dallas: the aquarium

yep, you guessed it! we went to the aquarium! this field trip was on the 5th, while mary and i were eagerly awaiting stu's arrival to dallas, so we could get on with the tour. hanging out with us that afternoon were the ever-delightful rachel and the always-informative colin, both of the scherr tribe. the trip wasn't all smiles though, and i offer everyone this word of advice: if you're planning on going to the dallas aquarium, do not assume that the building that is painted completely blue with pictures of whales and other acquatic life is, in fact, the aquarium. you are making a mistake, and the parking lot attendant will only inform you that you're actually a 10 minute walk away from the aquarium after you pay him four dollars to park. jackass. luckily, the girls were wearing comfortable shoes for the trek; flip-flops, actually, so they were prepared to walk, but not prepared for the 30 degree dip in the temperature, and their poor toes lost all feeling for a couple of hours.

once inside the aquarium, we were greeted by an array of exotic wildlife, both aquatic and terrestrial. penguins, eels, sea cows, poisonous frogs, birds, and a panther. yes, a panther at the aquarium. i know. the best part was that he was enclosed in a large glass case, and would charge at you with lightning speed and agility, and pounce on the glass just in front of you, causing you to all but poop your pants. good times!

other highlights include:
-- colin's surprisingly in-depth knowledge of the basilisk (you know, the thing that can run on water)
-- the cute penguins at the entrance
-- the empty display case that colin and i convinced the girls housed the most amazing creature we had ever seen (we had them looking at it for 30 seconds before i hit the deck in laughter)
-- and, of course, the shark tunnel, pictured below with (from left to right) myself, rachel, and colin

frostbitten digits aside, it was a great afternoon.


just remember: the sharks are just as scared of you as you are of them