Rock Creek Marina Eco Center

OH MY WORD -- I am sooo lucky. I live five minutes away from the Rock Creek Marina. Not visible from the road -- Clinton County has spent a truckload of money in the last few years on their massive "Mississippi Eco Center." AND IT IS AMAZING. Lilly has attended their summer kids' camp for a couple of years...and it's open 364 days a year.

The building itself sits right on the Mississippi River. It's a backwaters location...and they have canoes and paddleboats for rent. As well as beautiful campsites, some cabins and playground equipment...

The large room in the back is an actual "habitat" -- with many taxidermied animals -- as well as live turtles, and lots of fish...

The kids can actually crawl into the opening of the Beaver House...

Which is fun enough, right?

But the BEST part is when they come up in the middle -- and are surrounded by water.  WITH REAL FISH AND TURTLES...

At the beginning of June, they were having a "Critter" day.  Lilly could hardly wait to handle a live snake.

Seriously?

It was all I could do to stand in the room and take this picture. 

Of course, Warren wants to do EVERYTHING HIS SISTER DOES...(and I am trying hard NOT to impart my own fear and loathing...of all-things-snake.)

They sell snacks...and we were due for an ice cream break. See the glass wall in the background? That's a GIANT FISH TANK..PEOPLE!!

Oh, yeah, thanks to the Clinton County Eco Center, 2018 Grandma Camp got off to an exciting start!!