Saturday, February 28, 2009

Island Packers Whale Watching in Ventura

Today was the day. I was up working until 2:30-3am. Went to bed and got up at 6am and showered. I woke the kids up at 6:15 and we were out the door by 6:45 to pick up my mom and step-dad, Mark.

We made GREAT time, got there over an hour early and hung out in the the gift-shop section for a while. My mom bought everyone Island Packer shirts or sweaters and by the time she was done paying it was time to load up.

Mark ran to the van and put all the purchases in it and we boarded. Unfortunately (we figured it out later) my mom's hat and gloves were put in the bags of purchased items by the sales clerk and so she didn't have them on the boat. But, it was okay. It wasn't too cold (about 68 degrees F when we got back and saw the temp in the van) and there were places on the boat to be at the railing but out of the wind.

We cruised around EVERYWHERE... no whales, no dolphins. :-( We saw some sea lions and harbor seals, lots of birds, Mark spotted a jelly fish but it was gone too quick for anyone else to see it... that was it.

We went all the way out to the Anacapa Islands too. Hundreds of sea lions there. They came out around the boat very close to check us out. My mom said that they thought we might be fisherman with bait/scrapes to throw in the water.

But, no large marine mammals.

Afterwards we went to lunch at a nice Greek restaurant that is in the Ventura Harbor. We had ice cream at an ice cream shop a few shops down. Baby K had green tea ice cream. It looked gross but tasted good. My mom and Mark kept joking around and calling it avocado ice cream! ;-) We also saw The Lynx. It is a Tall Ship that is visiting the harbor. It is a large wood boat that looks like a pirate ship.

Something new to the harbor, little wood things that people can stand behind and peep their heads through. There was two. One was a sailor and a mermaid. The second was two pirates. We took photos of both.

Back in the van to the other end of the harbor, we went to the Maritime Museum. They had a small tank with live sea animals but it was for looks only (it used to be a touch-tank). We browsed, shopped, the kids watched a short video about the Anacapa Islands and the animals native to the islands. Little D loved the island fox and Baby K loved the dwarf woolly mammoth.

By the time we made it back, dropped off my mom and Mark, and made it home it was 5:15pm. A LOOOOOOOONG Day! But, very nice! I'm sure after getting up early and all the sea and sun the kids will sleep great!

I NEED to list on eBay but I still have my 'sea legs on land' so the whole computer/house seems to be rocking back and forth right now! LOL! Baby K noticed that before bed too.

I have tons of photos to post when I get them off of my camera and uploaded and edited!

:-)

I just got the email today that the kids' running club starts TOMORROW at 9am. Gee, nothing like last minute? But, my fault, the website did have today's date but I had been waiting for the email of the whole track schedule. Maybe I will get it tomorrow. They will meet their coaches and have some practice while the parents have their own orientation. We have to volunteer a certain amount of hours for the whole time or pay $50 per child so I'm sure that will be a part of the meeting as well as getting uniforms, figuring out if any forms are missing etc.

Maybe Sunday we will hang out and do nothing for the day?

Good night!

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