Maybe we shouldn't have chosen a scorching heat-wa...

Maybe we shouldn't have chosen a scorching heat-wave Saturday afternoon, during Kids Free October, which also happened to be UCSD Free Week, to visit the Birch Aquarium, but despite the crowds and having to wait for a parking space to free, we did have a great time.

Our 3- and 4-year-old grandkids in tow, we headed right out to the tide pool exploration area. They weren't ready to touch a starfish yet, but they are still talking about them.

I loved seeing the local species up close - the garibaldi - San Diego's giant native goldfish, the Pacific sea horses, the leopard sharks. I never knew there were seahorses living in San Diego Bay. The kids enjoyed all the tanks, too, but loved the educational play area with a water course they could dam up, and float little rubber boats on.