Birmingham

So we went to Birmingham, Alabama for Spring Break and enjoyed ourselves for the most part.  My youngest had a dance competition Saturday and performed in the night program.  We left Thursday afternoon and got there in good time to eat and rest up from the trip.

Friday we spent at the Birmingham Zoo in the morning, seeing all the different animals, particularly their collection of “big cats”–bobcats, sand cats, lions, tigers, ocelots, and other large felines we had never heard of.  Another adventure there was feeding the lorikeets.  Bob had the lorikeet nectar, so the birds perched all over him.  My middle daughter had one land on her head and stay for a while; she was worried for a little while that she’d have to chase him off.  It rained on us most of the morning and was chilly in defiance of a 70+ degree forecast.  But we had fun anyway.

Friday afternoon was spent indoors at the McWane Science Center, where we explored a number of exhibits ranging from sea life to mindbender games on the top floor with optical illusions, puzzles, and tricks to perform. We watched an IMAX movie about the lemurs of Madagascar, narrated by Mississippi’s own Morgan Freeman.  It was truly impressive to watch.

Saturday morning we went to Riverchase Galleria, one of the largest shopping malls in the Southeast.  My souvenir was  a new Micheal Kors purse for spring, while Bob and the girls each picked out a set at the large Lego store they have there.  We spent most of the morning there  looking around at shops we don’t have at home, such as Von Muir and Macy’s.