Clay the adventurer!

We've been having lots of adventures lately! First of all, we went by the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science to see their Frogs! exhibit. We saw giant, ugly looking brown toads (They were super-still.); tiny, neon-colored poisonous dart frogs; and measured how far we could hop in relation to various amphibians.

Even though it was a hot day, Clay and I still hit the trail system out back. Of course, he picked the next-to-longest trail they had! We had a good time exploring and looking for lizards, but for our next visit, I may wear hiking boots!!

We also went by the Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza. They hold it each year at the Trademart. Clay got to practice shooting a bow and arrow (several times), we sampled fudge and deer sausage, and we even heard wild turkey calls! The people at the booths gave him tons of free stuff (tote bags, wildlife posters, candy, etc.), and before we left, we even got to try zip-lining!! (That's him in the ziplining safety gear.)

In August, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus also came to town. We've not missed a single one of their performances in Jackson. The show was fun, with acrobats, clowns, and trained horses, elephants, and even camels! This year, they had a new act - the ring of terror. Three motorcyclists drove at dizzying speeds in a metal cage. Just when you though it was safe to look, they sent a woman in a sparkly costume in the cage to stand in the center, while the motorcycles whizzed all around her. Yikes!

Cly had such fun. We bought him a box of popcorn, and he was sticking his little arm ALLLLLL the way in it to get the last kernels before the night was over. On the way out, we also picked up a mug for him that looks like an elephant! Not too practical for drinking, but he's enjoyed playing with it!

Today, we visited the Mississippi Petrified Forest. I hadn't been since I was a kid, and WOW. There's a short and fun nature walk which takes you through the park. You can see the petrified logs in the same places that ancient floods washed them, centuries ago. After that portion of the visit, you can explore a small (but really cool) geological museum featuring fossils, more petrified wood, and precious stones. (They even have some giant shark jaws!) After that, we flumed for gems. (Think panning for gold.) We found obsidian, amethyst and more the little bags of dirt we purchased at the gift shop. And how could I fail to mention the gift shop?! Jewelry, polished stones, even slabs of petrified wood were all on offer.

Admission is $7 for adults, and preschoolers are free! (Fluming is $4 per bag of goodies.) They are open nearly every day of the year, and they even have a pavillion you can rent out for gatherings. (This place would be PERFECT for a little boy's birthday party!) I just cannot recommend it highly enough. We so enjoyed our visit!