Under the sea, in KC!

Away for the Day

This is a brand-new column for Hello Frontenac. We know that while our little town is lovely, once in a while you need to just get away. However, where to go is often a frustrating question, especially if you only want to get away for the day. So Hello Frontenac is launching “Away for the Day!”—a friendly column about a destination that you can travel to and come home from in the same day. We hope you enjoy reading about our adventures and that they inspire a few of your own!

Under the sea, in KC!

K. Hervey

Hello Frontenac

Why so many of my stories start out with rain, I'll never know, but at least this Thursday morning downpour was appropriate. After all, water was the theme of the day. Luckily, the storm headed out halfway to Kansas City, and we could focus on the waves at our destination: Sea Life Aquarium.

Around two hours north, Sea Life is a fairly new addition to Crown Center. Linked into Legoland, it’s often missed in the hustle of KC attractions. It also has to contend with the brand-new aquarium at the KC Zoo and the massive one not far away in Springfield.

So why bother with Sea Life? Well, first, I have an aquarium-obsessed teenager, so anything with fish is a win. But for this column, I especially wanted something that was versatile for a lot of Frontenac families. Sea Life is not overwhelming.

While full of exhibits, information, and educational experiences, it's small compared to Bass Pro Springfield's massive exhibits. Sea Life takes far less time and is far and away less overwhelming for small children or adults who really want to enjoy the fish. We went on a Thursday morning and found it pretty relaxed. The crowds were there, but not bad, and very well managed by the staff.

Also, it's fairly inexpensive. Our tickets were pre-purchased and under $30 each with a behind-the-scenes tour. Skip the tour and you can find tickets for under $20, making a day trip to this KC aquarium an affordable option for many Frontenac families.

However, the best part about Sea Life I wasn't really expecting. It wasn’t the massive octopus or the very cool tiny, tiny starfish. It was the staff.

Whoever is doing the hiring for this place immediately needs a raise. I'm pretty sure their employment ad reads something like, “Do you love fish? No, REALLY love fish? Did you watch Finding Nemo as a child a million times, and as an adult every documentary on the ocean? Do you absolutely love to tell people about the creatures who live there? Well then come join our club where we hang out with fish all day!”

And then, when those passionate people showed up, they handed them a name badge and said, "Oh, by the way, we'll pay you to tell everyone all about this stuff all day long!”

I'm not kidding. I have no idea if we just came on a great day when all the best employees just happened to be working or what, but everyone was amazing. The woman who took our tickets not only answered our questions but left her station to walk us to the area for the tours—all while answering questions for coworkers and other guests.

We had a behind-the-scenes tour, and the guide, River, was amazing. She was obviously so proud of the work Sea Life does. River explained that the aquariums work hand in hand with their conservation efforts, and you could tell that meant a great deal to her.

She also highlighted—and was clearly excited about—sanctuary work Sea Life does. A European company, Sea Life funds and runs several sanctuaries around the world for various animals, including puffins and seals.

We got to be within just a few inches of a sea turtle Sea Life had rescued. The turtle had a genetic problem that caused an inverted shell. Every day it comes out of its pool to be lovingly rubbed with shell care medicine. We were lucky enough to come by on the tour when the turtle was relaxing while her shell medicine dried. It looked like a spa treatment, and the staff seemed as attentive as attendants at a luxury spa.

River showed us not only animals in a way most visitors don't get to see, but so much more. She excitedly explained her colleagues' roles, pointed to photos, and talked about recent research projects. She showed us how the aquarium keeps the water clean, how they feed the animals restaurant-quality food, even the types of salt used for each species’ different tank needs. By the way, the sea dragons? Quite bougie about their salt.

After River showed us the ropes, we headed into the main aquarium—where it appears more of the “Fish Are Friends Forever Fan Club” had been recruited. Whether it was a staff member doing a talk about an exhibit or supervising a touch pool, all the staff seemed thrilled to be there.

You can imagine my shock when one of them mentioned that just a half hour before our visit, over 100 kids had come through. I couldn't believe it. That many kids would have left me frazzled, but not them. They happily explained what kind of starfish I was looking at or directed me how to pet the sea urchin so it would respond and touch back.

The staff took what was a smaller, more intimate aquarium and made it into a better experience than many of the heavy hitters.

Given the price, ease of getting there, and the outstanding staff, Sea Life is definitely a great option for a Frontenac Friend day away!