Family Fun with Butterflies, Birds, and Fish at the Tennessee Aquarium

This past weekend our two daughters (Christine and Liz) joined us in Chattanooga with their daughters (Adella (left) and Everleigh (right) respectively) for some family fun. We also brought along our youngest grandchild (Riley) since his father was not able to bring him. We were only missing the oldest grandchild (Joshua) who happens to be in school in Florida. It was delightful to have three of the four grandkids together and the two girls! Mr. Fix-it and I had a wonderful and relaxing time. Thanks Chris and Liz for taking Riley overnight! 

We met in Chattanooga to kind of shorten the driving distance for Christine and to also have fun at the Tennessee Aquarium. While the grandkids might've been a bit young to really enjoy the sights and sounds of the aquarium, they did have a good time as did the the adults. Here the three grandkids are looking at two very noisy, very blue, very big macaws. These birds were quite fascinating to the kids until they squawked. That really got their attention but no one was scared enough to cry. It was a good start to the tour and we spent several hours at this wonderful attraction in southeastern Tennessee-for once I was a visitor to a tourist attraction in a state I actually lived in!

The aquarium has much more than just fish in it. I did not know the Tennessee Aquarium had a butterfly house. It was a very small butterfly house but a very prolific one nonetheless. Their chrysalis hatching area was huge compared to Callaway Gardens; which had a much a bigger and stand alone butterfly pavilion.  I think I could've stayed and watched those butterflies hatch out all day long had it not been for more touring to do. 

One really cool feature of the butterfly house was a hook containing fresh fruit skewered on it and hung from the ceiling. There were several butterflies on it but when I approached all of them flew off-except this one. Can you see it?

It is a nicely camouflaged butterfly that I believe is a gray comma butterfly. I may be wrong on the identification so if I am please let me know! I should've looked it up on the handy charts while I was in the butterfly house but did not. This butterfly really looked like another piece of food or a dried leaf. Looking at it casually you might not ever know it is there because it was perfectly still feasting on the juices from the fruit.

The last butterfly I will share is a blue morpho. These are common butterflies where Christine resides in Florida but I am not so familiar with them in my area. Christine was quite familiar with it and while we were there one landed on her arm and hung out there for quite a while. The outside of this butterfly looks like a giant owl butterfly but the seven spots actually gives this one away. If it was to open its wings the butterfly would look completely different and beautiful. It is, like its name, blue! It is a spectacularly colored butterfly but only when the wings are opened....

in the garden....with family.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Winter Blues

It is really getting dreary and cold down here in my Georgia garden. I think it is time to look at some beautiful colors to get me out of the winter blues....

During one of our visits to Tennessee this past year, we took time to stop at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. We have been to the Aquarium before but not since they added the second building which houses the Ocean Journey and Butterfly Room. The Saint and I enjoy the butterflies that visit our gardens so we knew we would enjoy the butterfly room.

Upon entering the room, you soon discover these butterflies are not native American Butterflies. There is a handy guide to let you know what butterfly you are admiring but we did not discover those cards until departing the room. Duh, on our part.

If you are gentle, the butterflies will crawl on your hands such as this beauty did to me!

It is amazing to hold one of these creatures and examine them up close while they examine you in return. See the fingers in the background encouraging a visit?

I was fascinated by the beauty of this Green, Brown, Black and White butterfly.

The Saint enjoyed solving the puzzle of how to get one on your fingers. He was picking them up for a while before showing me the trick of getting one to visit your hands. The only trick is to place your finger slowly in front of them and they will crawl onto your finger. Then you can gently move your finger or hand to examine them up close. When they start to fly off, let them go on their merry way and don't chase them as another will be by your side in not time at all.

I wish I knew the names to all of these beauties but for now, just sit back and enjoy the beautiful colors of this winter day.

Ah, Red and Black with a lush Green backdrop.

They glow from the sun peering in the glass enclosed room.

The Saint had one fully open while in his hands. It was a proud moment for the Saint. Now I must call him the Butterfly Whisperer. Ha...

This was the largest of the butterflies. See my hand beside it. Yep, this was a large fellow indeed. A bit intimidating with that size!

Look at this beauty looking at me looking at him or is it her? Hum, any butterfly experts out there know that answer?

This one reminds me of the Zebra butterflies I see in my garden but it is not the Zebra.

There are also Sharks and Jelly fish in this building! What an adventure we had while there...

After we left the Aquarium, our next stop was a Rest Stop where we spotted this native Painted Lady sipping on what I believe to be a Zinnia bloom. We were happy to see another butterfly while on our journey that day.

If you are near the Chattanooga area and looking for something to take those WINTER BLUES away this winter, then stop in at the TN aquarium as it is a great substitute from lack of color, In the Garden...