The National Aquarium at the Baltimore Inner Harbor is about an hour from Loudoun County - an hour and half from Leesburg (where I live). It's a fabulous place for kids and adults alike and makes for a great day trip.
My kids (3 and 6) had never seen real sharks (although we all watched the Discovery Channel's shows on Shark Week, with great 
fascination).
So, on Monday we got in the car and went off for an Inner Harbor adventure. The kids were so amazed at the Inner Harbor - the art, the fountains, the navy ships, the high rises, the treats and goodies being sold everywhere - that it was hard to actually get them in the door to see the aqauriam. But, I eventually did.
They had a total blast looking at the fish and seeing the sharks. Thanks to the movie Nemo, they could (sort of) recognize a few of the fish, and they got very excited when we saw clown fish and stingrays. Seahorses and turtles were also quite popular.
The aquarium offers a "4 D" movie. I've been to many, and usually like them OK, but I have to admit that in this one, the special effects were a little overdone (my opinion). You found yourself focusing on the effects rather than the movie. I don't even know what the movie was about. Small children will be scared by these affects and certainly by the sudden gasps of the audience. If you're with school aged kids, you might want to go ahead and pay for the movie. It infuses a little blood pumping action in the middle of your tour, and perks them right up as they are getting a little run down touring the tanks.
The aquarium now has a really awesome "Jellies" exhibit. Jellie fish are beautiful, and let's face it, there's really no better 
place for them than in a tank where they can't sting me!
Without a doubt, however, the highlight of the day was the dolphin show! (I attempted to imbed the video here, but this somewhat new to me... so, if you'd like to see part of the dophin show, follow the link at the bottom of the page. Oh, and, please forgive the amateur videography, but enjoy the show!) Rachael, my 6 year old, now wants to be a dolphin trainer when she grows up.
In total, we spent about 4 to 5 hours inside the aquarium, and it was easy to do. Then, we grabbed a little dinner and headed home. I'll be planning another trip back to the Inner Harbor with them soon.
Perhaps we'll plan a day to go to the "Top of the World" to enjoy the view and to go out on a boat and explore the ship museums. Or, maybe we'll plan a sports day and go to an Orioles or 
Ravens game and the ESPN zone. Perhaps we'll just wander the water line and shop, stopping to watch the live entertainment on the street and grab a snack. There is much to do there, no matter what your tastes are. The Inner Harbor makes for a wonderful day trip with the family, with a date or even by yourself. But, bring your walking shoes and cash for parking - you'll need it.
For more information on the aquarium, visit http://www.aqua.org/.
Watch the video of part of the dolphin show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkrFzerufiw
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Okay, so we've learned that I haven't mastered this video sharing thing. But, I am a real estate agent, a mom and many other things - and you can't be great at it all, can you? Well, I can't.
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