Boise Aquarium

Hi you guys! I've been organizing and purging like a mad woman today, ya ya is sick with a cold (so sad, poor girlfriend), and I just sat down for the first time for a few minutes and I may not ever get back up again. haha I'm thankful that tomorrow is Friday and am very much looking forward to the weekend with my people. Speaking of weekends ...

We wanted to make last weekend special for Lyla's birthday. With it being on a Sunday this year, we knew we'd have church and kept it to a family party so Saturday we went on an adventure to the Boise Aquarium! It was our first time there and after hearing not the best reviews, I didn't have my hopes too high but knew Lyla would love seeing the fishies no matter what. 

It turned out to be so great!! It may not be the Seattle Aquarium or even the one in Salt Lake that we've been to but it was so much better than other people have described to me. The best part was, Liam and Lyla LOVED it!

The biggest hit were the 4 different touch pools! One was more of a tide pool that had hermit crabs, shells, anemone that when you touch them they shrink down, and sand to play in. You were allowed to touch anything as long as you kept it in the water.  

There were two tide pools with different fish too. If you held your hand still enough they would come up to it and open and close their lips against it. They were all different beautiful colors and textures and neither one of our kids were afraid of touching them which happily surprised me. 

Then there was the string ray touch pool! They'd swim laps around the outside flapping their fins up high enough that you could feel their slimy backs. The kids would giggle and quickly pull their hand away every time it slide over their fins. 

I could not believe the size of that fish in the tank below ...

Literally the only thing that wasn't great about the experience was the building they have it in. It is basically a warehouse with very little windows and light. The dark space made it seem small and closed in and there wasn't a ton of circulation so it got pretty stinky. That's to be expected though with tons of sea life!

Liam loved the little crocodile exhibit! Can you spot him?! His head was the only thing peeking out through the yellow leaves ...

We will definitely be going back for another visit!