We visited the top-rated aquarium in the U.S. over Christmas vacation and it’s still a marvel after 20 years. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is better than ever with nearly 200 galleries and exhibits. Because of the sparse holiday crowd, we could get up-close and personal with hundreds of sea creatures.

We loved Sharks: Myth and Mystery Exhibit. We marveled at the vast, one-million-gallon Outer Bay Exhibit that’s home to tunas, sharks, barracuda and sea turtles. We smiled as we watched the Sea Otters frolic in their two-story exhibit. And we waved to the divers in the unique, three-story Kelp Forest Exhbit is just like diving in the 53-degree waters of Monterey Bay (been there, done that, still shivering). Plus, The Drifters and The Jellies: Living Art Exhibit are also quite cool.

“A Year of Exploring” begins January 28-29 offering an official Explorer’s Passport for children to fill with stamps by attending events such as Shark Days on February 25-26. For info, call 831-648-4800 or visit Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Or visit this page to see seven live Web cams.