Mother's Day on the Mississippi

Since we were already in Dubuque for the wedding on Saturday, we decided to get a hotel room and make a visit to the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium on Sunday. It was the kids' first time in a hotel. The continental breakfast and pool topped the list of favorite things. But coolest of all was the Museum. We had a blast seeing all of the fish and critters that span the Mississippi eco-systems.

  

  

Whoa!

 

 

Oooh!

Chillin' by the coral reef

Working the locks

 

Checking out the snake in the tree

Jenna loves turtles

The turtle fell off the rock and startled her

Building a boat

 

Showing Grandpa how the fish swims "like this"

Mesmerized

Jacob checking out a crayfish (crawfish/crawdad)

Feeling the exoskeleton

Jenna checking out the crayfish

NO WAY!!

Listening to the "river" in a snail shell

Jenna hears it too

This is what happens when Mommy forgets a stroller

Petting a red skink - native to Austraila but also found in the US

Learning all about the red skink

The Captain and his first mate commanding a barge

Jenna kept trying to feed the tortoise straw that had fallen out of its enclosure

Look who's captain now!

Mommy's favorite -- Otters

Drop anchor!

Steering an old dredge barge

Sometimes, you gotta put your weight into it

Watching a choo-choo from the upper deck (3 stories) of the dredge barge

Back at the controls