World::
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg, Tennessee |
 | By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:50 pm
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Deep See Diving in the Smokey Mountains? YES! Today we went to Ripley's aquarium in Gatlinburg. This place is so awesome. They have a underwater tunnel where you ride on a conveyor belt through their underwater aquarium. Whats really cool, is ever since I saw Jaws where the Shark attacks the visitors in the underwater aquarium, I've been dead set on going to one of these. I always thought that that scene was filmed at the San Diego Sea World, but when we went there was nothing like that. Either it was filmed somewhere else, or it's no longer there. But here in the middle of the mountains they've converted an old hotel into an exquisite under sea adventure that traces the Historic Tennessee basin back to the period of time when it was under water. I've also been to Sea World Ohio, which may not be around any longer, and the Monterey Aquarium in California, (filmed in Star Trek) and neither of them compare to this one in the Smokies. The kids loved it, and it was only about 17.00 per person. Since you can't fart up here without being charged, this was a damn good deal. I've never been so close to Sharks, & Jellyfish, Sword Fish. Most of the fish in the aquarium could easily swallow several of the children looking at them at a time. Really a neat adventure.
We also visited a tourist trap this morning with dinosaurs inside it. Basically it was a garage, with 20 or saw dinosaur models, and a TV with a DVD player at the end. Cost 10.00 per person, and a complete rip-off, but you know what? We made up for it at dinner when we got a Ponderosa buffet for $5.99 a person. Not nearly as good as the monolithic "All American Buffet" but none the less, for the price- pretty darn good.
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