We arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium about 2:30pm. It closes at 6pm, so we had plenty of time to look around. There was one issue to deal with....Cats...we had the cats with us, and it was too hot to leave them in the truck. So, we turned to the generator. If you remember, we had generator issues on our way to Florida, so I was a bit nervous. Even though I tested it several times, I was still unsure.
But...it worked great. I guess full really does mean spilling out the top!!! We fired up the genny, put the cats in the RV, and went to meet Winter. When you walk up the aquarium, the first thing you notice is that construction is about to happen...
It really is a small aquarium that had been inundated by visitors to see Winter. Everything was temporary, from the restrooms to the ticket booths. But, you could tell they are about to expand. I'm sure their yearly budget has taken a jump since the movie!!!
Just as we were going in, a thunderstorm hit. I had to run back to the RV and cover the genny, so Jen and Erin went in and started looking around. I ended up on a call I had to take for about an hour as they looked around, so I missed some of the details. But, WE MET WINTER!!! It's true, she doesn't have a tail!!!
One of Erin's favorite things was petting the Stingrays!! They were fixed so they couldn't sting you, and they were pretty cool!!! Even though you can't see her face, that is Erin petting the ray. She also got to talk to one of Winter's trainers, Heather.
We noticed there were some cameras sitting near Winter's holding tank. We thought something was up, then Jen spotted Cozi Zuehlsdorff....she is the actress that played Hazel Haskett (the little girl) in the movie. She was there to shoot a promo for the aquarium!!!
So, we got to see her and Winter together and watch them shoot the promo!!!
Overall, it was a very successful surprise trip!! Erin had a great time. We left the aquarium, got some dinner, and headed North. We are currently Boondocking in a walmart parking lot in Chiefland, Florida. The generator continues to work, so we have AC, TV and coffee in the morning!!! Having the genny opens up a new range of places we can RV. It's awesome just to pull over somewhere and have power!!!
Tomorrow we are heading to Florida Caverns State Park for one night, then on to Destin for white sand, blue water and cold drinks!!!!
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