Aquariums are cool enough, with all those fish gliding in an otherworldly glow. But to have an indoor and an outdoor aquarium? What a splash!
The outdoor waterfall and aquarium is part of the Living Stream at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort, Kentucky. Children are welcome to lift the stones and see who's living beneath — maybe a crawdad or salamander.
Salato wants to show off all the state's native animals and plants, many of them restored by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The 280-acre center is, naturally, on the grounds of the department's Fish and Wildlife Game Farm.
Elk, bison, black bears, deer, turkeys and even bobcats - including the University of Kentucky "wildcat," Blue — are welcomed back to the Commonwealth. Accessible trails through the animal enclosures wander beside and above the habitats. At the black bear compound, only bullet-proof glass separates visitor from bear.
Wander through native grasses and among the oaks, hickories and walnuts of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Starring in the wildflower area is the Salato Native Plant Wildflower of the Year for 2006, the Orange Coneflower. At the Dragonfly Marsh, you might spot a red-eared slider turtle on a log or a great blue heron lifting off from shore.
At the center's two lakes, families can fish for catfish and trout. Fishing is free with a Kentucky fishing license, available at Salato; children under 16 don't need licenses. The lower lake is reserved for 12-year-olds and younger.
No pole? No worries. Just borrow one at the center, and there's bait for sale in a machine. After fishing, there are trails for hiking and tables for picnicking.
Don't forget Salato's indoor displays, from the aquarium to Kentucky's frogs and venomous snakes. In the Living Bee Tree, hundreds of bees go about their busy lives, oblivious to their fascinated audience.