Our Trip Down South

We went Down South to visit family. Here, Nate and Sean pose with their cousin at a wild animal park in Louisiana.

We also spent some time at the beach along the Gulf of Mexico. This particular beach was located in Biloxi, Mississippi.

We took a trip across the Mississippi River on a ferryboat. The grass hillside in the background is a levee. That's all that holds the river within its banks when the water rises.

Nate and Sean enjoyed climbing a tree in the backyard of the aunt and uncle's house in Mississippi. It was a great time playing with all of the cousins!

Mom had a running race in Tennessee on the way back. We got to visit the Jack Daniel's Distillery.

Finally we got back home again, with enough time to stop off at Grandpa's house on Easter.

More from the Keys

We got plenty of beach time during our visit to the Florida Keys. Nate and Sean both enjoyed splashing in the water, building sand castles and hunting the beach for shells. It was pretty hot even in April but we still managed to avoid any sunburns. Here Nate shows off the greatest find of the moment.


We went to an aquarium that had lots of interactive exhibits. Here Sean pretends he's in an undersea laboratory complete with interesting scenes outside of each window just like in real life. We went all over the facility but he kept wanting to come back to this same little exhibit. It's hard to get him to smile for a photo so this is the best you're going to get from Mr. Sean. In spit of that look on nonchalance, he couldn't deny that he was enjoying the day.

There is also a World War II coast guard cutter that's open to the public in Key West. Nate and Sean liked exploring above and below deck. They're really into guns at the moment so certainly they felt a need to pose in front of the large machine gun on the bow.

Surprise Trip to the Beach

We went to the beach on Saturday. This was a little out of the way but we had business in the general area. Otherwise we probably wouldn't have gone all that way for a couple hours of sun and sand. Nate and Sean loved hunting for shells along the waterfront. Nate even found a couple of shells with their occupants still in them! The highlight was when one of the local fishermen pulled in a skate -- not so much for him but the kids thought it was pretty cool.


Sean tried his luck digging through the sand. He wanted to make a hole that would fill with water. He didn't have to dig down too far but then a wave would come and he would have to start over again.


Nate was more into beachcombing. He walked along the shore looking for whatever might be interesting. He climbed out on this jetty into the sea. It was low tide and the plants had dried so it wasn't as slippery as it might look. Nate was fine.

Winter at the Beach

Most people go to the beach in the Summer. We go in the middle of winter when we can have the whole place to ourselves. Nate loved running up to the surf and pulling back before it could reach him. Eventually he lost. We had to buy him a new pair of shoes because the ones we brought were soaked.



Sean was less thrilled. He loved walking around the boardwalk and swimming at the indoor pool at the hotel, but he wasn't very happy with the beach itself. Mom and dad had to carry him around over the sand. When we asked him about the ocean his answer was "don't like!"



We walked along the boardwalk beside the ocean. Here, dad and Nate pose by some of the sea grasses that have been planted to prevent erosion. Narrow paths cut through the grass allowing access to the beach.


We also went to a shipwreck museum. Sean like this much more. Here he peers through a porthole at a pirate treasure. No, the little creature on the other side of the window isn't real.