Today, Cindy is heading to Alabama for the birth of our new grandson (and the boys’ nephew). She’ll be there for the next few days (at least) so the boys and I kicked-off our “boys weekend” with a boat ride up the St Johns to the Jacksonville Zoo. Not only is it a great day on the water, but you get into the zoo free if you arrive by boat!

On the way up, we ran into some dolphins. The boys enjoyed watching the playful mammals frolic in the water around us, but unfortunately, my camera was always in the wrong place at the wrong time to get a meaningful photo…

It’s actually a great trip to the zoo, as we cruise under several bridges and enjoy the Jax skyline and Jaguars stadium. At the zoo, we dock and walk right in…

We saw a lot of animals, but the boys really seemed to like the alligators. I think it’s because they were covered with all this green stuff and you couldn’t tell the gator from a log in the water unless he blinked.

And what’s a trip to the zoo (or anywhere for that matter), without some ice cream…

After visiting the lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!), it was time to head for home, as my first mates helped with the lines…