Bailey Beach Week 2015: The North Carolina Aquarium

Wednesday's forecast called for more rain so we decided to spend the morning at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. We've been going to this aquarium for years and it is always a highlight of beach week. 

We got there just about a half hour after it opened and the parking lot was packed! It was busier than I had ever seen it. I guess we weren't the only ones who checked the forecast for the day. It was raining when we arrived and raining when we left so I think we made the right call.

They had a random dinosaur exhibit this summer. My brother's boys LOVE dinosaurs so it was pretty fun to watch them get excited and name all the dinosaurs we came across.

Ryan's scared face makes me smile #thosehandsthough

My brother's son, Sam, is what you would call a runner. He has no fear and is pretty independent (i.e. obeys when he wants to- sounds like a 2 year old to me!) My brother had both his little boys on his own this trip so rather than risk losing Sam in the crowds at the aquarium he bought a little backpack leash for him. It worked amazingly well and we left with as many kids as we came with so I'd call it a success! The back part of the backpack where you hook the leash on is a cute little plush owl toy. At one point there was a little girl, about Sam's age, admiring the owl. She tried more than once to hold it and give it a hug. It was hilarious to watch.

We opted for a family picture in front of the T-rex head. Why I even attempted to do my hair that morning I will never know. I promise it looked good when we left the house. The rain killed it and I walked away looking like a wet dog. I probably could have done without a photo but... for the sake of family history and stuff blah, blah, blah.

The best part of the dinosaur exhibit was a little dino trail they set up out back. There were a handful of animatronic dinosaurs along a little walking trail. They moved and made noises and were actually really entertaining.

There's those hands again! 

Like I mentioned before, our family has been coming to this aquarium for years. Every year we get a group picture in front of these fish. This year, however, everyone was hangry, damp and kind of grouchy from the crowds. We were almost not going to do a picture at all- but I forced it! It was raining so we literally ran, posed, smiled and ran back under the awning. A nice lady snapped quite a few pictures on my phone. Chris' kids were definitely not in the "picture in the rain" kind of mood and Brady informed me afterward that he put his Ninja Turtle action figure over his eye in every picture. I checked and he was telling the truth. Every. picture.

It may not be a perfect picture, but it's a picture and I'm glad we have it.

Here are our Aquarium pictures from years past (to prove how imperative it was that we get that picture!) :

2013

 I can't find 2011, but I know it exists. Mom?

2009

2007