We had a huge layover in Atlanta on our way to Sweden seven hours, with two small children. This would normally be the worst stumbling block you could have on such a long trip with children. So, I have to take some credit here for a small stroke of genius. Instead of sitting around with two restless children in an airport, we decided to hop on the train into downtown Atlanta and go to the world-famous Georgia Aquarium.

World-famous, for good reason! The aquarium was absolutely amazing. The kids had so much fun, and so did we. We all petted sharks, skates, and starfish. Okay, Kelly was too scared to pet the starfish but spent a long time with the sea anemones and learning how to say 'sea anemone' (pronounced an-m-n-e) from a very skilled student guide. We enjoyed a 6 MILLION gallon 'fish tank' containing thousands of fish, including huge speckled Whale Sharks, Bowmouth Guitarfish, Great Hammerhead Sharks, and so much more.

We saw the most amazing Leafy Sea Dragon, which seems to be a relation to the sea horse. It looks like a branch of leaves and is truly amazing to see. They also had penguins, otters, and much more. It took us about three hours to tour the entire place and see their 4-D movie, but we could have stayed there for another hour or two. If you are ever flying through Atlanta, you might consider a forced long layover. Seven hours was just perfect for the trains in and out, plus the three hours at the aquarium.

Best of all, the kids had a great time, then fell fast asleep as soon as the overnight flight to Sweden left the ground, sleeping through the entire flight. I am sure the nearby passengers were as happy as we were. Well planned, Mom!