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Hendersonville Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium – Fun Learning For the Whole Family

June 25, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium

As you visit Henderson County you also want to make sure that you spend time exploring Hendersonville as well. One of the places that my family and I visited was the Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium.

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The minute that you enter the Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium you know you are in for something special. Everyone is overly welcoming and while the space is not mammoth, it is the right size for all of the species of fish, turtles and more that reside under its’ roof. This aquarium started in  2001 as a learning program in the kitchen of the owners’ home. Their original and current goal is to reach and teach students of all ages about the ocean.

Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium

In 2005, the first Team ECCO classroom was established. What started out as a simple 800-square foot room grew in two more years to a public aquarium. In 2011, Team ECCO opened the doors of the first inland aquarium in North Carolina- The Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium on Main Street in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

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In 2017 their marine research progressed under funding from the NC Science Museum Grant program, the Community Foundation of Henderson County, and the Henderson County TDA.  This support allowed us to reach out even further.  With their re-branding they became the Aquarium & Shark Lab of Team ECCO.  Stepping up, they renovated many existing displays and added our new 2,000 gallon shark study tank. They enter this tank twice daily to feed and monitor the behavior and development of our 3 sharks.  Also, this is the new holding tank for our shark hatching and development study.

Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium

Their Aquarium is home to dozens of species of tropical ocean fish and invertebrates. They house a reptile collection that includes frogs, lizards, geckoes, turtles and tortoises, which are kept under strict guidelines and permit from NCDNR.

They are the only ocean education lab and hands-in marine study center in Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Their programs include but are not limited to fish ID, marine adaptations, reef/mangrove/grass bed ecology, water quality, turtle rescue, local reptile education and marine bio diversity.

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They train and incorporate student interns and volunteers into daily care and maintenance.   The Executive Director shares her passion for teaching with her love of the ocean as a volunteer.   Team ECCO has 3 part time paid position: front desk/bookkeeping;  Lead Intern; &Assistant Director.Those involved take such pride in the work that they perform. Even on days when we are not open , we are there dedicated to making sure that our animals are taken care of.

Team ECCO Ocean Center & Aquarium

Team ECCO encourages minds and bodies with custom field exploration trips to local and distant points of environmental interest. These areas of interest include manatees, aquifers, coral reef development, sea turtles, shark research and mangrove recovery.

My Take on the Team ECCO Ocean Center and Aquarium

As someone that loves the ocean and all it does to sustain our ecosystem. I loved exploring the Aquarium & Shark Lab of Team ECCO. As I walked through the small aquarium I found that I was drawn to the student volunteers as I found that they had such a wealth of knowledge to share with anyone that was there.

I found that as I interacted with the volunteers they were informing me about things I never knew and I was meeting many new species of fish that I had never seen before as well. I spoke with one of the volunteers that told me that she first learned about the Aquarium a few years back and once she visited two times she was hooked. She informed me that her mother was a Biology teacher and while she is only a Sophomore in high school she knows that she wants to study Marine Biology at UNC Wilmington.

The volunteers at this great location really know the fish and other animals and if you ask them about them they will tell you their stories (as well as their names). You will see them feeding the animals which is a ton of fun too.

One last piece of advice, make sure to say hello to Michelangelo and Alice the two tortoises that they have when you first walk in. When we last saw them, Alice was about to lay eggs, but we were informed that they had not had luck as of yet to have a live birth. While we only met them once, we left wishing them all the luck in having a baby tortoise i

 

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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: Aquarium, family travel, family trip, family trips, hendersonville, travel

Visiting Henderson County North Carolina Starts With Hendersonville

June 24, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

 

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Hendersonville, North Carolina

My family and I visited Henderson County North Carolina for the past few days and we have been exploring a number of the sights thanks to the Hendersonville Visitor Center.

The first stop on our visit was exploring the downtown area of Hendersonville itself. Hendersonville, North Carolina is a very quaint downtown with a little bit of everything for everyone. There are some great restaurants, coffee shops and many specialty shops too.

The day that we explored Hendersonville, they also had a vintage on-street fair with so many booths of antique items for people to explore. This made the whole downtown very busy (in a good way). We ended up walking up and down one side and then we came back up the other side of the street. There were so many things to see and do. Some of our favorite stops while in town included:

The Mast General Store – an amazing store that has items that not only celebrate Hendersonville, but really offers a little bit of everything including candy, popcorn, clothes, footwear, home goods and other unique items!

Beehive – A Resale Shop – My family loves resale shop and this is an upscale resale shop that has a bit of everything for women. I did not see any clothes for men, but I know that the ladies in my family found some fun finds!

 

Dancing Bear Toys – This toy store had so many unique items that I have not seen in other stores. Unique plush items, games and the employees are so knowledgeable of the toys that they have in stock. They even give you a ton of recommendations based on the things that you say they you like.

 

Wine Sage & Gourmet – If you are looking for unique kitchen items this is the shop that you will want to stop within. The employees know kitchens and have a ton of ideas to help you find the right item for your own home or for a gift! While you are here though you will want to go into the basement where they have a HUGE variety of wine and also do cooking classes. Stop in for a wine tasting with experts that really know their wines.

There are so many other places to explore. Check out a full list of stores

While the whole list of stores is above, also check out all of the restaurants. We had lunch at the Mountain Deli and the sandwiches were HUGE (the sandwich you see above is only half of what we received)!

This is a great town with a little bit of everything for anyone. If you have never explored this great town, I highly recommend it to everyone!

 

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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: family, family trip, family trips, Henderson County, hendersonville, north carolina, travel, vacation

Fun Family Activities for a Camping Trip

December 5, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Fun Family Activities for a Camping Trip

Camping is one of the best outdoor activities for the whole family to do together. Not only is it a mini-vacation, it’s also a wonderful educational experience for little ones, and an excellent chance to spend some time together as a family and bond with each other. Taking some time away from home and all the distractions such as TV and the internet will be good for the whole family, and you’ll come back feeling refreshed and revitalized from the experience. If you’re planning your first family camping trip, we’ve put together some ideas for outdoor activities that are sure to keep you all entertained.

#1. Fishing:

If you’re going to be camping at a site that has a lake or a river nearby, then fishing could be the perfect relaxing activity to kick off your camping experience. Fishing is fun for the whole family, and it’s easy to pick up, meaning that even the youngest of kids can have a go. You might even be able to find a campsite where you’re able to fish and then cook your catch of the day, making for a great family meal!

If you’d like to carve some time for yourself and enjoy hunting you can try and see if there is a hunting location nearby as well. Head over to woodburyoutfitters.com where you can find all the hunting, fishing and camping gear that you need.

 

#2. Stories Around the Campfire:

No camping trip would be complete without telling stories around the campfire! Don’t forget to pack plenty of marshmallows for roasting and making s’mores, and take along a box of matches to keep your fire going. Spend the day as a family collecting dry wood to create a traditional campfire, then in the evening, you can all gather round the fire together. You could even make it into a fun game by starting a story and having everybody add to it after a certain number of minutes – who knows where the story will go!

 

#3. Arts and Crafts:

If your little ones love to be creative, then incorporating arts and crafts into your camping trip is a fun idea. For example, there are several things that they can create out of twigs and sticks, such as rustic vases, pictures, or even decorations for your tent or camper! Don’t forget to take along craft supplies such as paper, paints and glue to keep them occupied for hours on end. You could even go on an adventure to find craft supplies to take back home, such as colorful leaves, flowers for pressing, sticks, and unusual pebbles and stones.

 

#4. Scavenger Hunts:

Scavenger hunts can be a fun way to keep your little ones occupied at the campsite, and there are so many great things that they can look for. You can even hide candy and other treats along the way to make it even more exciting for them. Some fun ideas to look for on a camping scavenger hunt include bird feathers, pine cones, smooth rocks, water from a stream, maple leaves, or even animal footprints. Don’t include anything on the list that shouldn’t be moved, such as birds’ nests, and ensure that your kids are aware of the boundaries of the hunt and have a cell phone or whistle in case of emergencies.

Enjoy your camping trip!

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: activities, camp, camping, family, family time, family trip, family trips, travel, vacation

The 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid Offers Great Fuel Economy, Comfort and More

June 13, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

A review of the 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid

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We drove over to Manitowoc, Wisconsin in the new 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid. This was a great car for this trip. Seeing that this trip was going to take us 820 miles roundtrip so having a vehicle that would give us the most bang for our buck when it came to gas made the most sense. While being in smaller vehicle for a longer roadtrip might not sound like fun, the Toyota Camry was a very comfortable ride. We consistently we getting about 38 miles per gallon and with a tank a bit larger than 13 gallons, we were able to easily get to and from Manitowoc on 2 tanks of gas (as we were getting about 510 miles on a tank of gas).

A review of the 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry has a ton of great safety features that I definitely look for for my own family. On top of this, the sound system was great and the overall comfort in the vehicle was top notch too. I did a walk around on this great vehicle and made a video so that you can explore the 2016 Toyota Camry for yourself too!

On top of all of this the Toyota Camry Hybrid comes in at a pricetag that will be reasonable for many. Being under $40,000 you are getting a ton of value on a vehicle that holds its value and keeps on giving for years to come!

A review of the 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid

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Filed Under: product review, travel Tagged With: camry, car review, family trip, toyota, toyota camry, travel, vacation

Manitowoc, A Lakeside Town With Hidden Gems

June 13, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a city on the shores of Lake Michigan. This is a city with a ton of things to do and a ton of heart!
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Manitowoc, A Lakeside Town With Hidden Gems

This past weekend my family and I visited Manitowoc, Wisconsin. For those of you that have never been there before, it is about 30 miles south of Green Bay and for us it took about 6.5 hours to drive around the lake to get there.

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

We had the opportunity to stay at the Harbor Town Inn while we were here which is one of the Flannery Hotels. We partnered with this great location while we were here, and let me tell you we were really impressed with the facility and the rooms that they offered us. The Harbor Town Inn has a long history in the city of Manitowoc and while it was a Super 8 and a Thrifty Scot over the past years, it was recently renovated and you can tell that the owners put a lot of time and money into the look and feel of the Inn.

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

The Harbor Town Inn offers reasonably priced rooms that are well furnished, along with a great breakfast and even some very nice areas for socializing and reconnecting. We found the staff to be very friendly and very willing to offer many suggestions for travelers on things to do, places to eat and more, making the stay even nicer.

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

While the Inn is located off of a main road the noise was minimal in the evening and we really found it to be a very comfortable stay and for the price and amenities you cannot go wrong.

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

The Harbor Town Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

I made a quick video to explore the Harbor Town Inn Even Further. I hope you will give it a glance and see what I am talking about and frequent it when you next come to Manitowoc!

Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a city on the shores of Lake Michigan. This is a city with a ton of things to do and a ton of heart!

While we were in Manitowoc, we explored the city and found so many amazing things. From the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which had its own submarine, the USS Cobia, a WWII submarine that you could go in. Just be aware if you do go into this, it is very confined! The museum itself though is so amazing and really allows you to come to a better appreciation of Maritime History.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a city on the shores of Lake Michigan. This is a city with a ton of things to do and a ton of heart!

We also explored the shops and restaurants of downtown Manitowoc. There were a number of great restaurants including the Courthouse Pub (one of our favorites) and a number of others too. We also satisfied our sweet tooth while downtown by visiting Beernsten’s Confectionary, a chocolatier that has been in Manitowoc since 1932. While we did not eat chocolate, we did partake in some ice cream that they are known for as it was a particularly hot day!

The Manitowoc Public Library is Amazing!

Just down the street from Beernsten’s was the Manitowoc Public Library. As many of you know my wife is a librarian, so we had to check out the library. Holy cow, this community must love to read with a library as beautiful as this library was. I can only dream of having a library with so many resources and so many books! The children’s section was so inviting and even my oldest mentioned that she would hang out there instead of in the Teen section! It was such a breath of fresh air to see so much pride being place in a community resource.

The Manitowoc Public Library is Amazing!

The interesting thing that you find when you are visiting the lakeshore on this side of Lake Michigan is that you have a much rockier shore than what you have in Michigan, but it is still a beautiful lake and a beautiful area.

Beernsten's Confectionary  is a true treasure in Manitowoc Wisconsin

While this town definitely has a blue collar feel, the pride in the town and the friendliness of the people would bring me back in a heartbeat.

This may not be the largest tourist destination in Wisconsin, I would still put it up on a list of places to visit for anyone! Even if you want to have a unique experience, you could drive to Manitowoc and then take the S.S. Badger Car Ferry over to Ludington, Michigan (They have a movie theater on the boat!).

Beernsten's Confectionary  is a true treasure in Manitowoc Wisconsin

Manitowoc, Wisconsin is a wonderful town that everyone should come to visit!

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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: family trip, family trips, harbor town inn, manitowoc, manitowoc wisconsin, travel, vacation, wisconsin

Time To Save Some Money at Great Wolf Lodge!

April 17, 2013 by dadofdivas 3 Comments

 

GreatWolf

 

As some of you know I was selected to be a representative for the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, Michigan this year and I am very excited about it as it is a wonderful place to take the family and my whole family has loved the experience in the past, and I know we will in the future as well. I just found out recently that Groupon is having a great deal right now, where you can save some money on a trip to your local Great Wolf Lodge. For this Groupon, there are designated prices ranging from $219 to $499 depending upon the size of your group and the days you’d like to stay at the resort. Get your Groupon here! This is only available from 04/16 Through 05/23 so you have to book soon.

There are so many things your kids will enjoy both in and out of the waterpark. I highly encourage you to try out Great Wolf for the first time or come back for a return visit!

 

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

 

 

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Related articles
  • I am the 2013 “Ask-A-Mom” for Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City
  • 10 Things You Must Know Before Going to Great Wolf Lodge
  • The Boys of Great Wolf: Serious and at Play
  • Great Wolf Lodge Groupon is Back for Spring 2013
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Filed Under: announcement Tagged With: family trip, Great Wolf Resorts, trip, vacation, Water park

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