Our Trip, Part One: Sharks, Stingrays, and the U23D curse

We just got back from a somewhat short trip to Chattanooga and Blue Ridge/McCaysville/Copperhill/Mineral Bluff, GA. It was a much needed weekend full of relaxation and family bonding.

Thursday, we checked Sadie out of school, dropped the dog off at the veterinarian and headed to Chattanooga. One of the main reasons we went to Chattanooga was to see U23D in IMAX 3D. Yes, we could have seen it here at a conventional movie theater, but if I am going to see Bono in 3D, it needs to be the best 3D, which would be IMAX 3D. I'm not just saying that because IMAX puts the food on our table and the clothes on our backs. It really is the way to see 3D movies. Anyway, as it turns out, they were having a press screening that night for the new movie they were premiering the next day, so no U23D, no giant three dimensional Bono. Again. Our attempts to see this movie were thwarted a month ago as well, so I'm feeling a little cursed. Anyway, we got checked in to the hotel, had an early dinner and walked around Downtown Chattanooga. It was a beautiful evening, and there were very few people around, so let the relaxation begin. Here are a few pictures of our walk around town

The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel and then headed over to the aquarium. It was raining incredibly hard and we had to walk 2 blocks so we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel, broke it, and bought another one. We got to the saltwater portion of the aquarium right as it opened and there wasn't much of a crowd. This was our first time seeing the new wing of the aquarium and it was very impressive. There were penguins and stingrays and sharks, oh my.

Then off to the freshwater side. I didn't take many pictures because we have been there so many times.

I have several videos from this trip, but you may never see them as I am in a full-out battle with the video camera again. Anyway, after the aquarium we walked over to the IMAX theater. Surprised? I didn't think so. We saw the movie "Grand Canyon Adventure 3D" which, by the way, is the reason I never got to see a giant three dimensional Bono. I will forgive it though, because it was a good film. It was a great water conservation movie full of white water rafting down the Colorado River. Sadie left with a new world-saving cause. I love her passion for making what's wrong right again. She said, "Mom, I think I'm going to change the world" and I said, "Okeedokee".