Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

[awcurl]

It seems that I don’t travel to Gatlinberg enough to remember just how bad the traffic is until I’m stuck in it. After three hours of fighting traffic I finally made it. I was an hour late but it seems most everyone else was late also which caused the meeting to start a little later than planned.

I sure was thankful I went though. The coarl reef aquarium at Ripley’s Aquarium was truly awsome. The pretour presentation with Neal was very informative and the behind the sciense tour was great. I had never been to the Ripley’s Aquarium before but I will definantly go again.

Thanks to everyone involved in setting this up!


Art Curl

[SmartWrasse]

My apologies to those who tried to fight the traffic and did not make it though. We made this same trip last year on the same weekend and traffic was only half this bad. It took an hour to go from Pigeon Forge to the aquarium:confused:

Huge ETRC thank you to Neal Isaacs for spending a Saturday afternoon of his day off showing us his system:thumbsup:

Here are some pics:)

http://mdteague.com/Ripleys10_03-1.jpg
Neal Isaacs above his 1600 gal reef!

http://mdteague.com/Ripleys10_03-2.jpg
Top down of Neal's reef

http://mdteague.com/Ripleys10_03-3.jpg
Tara (marine biologist) showing us a quarantine tank

[gfunkera]

Talia and I left west knoxville at @ 12:15 and by 1:57 had not made it thru pigeon forge yet. I haven't been up to gatlinburg many times and now know why. Well we gave up, turned around and came home. I had said we would attend and did not. I hope this did not cause any problems for anyone.
Sorry,
Glenn

[llpoolej]

I came up the back way, but took the "shortcut" down 73-321 and it took me almost three hours. I parked in the wrong parking garage, decided I missed it all and went home.

I am very disappointed I missed it. I am also reminded why I *never* go to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg on the weekend. *shudder*

Heck, in the time I spent in the car I could have been at the beach. I have to say my kids were excellent and sat through the whole experience better than I did :)

This trip has never taken me more than an hour, but again, it is always on a weekday and has never been during peak weekend. My husband reminded me it was peak weekend when I was leaving.

It looks like it was a great trip though.

[SmartWrasse]

Glenn,

No problem with not enough people. I only wish you guys could have been with us. We should do this again in a better part of the year. Neal will have even more for you to see by then.

[rnmahler]

We are going to do the Sleeping with sharks the beginning of next year. More interested in what is going on behind the the curtain.

[EvilMel]

Yeah so Brent and I decided to turn around and go home. We had driven more than an hour and half and had not made it to Pigeon Forge. Plus neither of us enjoys traffic. So we went home.

The whole time I was visioning on the way back that it might be worse, leaving at the worst time of the day!

So we just left.

I am pretty disappointed myself, but I really like the Chattanooga Aquarium anyways. They are doubling the size of it too, making the entire new section all marine.

Mel