April brought Myles' first Spring Break from school. The SmithAldridges decided to take a road trip to TX to visit Banzai with some stops along the way!
Our first big stop was New Orleans! Hands down one of the best US cities, this visit included a day at the Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium!
Leaf Cutter Ants
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| Myle's Favorite Beetle - THE DUNG BEETLE! |
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And per usual, a visit to the butterfly garden means
Myles has butterflies landing on him constantly |
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| Though Ollie made a friend or two as well (unbeknownst to him.) |
Ollie fought boredom by cleaning the gift shop floor with his back.
No NOLA stop is complete without beignets & cafe au lait (or hot chocolate for the kiddos!)
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| O's first beignet. Took to it quite well. |
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| and entertained us with this trick. |
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| Myles, studying his butterfly card |
Next big stop, TX! We spent the day at the Frenchak Farms Zoological Conservatory
(aka Banzai's new home!) She was beyond excited to see Greg. She heard his voice and came running. Since we stood outside the fenced perimeter, my video of their reunion is really crappy, but you get the gist...
Reunited and it feels so good!
The boys had a blast seeing the rest of the Conservatory, interacting with some of the animals & playing with the Frenchak's daughters.
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| Ollie loved this tortoise & wanted to ride it home. |
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| Myles helped a barefoot Hunter across the yard. |
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| Then he took Rowan for a tractor ride. |
On our return trip, we stopped at Gulf Shores, Alabama where our beachy part of the trip was a rainy one. But fun was to be had nonetheless.
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| His love for turtles continues, even on statues. |
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| Met some local wildlife. Trained it. |
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| Digging for shells in the drizzle. |
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| Routine restaurant stop - Myles looks at iPhone pics while Greg colors the kiddie menu. |
