little expensive. Try to be there when the keepers are giving treats, it is so neat to interact with the animals like that.
On the next day, we had another pretty day and we finally had the chance to see the ocean. Virginia Beach was having their Neptune festival which included a sand castle competition. There were some very talented artists. The festival included the usual crafty tents but also some very unique vendors. But first things first. We had to touch the sand and play in the waves. I was prepared for the ocean to be cooler than most bodies of water. I wasn't so prepared for the shock of ice cold that hit my shins! But like always, once you got used to it, it wasn't that bad. The children found shells, the tail of a horseshoe crab, and some barnacles. For a break (ha ha) we rented a surrey. Six of us pedaled this bike like thing down the boardwalk and experienced the view from a distance. Plus that was just fun to do. I'm not into the vendors as much but we did do a little shopping. Got a few good craft ideas. Before we headed home, we played in the water again.
Wet, tired, and sun kissed. It ended up being a great day. As we hit Williamsburg heading home it started to pour and thunder and lightning. It was headed right where we came from. God held it back until we left. Thank You! :) I would love to see the ocean again, but now at least I understand the breeze and sun and sand. There is definitely a draw there and I'm really not that fond of water. Happy travels!
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