ADVENTURE 2

LORI'S CHOICE FOR THIS HOLIDAY WAS

SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS.

SHE RESEARCHED DISCOVERY COVE AND THE

REST OF THE FAMILY DECIDED IT WOULD BE FUN TO JOIN HER!

HERE ARE THE DAY'S ADVENTURES.

WE ARRIVED BY 8:00 SO THAT WE COULD GET OUR CHOICE OF

TIME FOR THE DOLPHIN SWIM. WE HAD BOOKED OUR TICKETS

IN JANUARY AS THEY ONLY TAKE A LIMITED NUMBER OF PARK

VISITORS EACH DAY. AS IT TURNED OUT, THEY WERE CLOSED FOR

THE REST OF THE WEEK. AND WITH BOOKING 6 WEEKS AHEAD, WE PRAYED

FOR GOOD WEATHER! GOD WAS GOOD TO US AND THE DAY TURNED OUT

PERFECT!

DISCOVERY COVE IS MUCH LIKE AN ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT.

BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF PUNTA CANA.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH WERE INCLUDED AS WERE

SNACKS AND DRINKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

JAYDEN & DECLAN CERTAINLY ENJOYED THEIR BREAKFAST!

RIGHT AFTER BREAKFAST IT WAS OFF TO GET INTO A VEST OR

WET SUIT - YOUR CHOICE.

READY TO HEAD TO THE GRAND REEF

OUR DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER WAS BOOKED FOR 10:55 SO

EVERYONE CHOSE TO SNORKEL TILL THAT TIME.

 GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH THE SNORKEL GEAR.

 ALL THREE OF THE GRANDCHILDREN ARE QUITE COMFORTABLE IN

THE WATER. 6 YEAR OLD MICHAYLA USED A LIFE JACKET FOR DIFFERENT

ACTIVITIES BUT DID VERY WELL.

JAYDEN'S ADVANCED SWIMMING LESSONS SURE PAID OFF!

 THE WHOLE CREW READY TO CHECK OUT THE THOUSANDS OF

EXOTIC FISH AND RAYS. A LITTLE SHOCKING WHEN A RAY BRUSHES

UP AGAINST YOU WHILE YOU SWIM.

FOUR OF OUR GOUP

A FEW PICTURES OF THE COMPANIONS IN THE WATER.

THANKFULLY THERE WAS GLASS BETWEEN YOU AND THIS FELLOW!

A LOT OF THE DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER PICTURES WERE

EITHER VIDEO OR TAKEN WITH LORI'S CAMERA.

BUT WE CAUGHT A FEW PICTURES.

LORI FULFILLING A DREAM! 

EVEN MICHAYLA CAUGHT A RIDE. A LITTLE RELUCTANTLY

BUT SHE WAS THRILLED SHE HAD TRIED.

 

EVERYONE GOT A CHANCE TO KISS THE DOLPHIN!

 LINED UP TO GIVE THE DOLPHIN INSTRUCTIONS

 

 A LITTLE REST!

ENJOYING SOME SNACKS BETWEEN THE SWIMS.

 LOUNGING NEAR THE LAZY RIVER WITH SOME BEVERAGES.

TRYING THE WIND-AWAY RIVER.

 JUST SITTING AROUND.

PART OF THE WIND AWAY RIVER.

THERE WERE ALSO OTTERS AND MARMOSETS AROUND A FEW CORNERS.

 I ENJOYED THE LUSH SURROUNDINGS - ALL THE FLOWERS 

AS WELL AS THE

BIRDS IN THE EXPLORER'S AVIARY

 DON'T RECOGNIZE MANY OF THE FLOWERS

BUT THE BIRD OF PARADISE WAS A FLOWER THAT

GREW AROUND THE CHURCH NEAR 

OUR MDS TRAILER IN WAUCHULA

BOUGAINVILLEA 

 GROWING IN A ROCK?

SPLIT LEAF PHILODENDRON GROWING UP A TREE.

A PEAK OF THE WIND-AWAY RIVER

 FIDDLE HEADS

 BIRDS

THE MOURNING DOVES HELPED TO CLEAN UP THE SAND.

THANKFULLY THERE WERE SPECIFIC SMOKING AREAS

SO THE SAND WAS NOT FULL OF 'BUTTS'.

THEY CAUSED SOME REACTION TO MY FEET ON THE

BEACH IN THE DOMINICAN.

I GUESS MY SMOKE ALLERGY EXTENDS TO THE SMOKE PRODUCING

PRODUCT AS WELL!

ALTHOUGH, MAYBE THEY CONTRIBUTED TO SOME FOULING OF SAND?

PARROTS WERE IN THE OPEN

THESE WERE IN THE EXPLORER'S AVIARY.

A SUN CONUR

 (NOT SURE ABOUT SOME OF THESE

BUT TRIED TO IDENTIFY THEM

ACCORDING THE SHEET AVAILABLE FOR BIRD

IDENTIFICATION??)

 A PIED IMPERIAL PIGEON??

 LAUGHING KOOKABURRA???

 PEACOCKS

THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY HAD CLOUD BUT THE TEMPERATURES

WERE WARM ENOUGH TO ENJOY THE WATER.

NO SEVERE SUN BURNS. POSSIBLY THANKS TO THE SUN SCREEN

THAT WAS SUPPLIED.

THE PARK CLOSES AT 5:30 SO IT WAS AN EXHAUSTED GROUP THAT MADE

THEIR WAY TO THE EXITS.

TIME TO PICK UP A FEW SOUVENIRS AND HEAD HOME. 

NO ONE FELT LIKE SITTING IN A RESTAURANT SO WE PICKED UP SOME

PIZZAS TO POP IN THE OVEN BACK AT THE HOUSE.

NOT A LOT OF SWIMMING IN THE POOL THAT EVENING.

A BIT OF A DOWN DAY TOMORROW

SO STAY TUNED!