April - When you can't go swimming, might as well head to Red Door

We didn't let the Gimp hamper any activities. On to Cape May Zoo!!

(As sad, sad, so VERY sad as was the AC Aquarium, the Cape May Zoo was its polar opposite... jaw-droppingly AMAZING!!!)

Nick was oblivious to the fact he was standing next to a 7' bear. "MOM! I'm looking at the MAP! MOM! WHAT?!? I have to look.... at... THE MAP!!!"

Look Pop Pop! We're pilots now TOO and as the ever-brilliant Ferris Bueller phrased it... "Never had one lesson!"

Adrienne darted back to the bear for one last cuddle.

Umm, you DO realize that the real thing would eat you. In one bite.

I am now officially creeped out by owls. Possibly just Snowy Owls. Being that I don't often cross paths with owls I can't say for sure how specific this creepedoutedness extends. But there's no question that Snowy Owls join German Shepards as those-animals-I-would-be-perfectly-happy-never-seeing-again.

At first we didn't see him... then he came walking across the pen to the dead rat. A) He's H-U-G-E. Like eye-to-eye-with-my-kids-big. Unless you're an ostrich or an emu, every other bird should be seagull sized or smaller.  B) Watching an owl WALK is downright creepy. It's just wrong. C) He turned to look at us and I SWEAR he shot daggers. I'm pretty sure I rather face a famished tiger over this freakishly intense feathered beast.

I'm now trapped in a state of mesmerized fear / awe (thank you thank you thank you for wire mesh cages!!!!!) as he continued to stare us down. He suddenly shifted his eyes to his breakfast - Greg murmurred something about him eating.... I'm trying to collect my thoughts about whether or not I want the kids to watch an owl eat a dead rat... when suddenly bratty child (not mine!) next to us started screeching about the owl. Needless to say that scared the feathered beast off and I was forced to watch the animal scurry (again, on foot) back to the corner.

Seriously. Creeped. Out.

"OK.  Mommy.  The eagle is RIGHT HERE.  It's ON THE MAP."
"Nick.  You're standing next to the eagle's cage."
"No.  Here.  LOOK!  HERE!" as he frantically hammers his finger on the map.
"Nick.  You're not getting it.  Forget the map.  LOOK UP!"
That conversation went round & round about 6 times before we gave up.  He never saw the eagle.

Some incredibly sweet 300lb-tatted-up-black-leather-clad-gorilla (as in a person, not an ape) who was there with his little guy saw the dismay in Adrienne & Nick's faces when we realized we had NO NADA ZERO quarters for the feed dispenser!  He handed us a bunch of pellets so they got to give the billy goats their mid-morning snack.

"A one hump camel makes a one hump poop.  And a two hump camel makes a two hump poop.
Only kidding!"
(best. book. EVER!)

We took this one for you Mima!
Not quite as exciting as meeting the real McCoy like you did.... but a life-sized cut-out will do for now.

This was amazing to watch... Just like giving Calvin some love.... the zookeeper gave him a little ear rub...

Then the Snow Leopard marked his human...

And gave him some tender licks.
(curious though... if those licks wouldn't have been bites if it weren't for the cage between them...)

Who has the reddest tail feathers?
The flamingo or Nick?

Just outside our hotel room was a bocci court.  The kids could not WAIT to play.

There weren't exactly any rules.... other than they each picked a color and lobbed that ball around the court.

They couldn't wrap their heads around ROLLING the ball.  How they didn't end up breaking the balls or the court I don't know....

Yes, it's airborn.

Our customary vaca picture: Elevator Ride on the Luggage Cart
(this also doubled as an entry into the Best-Shots-Are-Always-the-Blurriest hall of fame)

We didn't want to deprive Nick from another afternoon of swimming simply because his sister is a clutz.  So while Greg & Nick were off making waves Adrienne & I hit Red Door Spa!  It happened to be directly across from our hotel room and they just happened to have an open appointment for the little Miss (well, and for me.... I'll be damned if Adrienne gets Red Door treatments before me!).  The ladies there were so very lovely - after hearing about her stitches they gave her a pedi gratis!!

That night the hotel hosted a family night bbq but the real treat was discovering the arcade and outside patio, packed with table games!

We were playing ping pong when Adrienne looked up and said, "Daddy!  You look like Uncle Arthur!"
I think Daddy AND Uncle Arthur need to think twice before they pour themselves the next glass of bad rose!

To be fair, Greg isn't drinking rose. (Uncle Arthur on the other hand......) It's Blue Moon or some other hoppy IPA.... it just looks REALLY red in the picture.