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A Laffoon Family Adventure :: Summer 2007 - Page Text Content

FC: A Laffoon Family Adventure Summer 2007

1: July 21, 2007 On this beautiful and sunny day, it was certain that adventure was in the air. Mom and Katie were in California, having traveled all the way from Tennessee for a visit with the West Coast Laffoons. After a restful sleep, they made their way over to Andrew and Bekah's love nest, which was also temporarily housing Josh, the brother. Everyone was excited for what the day would bring.

2: Where could we possibly go on this perfect summer day? Katie wondered, but did not know. | Maybe... THE OFFICE! Ah, but Mom knew exactly where our destination would be! (wink, wink!)

3: First things first, though. Every great trip starts out with a great breakfast. We had banana crumb muffins, still warm from the oven, and fresh fruit. Andrew made lattes for the coffee drinkers and there was plenty of OJ for all.

4: Off we go!

5: Is this the way to the office? | Hmm...Maybe not.

6: Enjoying the scenery along the way as we drive to...

7: Monterey!

8: "Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood...

9: ...chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and shore houses, and little crowded groceries..." - John Steinbeck, Cannery Row (1937)

12: A trip to Monterey wouldn't be complete | without spending a few hours at this world | famous aquarium. It features 35,000 plants | and animals representing over 600 species!

13: Meanwhile, in anticipation of their favorite exhibit, Josh and Andrew pretended to be sea otters. | We felt like sardines in a can while we were waiting in line to get in.

14: And the verdict is.............She likes it!

16: South African Penguins

17: Mom and Bekah in the Aviary

18: Did you know that albatrosses ride in elevators?

19: Amazing creatures of the sea

24: Jellies!

26: Sibling love. Awww...

27: When did Josh get so much taller than Bekah?!

28: Fish school is cool.

30: The Outer Bay Exhibit | Sunfish Turtle Tuna

31: Ocean Sunfish aka Mola mola Considered to be the heaviest bony fish in the world, sunfish can weigh up to 5,000 pounds! So interesting....

32: The cutest creatures of all... Sea Otters!

33: Sea otters have the thickest fur of any marine animal. They are also the smallest marine mammal!

34: Sea otters are extremely smart. Here, one of them caught a ball, swam it back to the edge and placed it into the bucket!

35: Eat. Play. Sleep. Life doesn't get any better for these cuties.

36: We happened to stumble upon some more otters!

37: I think Josh really enjoyed it, actually.

40: This was the first live kelp forest ever created! At 28 feet high, this kelp forest is one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world.

41: It's feeding time! | Check out that wolf eel!

42: THe next logical place to go after a wonderful visit to the Aquarium was, of course, Ghirardelli. Here's Katie enjoying her chocolate malt milkshake.

43: Here's Josh, sneaking a bit of Bekah's cone since he finished his root beer float way too fast.

44: Here's Bekah with her Kona coffee chocolate waffle cone. Yum!

45: Here's Andrew with his chocoloate chip cookie dough chocolate waffle cone. Yes, eaten with a spoon.

46: And Mom, with a cookies n' cream hot fudge sundae.

47: We had such a wonderful time exploring beautiful lands, enjoying each other's company and sharing fun moments together. Can't wait to do it again!