Elephants and Butterflies ing and explains the butter f ly’s sy mbiotic relationship w ith the plant world. The baby blue morpho butterflies from Central and South America were my favorites. They seemed more extroverted than the others and rested marvelously on our shoulders and arms, a unique experience that’s no to be missed.
On both visits, I took John, Bella and Holly to the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. The collection is considered one of the most significant in the world. The exhibit is one of my favorites due to my fascination with collecting and understanding rocks and gemstones. Although the highlight for most visitors to the Gem Hall is the famous blue Hope Diamond, my favorite specimen is a boulder-like amethyst rock that visitors can touch. The purple quartz gemstone has been prized since ancient times. The darker the purple, the more valuable the stone. I like to place my hand, adorned w it h my a met hy st a n n iver sa r y ring, my favorite gemstone, on the amethyst rock and see and feel a connection with nature. The displays of agates, crystals, diamonds and meteorites (45,000) and discussions about volcanoes and
Not being a big fan of insects landing on her, Bella was not interested in the Butterfly Pavilion. She was, however, curious about the live Insect Zoo exhibit. Insects were okay as long as they were behind glass, so we observed live cockroaches, cutter ants, spiders, flies and other critters in natural habitats. Bella surprised us when we encountered a scientist with a large brown and black tarantula resting on his arm and surrounded by a group of amazed kids. She joined the crowd and was one of several kids who, very tentatively, touched the hairy spider that was the size of a man’s fist. 36