A Day with the Animals (Not My Children - Actual Animals)

We've been in Memphis for a couple of days now and I haven't had a minute to post. Well - I've had a minute...but I've had to do a little work this weekend and that whole paycheck thing tends to take precedence over my recreational blogging.

ANYWAY. The drive from Knoxville was pretty painless. The kids would probably disagree, but they watched movies and listened to audio books with only a few, "how  much longer?" inquiries. I forgot that we gain an hour on the west side of Tennessee, so we arrived at our hotel early enough to do something touristy. I suggested going to the Botanic Gardens. Here is a picture.

Yeah - no one was interested in sightseeing. I took them to the hotel pool instead. It's indoor AND outdoor, and the the swim through feature was very exciting. Unfortunately the chlorine fumes were so strong inside that I expected to see dead canaries à la "gas leak in the mine." So we held our breath and ran for fresh air. But the novel five seconds of going from inside to outside was a hit.

Later we met up with Uncle Matt (my brother) and Aunt Christine for dinner. Everyone tells me that we HAVE to get Memphis barbecue, but Matt and Christine are vegetarian. So we went to a nearby pizza place with a rooftop terrace. Great food (and a much needed glass of Chianti) plus al fresco dining on a mild (for Memphis) summer night was exactly what I needed after a day at the wheel.

The following day, we went to the zoo. But first Eleanor had to update HER blog. I thought it would be fun for each of the kids to have a road trip blog where they could post pictures their friends at home could see. The boys gave this idea an enthusiastic NO. I was so happy that Eleanor came through (and let me name it, "Eleanor En Route" - further proof that I am becoming my father, the king of cute and catchy phrases). Then we actually started the trip.

Now I have to put up with a nine year old bogarting my computer. Pfft.

Christine accompanied us to the zoo and suggested that we arrive as early as possible to avoid the crowds and THE HEAT. Good advice - I think we lasted a lot longer than we would have in the afternoon.

                        Eleanor: Mom. I think hippos would be good at Marco Polo.

                        Me: You think so? Why?

                        Eleanor: Number one. If you said "Marco," they probably wouldn't answer. 

                        Number two. They can hold their breath for a really long time. 

These two are having none. of. it.

I didn't get any good shots of the "big ticket" animals since they chose to remain a telephoto lens distance away from the crowds. And the enclosures for the big cats involve those pesky wire screens. But I'm assuming you've seen an elephant and a lion before.

You know all of those indoor attractions for nocturnal animals and reptiles that you may or may not hit while visiting the zoo? They are air conditioned, so we visited ALL of them (even the fish). So. Hot.

Christine initially said we could skip the fish which aren't very interesting, but Oliver REALLY wanted to check them out. Turns out they LOVED the lame fish exhibit. And even in the dark, we got some cool pictures. That last one was Christine's - mine was lackluster.

Once everyone had reached full tilt wilting status, we called it a morning (or early afternoon). We had to rest up for an evening of grilling and swimming at Christine's parents' house. As an additional perk, Cousin Fredo (Matt and Christine's dog) joined the kids in the pool.

That was yesterday and I STILL have to tell you about today's excursion to The Pink Palace (and this evening's barbecue fail - sob). But this post is already too long. And you know - Eleanor really needs me off the computer so she can update her blog. So tune in tomorrow for a Sunday report!