The smell of burgers on the grill, kids laughing on the ferris wheel and touching an alligator with the SeaWorld animal ambassador team. It was the perfect afternoon at Ft. Sam Houston’s annual Oktoberfest celebration.

I love fireworks as much as the next guy. Maybe even more. So, I’m not thrilled with telling you that the city’s fireworks ban applies to our 4th of July Fireworks Celebration on July 2, 3, and 4. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this ban has caused our guests.SeaWorld respects the tough decision made by the San Antonio Fire Department, and we will fully comply with their ban.

I’m usually the type of person who waits until the week of Christmas to do all of my shopping. I don’t know if it’s because all my family is out of town and I don’t like travelling with presents or that I’ve never gotten into shopping online and having stuff shipped (except for last year), but that’s the way I do things. I make my list, plan my route and am done within a few hours.

Happy Birthday Earth!

Let's all join in celebrating Earth Day by sharing the wonder of our natural world, just like these two kids caught in a moment at our Sharks/The Coral Reef exhibit. In San Antonio, many businesses are looking at new ways of going green.