On Vacation!!!

Well... our trip today is not what we planned. Our overnight in Madison, Alabama was supposed to be followed by a trip to the US Space and Rocket Center. However, a positive covid-19 test made for a rapid change of plans. We decided to power on through a few states... we left Alabama-drove through Tennessee- drove through Kentucky- and into Indiana where we will rest for the night.  With the long days of driving.... we should make it home sometime tomorrow. The good news is, Dane is only exhibiting mild symptoms and so far Allan and I have tested negative. The second half of our trip will be waiting for us for next time........

Today was a day of exploration at 2 different museums in/around Atlanta. The first place we visited was the Fernbank Museum. We added it to our list because they have an Argentinasaurus and Giganatosaurus!  The second museum we visited was the Tellus Science Museum.  In addition to dinosaurs, they had a large section of rocks and minerals.  Then we drove out of Atlanta and into Alabama.  We crossed the Tennessee River and there were trees everywhere. It kind of reminded us of driving at home.

(Photo from the Georgia Aquarium) I started this morning off with a walk on the beach. It is fairly quiet and calm in the mornings at Folly! I gound some butterfly shells and a shark tooth. We checked out of our hotel and started our treck west to Atlanta.  To say that the Georgia Aquarium is amazing just doesn't really do it justice... and neither do the photos.... Dane has wanted to visit here for years. The whale shark tank was all of our favorite.  One of Dane's gaming buddies and her family met up with us at the aquarium. It was a fun reunion. (The last time we saw them was for Smash and Splash in Wisconsin quite a few years ago).  We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. They brought Dane a kids meal instead of an adult meal ;).  Allan carried my backpack for me... He has since claimed it...

Today didn't turn out as planned, but we made the best of it. Our megaladon tooth excavation didn't happen. With the thunderstorm that came through, that was a blessing in disguise. Dane was also ready for a day of rest, so we let him sleep in.  Allan and I collected shells on the beach and then enjoyed some lunch at the hotel restaurant right on the ocean.  With the rain, we opted to find a few indoor attractions, the first being... You guessed it.... a musuem of Natural History!  Then, we decided to check out the aquarium.  We took a little down time at the hotel, and then Allan and I found a great restaurant called Loggerheads. I had my drink in a bucket That was perfect for collecting shells in on the beach... Dane joined us for some oceanside shell collecting.  We had a visitor from a crab... Tomorrow we...

Another fabulous day on the books. We started our morning out in Statesville and we went back to the Emerald Hollow Mine for day 2! Today we tried our luck at digging.  However, the heat and humidity for that kind of work was a little much for us. So, after a couple of buckets we switched to sluicing.  We found a lot of really cool specimens in our buckets and loaded up the SUV with some buckets to go. Our sluicing was cut short due to a thunder storm, where we packed everything up and headed east! Tonight's destination is Folly Beach, South Carolina. We are right on the ocean for the next couple of days.  After settling in, we found an outdoor restaurant and enjoyed some music.  Allan and I took a walk on the beach right outside the hotel. We could see a storm in the distance. Hopefully we will have good weather tomorrow for our adventures ;).  ...