Wednesday...Virginia Aquarium and Museum, Virginia Beach, and the Drive-In!

We all slept in a little later than normal today.  We left about 10am with plans to see the Virginia Aquarium and Science Museum which is located near Virginia Beach.  It is about 45 minutes from Newport News.  We had to drive on a long bridge which eventually took us under the ocean for a mile or so.  It was a nice drive and the kids had fun in the tunnel.  It is amazing to think how they even made the tunnel there.  We toured the aquarium for about an hour before our IMAX theater show was going to start.  We bought tickets to see the 3D Dolphins and Whales show.  It was a great show.  The highlight of the day was the kids being able to pet the stingrays in the stingray tank.  We had to do this activity twice today.  We saw crocodiles, turtles, owls, hawks, turkeys, an aquarium that you can walk through, a kimono dragon, otters, and a bunch of fish.  It really is a nice museum.  Our next stop, only a few blocks away was the Virginia Beach.  None of us had swimsuits, so we walked the beach in our clothes.  The kids took off their shoes and ended up getting pretty wet.  There were thousands of people at the beach.  We saw some people parasailing, ships at sea, sailboats and surfers on the Atlantic.  We didn't stay long because we were not dressed for the beach.  On our way home, we decided to stop in Norfolk to see Doumar's Drive-In which my aunt Connie saw on "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" recently.  It was a fun place to eat.  It met everyone's needs and the price was right for dear old Wes.  They make their own ice cream and ice cream cones.  You can either drive up and use the drive in section or come inside and eat in the diner.  With the heat outside, we decided to eat inside.  I took some pictures and will have to post them later.  We came home and the kids went swimming.  I took some pictures at the pool too.  Again, the lifeguard didn't have any guests today until we arrived 1 hour before closing.  I can't believe no one else wants to swim with the 100 degree heat wave we are having. 

We have one more day of activities tomorrow and then on Friday we will be heading back home.  We aren't sure where we will stop on the way home, we will see how far we can get.  Paula said today that it feels like we have been on vacation for 2 weeks (I hope she meant that in a good way).  We have had a fun filled vacation.  We are thinking of going to Jamestown or Yorktown tomorrow.  The kids want to see the blacksmith at work.  They also have a couple ships that you can tour through.  David is taking off work tomorrow, so he and Xiang will be coming with us. 

I hope everyone is staying cool in this heat wave we are having.

Michelle