So we decided to visit the Tennesee Aquarium before we left for Minnesota.  It was $30 per person and $6 per person for the IMAX theateur.  No too bad.  We left early so we could get there right when they opened at 10.  We hoped to avoid the screaming children masses :).

First thing we saw, what do you think?  A boat!

Nice canoe

We can find them no matter where we go :).

The first section we went to had a bunch of sea horses in it.  Some I have never seen before

This one was an albino one

Here is a normal one

These guys were dragon sea horses

They also had a lot of coral in their exhibits

Then we went to the IMAX to see the movie on Whales.

IMAX – we saw the movie about the whales

It was in a separate building close to where we were.  When we were seated in the theater, we noticed several groups of kids.  We figured once the movie was over we better blow out of there and get ahead of the pack.  Which we did, we might be old but we don’t dawdle :).

The next place we went to was the top floor of the first building we were in

Escalator going up?

The escalator took us to the Appalachian Cove forest.  Now one of our followers messaged us that he would sure like some pictures of the cove forest and Tupelo cypress swamp exhibits as he helped design and install them 20 years ago.  So hopefully this is the spot he was talking about.

Here is a lady holding a snake, we gave her a wide birth!

This is the way I like to look at my snakes

They had some river otters that looked pretty bored with the whole ordeal

I’m trying to get my beauty sleep here, whatcha looking at?

Then we went into a section that was like a very large fish tank.  It spanned 3 levels and had you walking back and forth on the ramps heading down.  Pretty impressive

How would you like to see that on the St. Croix????

The next place we entered was called Discovery Hall.  They had albino alligators, can you see him? And poisonous spitting frogs

Colorful, but deadly.  After this we went to the Delta Country.  

They had turtles

Look at the size of this bad boy.  I put my shoe there so you could get a comparison….and NO, I don’t have a size 22 shoe!I think he could take on Smokie :).

They also had birds.  How about this action shot, good huh?

 Plus they had a few alligators

 So this exhibit was filled with all sorts of nice creatures.  Just something you want to cuddle up with :(.

Then we passed by the large fish tank again

And we came to   They had some pretty

cool stuff there like Giant Worms! An electric eel, they even had a machine that showed it’s electrical out put Just look at the size of that sucker!  If our batteries went dead we could just plug this thing in :).

Next was a giant turtle shell.  We had Gary stand next to it so you could see how big it was  Wowzer!

 This turtle has scales on his legs.

The next section had more turtles. 

Who’d a thunk that there would be so many kinds?  I found these two little love birds in the corner, they was gettin busy 🙂  Apparently the male jumps on top and flaps his front feet in front of the ladies face.  Here I is Sugar!

Then look at the neck on this bad boy,

Well, that was it for the fresh water section, off to the salt water section in another building.

Up the escalator we go again till we come to  Just sit back and enjoy the pictures

I don’t know what any of those flowers were but they were sure pretty 🙂

There was even a pair of parrots

Auuk, Polly want a cracker!

and a petting pond for the kids

Feels like rubber

Then we went into 

That was kind of cool but didn’t see too many butterflies

And some more plants

 When you left, you had to make sure you didn’t have any stowaways on your clothes.  Next stop was Penguin land 

See the ones in the left hand corner, there was three of them in a glass enclosure.  Gary and I figured they were separated from the rest cause they had the little baby penguin.  Here comes one swimming by 
They all have little bands on their flippers.

  I suppose that way you can tell who you fed and who you didn’t.

The next section had jelly fish.  Those were really cool and the pictures don’t do them justice

This one glows in the dark

This one sits upside down on the bottom

Then…..we saw dinner, JUMBO SIZE 🙂

Crab

Lobster

Our favorites :).  Then my camera crapped out.  Too many pictures I guess.  Luckily we were at the end of the exhibits so you didn’t miss much.

All in all we would highly recommend seeing this if your ever in town.  Good exhibits and when your done, there are plenty of places to catch a bite to eat or a drink.

So, enjoy the summer!