(Sea)Lions and Tiger(fish) and Bear(Trout) - Oh My!
(Okay, I'm stretching it with the Bear Trout, as I had to look that up on Google to find some kind of fish with the word "Bear" in its name, but I digress...)
Let me begin this post about the Georgia Aquarium by saying that I have always, throughout my adult life, described Atlanta this way: "It's not a wonderful place to visit. There's not much to do here as a tourist. But it's a GREAT place to live." And I think those of you who may have visited here before will know what I mean. We don't have any great museums (although the High just expanded, so that assessment may have improved somewhat). We have a symphony and several theatre troops, and a ballet, but nothing to compare to most major N. American cities. We have the Braves, and every once in a while the Falcons or the Hawks surprise us for a season, but these are just sports teams... they're fun to watch, but one can hardly call a sporting event "cultural" or "educational."
We do have the Carter Center, and the Martin Luther King Center. And the Atlanta History Center. But these are not major museums by any stretch. No, Atlanta is more the kind of place you want to live. Great weather most of the year... warm, friendly neighbors who wave to each other in the neighborhood... good variety of restaurants... affordable housing, and lots of house for your money... good schools for those who want 'em and low overhead and regulation for those of us who school at home... all of which add up to a good hometown, not such a good temporary destination.
But now... oh, now... we have a reason for people to come see us. Yes, the Aquarium merits a visit down south, all by itself. It's... massive. Yet accessible. Ambitious. Yet user-friendly. Educational. And Joyful.
Yes, I think Joyful is a great word for the place. There are whole rooms - more than one! - where you could happily spend a peaceful afternoon just watching tiny golden trevally and whale sharks and grouper and hammerheads swim in symbiotic balance and contemplate the possibility of world peace. You can crawl through a short tunnel and emerge in an acrylic "bubble" where you are nose-to-nose with a penguin (or ten). You are mesmerized with the pulsations of the otherworldly moon jellies and fantastic sea dragons and you laugh out loud at the playful sea lions who bark and play beach-ball with their ice-encased food. Tiny tropical beauties. Piranhas. Arawanas. Belugas! NEMO!
And there are volunteers and staff at every exhibit, who will tell you where all these amazing creatures live, and what they eat, and how they play their part in the great circle of life.
This place expands you. And it's the first time I've ever, in my 39 years on this earth, been able to say that about a place that I don't have to fly somewhere to reach. (Except the library, and that's different sort of expansion.)
Okay, enough with the words. Here are a few of the shots we took yesterday:
Let me begin this post about the Georgia Aquarium by saying that I have always, throughout my adult life, described Atlanta this way: "It's not a wonderful place to visit. There's not much to do here as a tourist. But it's a GREAT place to live." And I think those of you who may have visited here before will know what I mean. We don't have any great museums (although the High just expanded, so that assessment may have improved somewhat). We have a symphony and several theatre troops, and a ballet, but nothing to compare to most major N. American cities. We have the Braves, and every once in a while the Falcons or the Hawks surprise us for a season, but these are just sports teams... they're fun to watch, but one can hardly call a sporting event "cultural" or "educational."
We do have the Carter Center, and the Martin Luther King Center. And the Atlanta History Center. But these are not major museums by any stretch. No, Atlanta is more the kind of place you want to live. Great weather most of the year... warm, friendly neighbors who wave to each other in the neighborhood... good variety of restaurants... affordable housing, and lots of house for your money... good schools for those who want 'em and low overhead and regulation for those of us who school at home... all of which add up to a good hometown, not such a good temporary destination.
But now... oh, now... we have a reason for people to come see us. Yes, the Aquarium merits a visit down south, all by itself. It's... massive. Yet accessible. Ambitious. Yet user-friendly. Educational. And Joyful.
Yes, I think Joyful is a great word for the place. There are whole rooms - more than one! - where you could happily spend a peaceful afternoon just watching tiny golden trevally and whale sharks and grouper and hammerheads swim in symbiotic balance and contemplate the possibility of world peace. You can crawl through a short tunnel and emerge in an acrylic "bubble" where you are nose-to-nose with a penguin (or ten). You are mesmerized with the pulsations of the otherworldly moon jellies and fantastic sea dragons and you laugh out loud at the playful sea lions who bark and play beach-ball with their ice-encased food. Tiny tropical beauties. Piranhas. Arawanas. Belugas! NEMO!
And there are volunteers and staff at every exhibit, who will tell you where all these amazing creatures live, and what they eat, and how they play their part in the great circle of life.
This place expands you. And it's the first time I've ever, in my 39 years on this earth, been able to say that about a place that I don't have to fly somewhere to reach. (Except the library, and that's different sort of expansion.)
Okay, enough with the words. Here are a few of the shots we took yesterday:
posted by Mamabird @ 9:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home