Sea World Trip #2

Two weeks ago we went to Sea World for the second time this summer, this time with Keith, Christie, Madison, and Mason. We stayed at the Hilton hotel right across the highway from Sea World which made it easier to go back and forth (e.g. back to the hotel for naps). We had so much fun on this trip and were glad to have gotten to spend this extra time with Keith, Christie, and the kids before their move.

The first day there we divided our time between seeing the shows and playing at the splash pad. Our fun time at the splash pad was cut short, however, when Ryan (not watching where he was going) ran smack into one of the metal water pipes. We took him to First-Aid where they cleaned the wound and then advised us to take him to the ER to have it closed. So Mark took him to the ER (where he said that Ryan had just as much fun as he did at Sea World, right up until the actual part where he got the staple put in), and I stayed with Rachael. Anyway, then the second and third days, we watched shows in the mornings, and then played at the water park after lunch.

Here is Ryan having a grand time at the splash pad, pre-injury.











While Daddy and I took Ryan to the first-aid station, Keith and Christie looked after Rachael. She and Maddie and Mason spent some time climbing on this big ship-thing that has lots of nets to climb, tunnels, and slides.









The water park inside Sea World is called the Lost Lagoon, or something like that, and it has the best wading areas for toddlers and preschoolers. Rachael would scoot around on her tummy and tell us she was swimming. We had to be careful not to let Ryan splash too much because he wasn't supposed to get his head injury wet with pool water. It'll be fun when we can go back and really let him splash and play; he loves the water.







While Daddy and Rachael were off riding the log ride, I took Ryan to the little playground area. It's a really nice playground and well shaded. He loved climbing through the little tunnels and going down the slides.





Ryan was too little, but Rachael never got tired of the Shamu ride; we rode it countless times. She got to where she was riding with her arms up in the air, screaming her little heart out.





Another fun family activity: making smores (or schmohs, as Buzz Lightyear calls them) at the hotel one evening. Daddy had to make sure Ryan didn't poke his eye out with the stick, and while Rachael didn't actually eat hers as a smore, she loved the individual components.









The kids loved watching the shows, and even though we saw the same shows over and over again, they never seemed to get tired of it.






















We're hoping to make one more trip to Sea World this summer and then go back maybe a couple of times in the fall. Having the season passes has been great. We have made some really great family memories.