TRAVEL & ADVENTURE Archives - Page 7 of 10

Sea Life Michigan Aquarium

Posted on June 3, 2015September 28, 2023 by Tressie

In May of 2015 my family made a visit to Sea Life Michigan, at the request of my girls (ages 10 and 13). Having been to many aquariums in many cities, we were not sure what to expect, especially since this one is located at a mall (Great Lakes Crossing).

We ordered our tickets in advance, as that is what is recommended on the Sea Life Michigan website to ensure entry. It is a very new attraction, and due to the size they let in a limited amount of people at one time.

As we walked in, the kids received a “DIVE Log Book” with a question on each page. Once they find the answer to the question, they are to collect a “stamp” at the dive station. They present their log book at the end of the tour for a prize.

The tanks were well laid out, and there were a ton of interactive displays including “bubbles” they could stand up in to be “inside” the tanks. The touch pool was very small, but the attendants were knowledgable, and very interested in helping the kids understand what they were touching, as well as how the animals eat, live, and interact with their environment.

I really enjoyed this aquarium a lot, and even my big kids had a great time.

The tank displays are amazing, including this one at the end of the tour – my favorite!

Bottom line? If you are looking for a huge aquarium attraction with everything under the sun and a full day of viewing, you may be disappointed with the size of this cozy aquarium. However, it packs in a ton of interactive fun into a small space, and I liked the fact that it was not an all day event. My kids LOVED it.

Things I learned in Washington DC

Posted on September 4, 2014September 28, 2023 by Tressie

Better late than never – here are the things I learned in Washington DC when my family and I visited in July!

1. If you leave your Facebook locations on and post a photo of your kid making a face at Applebee’s, a friend in the area might message you and say “hey, I wanna come see you!!” Excuse the crappy phone photos – I loved catching up with Sarah 🙂

2. If the White House is going to have an event that dictates tourists can’t get anywhere near it, it will be on the only day we are there to visit it.

3. Secret Service men are not allowed to pose. They will however, pretend like they don’t see you while you take their picture.

4. If a friend recommends a museum that you have never heard of, you should go – it may end up being the highlight of the trip! At the National Museum of Crime and Punishment you will see the history of crime, current crime, how to commit crime, famous criminals, how to investigate and solve crimes, and the history of punishing crime. You can look for clues in a “crime scene”, sit in on the “autopsy”, and crack a safe…as well as sit in a driving simulation, and hold a gun in a shoot out simulation. I probably shouldn’t tell you that I shot at one of the victims….oops.

Also, heat seeking cameras may expose you. We’ll just make this picture real small.

5. Don’t ever visit landmarks without taking at least one forced perspective shot. I found these gems on the camera that Riley was using.

6. The Lincoln Memorial is a great place for a photo of daddy and Robby.

7. The water is a lot dirtier than I expected it to be, but if you change the color in photoshop you can still get a pretty reflection.

8. The National Museum of Natural History is pretty awesome.

9. No matter how much history or how many monuments, your kids may just want to take pictures of ducks. Or in the case of Alex, rocks.

Which one of these rocks captures your attention? Just curious.

10. I like to take pictures.

11. Regardless of where you are, it’s a great place to make memories, and no matter how much time you think you have, it will go much, much too quickly!!!

Things I learned in Virginia

Posted on August 19, 2014September 28, 2023 by Tressie

At the end of July, my family and I made a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia to watch my older daughter play in the 2014 NSA B East World Series. In addition to LOTS of softball fun and World Series activities, we made time to hang out and visit some of the tourist attractions in the area.

As I always do, I learned some things while we were in Virginia. Below are some of them…

1. There is something pretty special about going on vacation with a whole BUNCH of your favorite friends. This is our third year traveling for a Softball World Series, and yes, we are ALL making memories.

2. People from Ohio are confused (those are Michigan colors)

3. Robby likes Roller Coasters. Alex, not so much. Busch Gardens was a super fun day!

4. The plantation house at the Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg is haunted….the kids went on a ghost hunting excursion inside.

5. At the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum in Williamsburg, I learned that the tallest man in the world was a LOT taller than my husband, you really CAN build a gorilla out of nails, and if I don’t pay attention Robby might get eaten by some random teeth. The 12 foot transformer and shrunken heads were pretty awesome, but by far the best part was the Impossible LaseRace where you had to navigate through a web of green lasers without breaking the beams of light. The kids had a blast!

Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, Williamsburg, VA

6. At the Nauticus museum in Norfolk we saw a log book from May of 1951 with Riley’s name in it, other artifacts, and super cool models. Riley stuck her head in a cannon. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about boats. And stuff.

Also there was this. (Battleship Wisconsin)

7. From the museum to the boat tour of the Norfolk Naval Base, I learned how much my dear husband likes boats and military stuff. Me…not so much. But here are some of them, cause it was cool for the first 15 minutes or so.

8. If I get tired of taking pictures of ships, I turn the camera on my family.

Well that’s it. 8 things. Profound, huh? After Virginia we made a trip to Washington DC for a couple of days. I learned stuff there too, stay tuned.

Historic Powhatan Resort

Posted on July 14, 2014September 28, 2023 by Tressie

The lodging for this years World Series trip (Go Canes!) is the Historic Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg,Virginia.

In the words from their website:
The Historic Powhatan Resort offers guests a little piece of colonial history with the restored Manor House (circa 1735). Nestled among 256 acres of beautiful woodland, this resort is loaded with fun things to see and do, and learn a little bit of American history.

In my words:
Simply….beautiful.

Manor House of Powhatan Plantation - Williamsburg, VA

A little wildlife found at the resort…

And here is the wildlife I brought with me…

Can’t wait to explore more!