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Forget about work and chores. Spring-cleaning can wait one more day. With warmer weather on the way, it’s time to soak up some fun with a trip to the Camden Waterfront.
Leave that laundry in the washer and drive over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge or, for optimal sightseeing, try the ferry that boards at the RiverLink’s Penn’s Landing terminal. Make it complete with a round-trip ticket and admission to the Independence Seaport Museum and Camden’s Adventure Aquarium, via the RiverPass combo.
Once on the other side, dive into Adventure Aquarium’s underwater experience. Be sure to take a deep breath before wading through the Ocean Realm’s 760,000 gallons of seawater. Sit back and watch divers feed and swim alongside Cownose Stingrays, a school of Blueback herring and a 14-year-old sea turtle named Bob.
Follow the ocean sounds to The West African River Experience — a good place to catch your breath.
"You’re going to find many species of birds just flying around you," Bill Larson, the aquarium’s public relations and communications manager, said. "You’re actually going to be immersed in what life is like on a real African river."
This walk-through exhibit features lovebirds, egrets, whistling ducks and other free-flying birds soaring above the aquarium’s two female hippos, Button and Genny. These two 3,000-pound creatures are capable of opening their mouths 4-feet wide — all the better to enjoy cake. Be sure to share in the party for Button’s 10th-birthday celebration, with festivities that continue through April 1.
"Button is going to have her very own vegetarian cake that people can see her devour," Larson said. "It’s a wonderful celebration of everything hippo."
If the chomping down of veggie cake makes your stomach growl, visit The Feeding Frenzy Caf�, located directly upstairs from the main entrance. Choose from salads, cheesesteaks, soups or a variety of quick snacks.
If you packed lunch, take in the fresh air with an outdoor picnic. The aquarium’s back entrance leads to the Camden Children’s Garden, a 4-acre spot that features a dainty train and rail system, carousel, treehouse and an outdoor picnic area decorated with giant cup and plate sculptures. Children and adults alike can step through the glass right into Alice in Wonderland’s Garden, crawl through Red Oak Run’s many tunnels and warm up in the butterfly house. (Brace yourself for the sudden heat in the latter. Temperatures range from 80 to 100 degrees, an atmosphere that makes visitors sweat, but keeps the butterflies very happy.)
"It’s like a horticultural playground where kids can learn about their environment and plants and animals and get out in nature," Tracy Tomchik, the garden’s public relations and events coordinator, said.
Aside from youngsters, visitors of all ages will find the Garden equally enjoyable. Signposts throughout contain helpful planting tips for both budding and seasoned horticulturalists.
"You can do this in your own garden," Tomchick said of the landscaping. "It’s all educational but fun at the same time."
Keep moving — there’s too much to see to stop — and take a brisk stroll to the nearby Walt Whitman House. Built in 1848, the two-story home between Third and Fourth streets and Mickle Boulevard was the only house the American poet owned in his life and he lived there for eight years, until his death in 1892. Tours typically last an hour, but visitors should call ahead to make an appointment.
"When you go in there, you’re stepping back in time," tour guide Dick Dyer said. "This is what makes the house special. It’s a story to share."
There’s history in almost every room and piece of furniture. Whitman’s front bedroom, for instance, contains his last pair of leather galoshes and a large metal tub in which he bathed. Downstairs in the parlor room adjacent to the kitchen, Dyer relates how 2,000 people came to Whitman’s funeral viewing, the poet’s donation of his brain for scientific purposes and the story of how it was accidentally destroyed. Multiple versions of the tale exist and one, as Dyer narrates during his tours, has Whitman’s brain dropping onto the laboratory floor and exploding.
People, Dyer added, "come here to get a sense of the man."
Men of high caliber seem to call the waterfront home and the Battleship New Jersey allows visitors to get to know what life was like for some of the "Greatest Generation." Built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and launched Dec. 7, 1942, the New Jersey is the nation’s most decorated battleship.
Families and youth groups can take the experience to the extreme by camping overnight. Costing $49.95 a person, the package includes dinner, breakfast, a tour and a visit to the 4-D flight simulator.
This virtual-reality aircraft adventure also is available as part of the battleship’s regular tours. For an in-depth look at the weapons system, don’t miss the firepower tour, which offers a close-up view of the 16-inch gun turrets. Guides are on hand for the docent-assisted tours, where guests can explore the admiral and captain’s quarters, the crew’s sleeping and eating areas and the museum. A self-guided tour allows visitors to take in the massive ship at their own pace.
"It really allows you to put yourself in the sailors’ shoes, especially for kids," Hope Corse, the battleship’s marketing and public relations director, said. "It’s a great way to get your history and it’s fun. It’s a very interactive museum that you get to climb all over."
With all that walking, it’s time to sit at neighboring Campbell’s Field, 401 N. Delaware Ave. The baseball diamond is home to the Camden Riversharks and gives spectators a magnificent view of the Philadelphia skyline. The home-opener is May 8 against the York Revolution.
After a full day of walking, lunching and sightseeing, top it off with a ferry ride home — just remember to finish that laundry.
For more information on the Camden Waterfront’s attractions, visit www.camdenwaterfront.com.
