Here's a nice spot at the hotel where Maddie was posing for the camera. We were at one of the fire pit areas outside, although it's going to be pretty warm today. But it was nice sitting down here for a bit after breakfast.
Oh, and there are a few of these photo ops here, where families can put their heads into spots to become a penguin or a gingerbread cookie.
Breakfast was outstanding. Mom and I are here enjoying a special Christmas blend of coffee. For food, we all had an omelette made for us by the cook there. It was massive. And delicious. I love the ones with the spinach and onions and ham and cheese. Mom had a Denver omelette, which of course is named after the actor Bob Denver. Okay, not really. It's something that was first made in the American West, so that's how it got the name. Meanwhile, Maddie got a big omelette, and this is a new thing for her: she likes omelettes. Especially ones with peppers in there, plus some hot sauce too. Yeah, she's pretty spicy. There was a lot of food there, and the courtyard area outside was just perfect. There was an indoor area, but the weather was just right outside, and we enjoyed a hearty breakfast outside.
Joey enjoyed his breakfast too! And as soon as we were done eating, we thought it would be best to get to our first destination as soon as possible, given that the temperature was going to be warmer today. Better to get there while it was still cooler in the morning.
We went back to Parrot Mountain! Maddie had the camera for most of this visit. It was a wonderful time we had. We spent hours there again. I think one early highlight that isn't pictured was this moment that we stayed a long time with the kookaburras. There were four of them, and they were in this one area sort of all facing each other as you walked amidst them. They were silent for a while and everyone was walking through, not really paying as much attention to them. But Mom and I wanted to hear them call out, because the kookaburra has such a distinctive call. So after a moment or two, Mom stepped forward, closer to one in the cage. And sure enough, she started to imitate a kookaburra sound (to the best of her ability!). And that kookaburra looked at her, and sure enough, it started to call out with its song. If you've ever heard one, you know what that is. In response, suddenly the other three started to call out as well. Mom and I were surrounded by four very loud kookaburras calling out, and of course that got everyone's attention. It lasted a few minutes, and it was hilarious fun!
We walked along the path and saw all the toucans, and Maddie was on ahead looking at more exotic birds, particularly the peacock, who had feathers all up for everyone to see. We walked through the private walkway - an aviary where we walked amongst all the birds. Maddie took most of these pictures below, starting with these parrots that would greet people as they passed with a friendly, "Hello!"
And then we found our way to the parrot area, where so many birds rested on posts, waiting for you to feed them. For a quarter you get a handful of seed, and no joke, we spent five dollars in quarters. That's how long we spent there. Mom fell in love with a ring-necked parrot, a small green one that was so content it gave Mom several kisses on the cheek. I spent a lot of time with the stately Sangria, who was pleasant macaw that seemed happy to spend time with me. Maddie took many pictures today - I gave her the camera to snap away, and she took some great photos.
We went to another aviary afterwards, each of us with a cup of sugar water. The birds loved slurping that up, swooping down to swarm our arms, and in my case my head! They swooped down and a a great multitude rested all over Mom's arms, and then mine next. Fun!
We walked from bird exhibit to bird exhibit after that, visiting each one along the top ridge of the park, and then made our way down the steep hill to one of Mom's favorite stops - the nursery. There's a spot where visitors can visit the younger birds, and of course they're all ready to hop up on your hands or arms too. We spent a good bit of time there, enjoying the company of birds.
But soon it was time to leave once more. We left through the gift shop, and then to the steep parking lot and amazingly steep road upward. It's Parrot Mountain, after all! Anyway, it was a very nice return visit.
Afterwards we were back at the Inn, and we had a lot of fun exploring the location. One thing they have is a scavenger hunt, where you look around for various items amidst the decorations. It took us a bit of wandering, but we eventually found all the items on the list! You'll see some pictures below of our visit to many of the floors, checking out pretty much all the decorations they have on each floor.
We spent some time on the deck overlooking the courtyard, overlooking the main road there. We even brought along some Christmas games, like the Chip & Dale Christmas tree game, which was fun.
Not long after that, we went swimming too, diving in the indoor pool. It was a warm-ish, and nice to swim in once you got used to the temperature! We did the jacuzzi too, although not for too long. We still play the "Yes and No" game in the pool, and just spend a lot of time making a giant whirlpool as we try to guess each other's answers.
Tonight, it was time for Maddie and Mom to open up some Christmas gifts that we've had under the tree. Before we did that, Mom made us all some delicious hot chocolate that we brought along. It was perfect for the holiday theme!
Maddie got the newest Kingdom Keepers book! And she even got a signed copy, one addressed to her with a special message, "To Maddie, a friend of the Kingdom Keepers." Pretty amazing, actually!
She also got a Christmas game called "Christmas Diss," white Mom got a new Christmas mug and a Christmas jigsaw puzzle. Maddie also got a game she's been wanting, "Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza," which she first showed us on the cruise a few months back.
Anyway, it was fun opening Christmas presents under the tree. And after that, we watched "Home Alone" until it was time for us to get a good night's rest. We read a few different versions of "Night Before Christmas," including a "Southerner's" version, a "Scrooge" version, and a "Frankenstein" version too! Down on the first floor there's a big book shelf that has a lot of different versions of "The Night Before Christmas," including versions from nearly every state. Tomorrow we'll read the Cajun version, and probably the Hawaiian version too. Tonight we read the three we picked up before bed, just sort of adding to the whole Christmas vibe. It was fun.
And to all... a good night!
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