Tag Archives: zoo

Sleeping With The Snakes

What world famous attraction is home to more than 4,000 animals, 700,000 exotic plants and attracts more than a million visitors each year? If you answered: the San Diego Zoo, you’re right. The zoo is spread out over 100-acres, but the nice part is you that can get around without much walking at all. For a small fee, buses will take you from exhibit to exhibit or you can opt to hop aboard the Skyfari ride, which provides a full aerial view of the property. Despite the various modes of transportation, the zoo is so enormous it is next to … Continue reading →

Dad’s Losing It: At The Zoo

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I thought that I was going to become a Daddy again yesterday, but at the last minute we backed out of a convenience-based near-decision to induce labor. Instead, since I was already scheduled to be home from work, we drove to a small but lovely local zoo and walked for about three hours. Instead of a costly and more than likely poor-quality lunch out, I did the sensible thing and packed peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the three of us, a Ziploc bag of Pirate’s Booty to share, some fat free Fig Newtons (which really taste identical to the … Continue reading →

Fun In The Butterfly House

During our last trip to Hawaii we took my then 2-year-old daughter to the butterfly exhibit at the local zoo. She’s not too fond of bugs, so I wasn’t sure how much she would appreciate standing in a cage full of monarchs, longwings and swallowtails. My older brother (ever the realist) insisted she would be just fine. After all, he reminded me, my daughter once tried to climb into the zoo’s monkey cage, so this was her chance to get up close and personal with some winged insects. Turns out he was right. Within minutes of walking into the exhibit … Continue reading →

Visiting Zoo Atlanta

I have written many blogs highlighting the wonderful attractions Atlanta, Georgia has to offer visitors and residents alike. Get ready, I have one more to add to the list. I just can’t help myself—there’s so much about the city that warrants gushing over (save for the horrendous traffic and the drivers—Atlanta drivers… let’s just leave that topic for another blog, this blog is about the city’s positive attributes). Not that you needed another, but now there’s one more reason to stop by Zoo Atlanta. A new resident has arrived at the zoo (and made history in the process)—she is the … Continue reading →

Animal Cupcakes

Turn a plain cupcake into an animal cupcake and your children will “roar” with delight. You will need: Cupcakes White frosting Chocolate frosting Tootsie rolls Black decorating gel Decorating bag with round tip or plastic baggie Directions: Lion Follow the directions on the food coloring to make brown coloring. Use a decorating bag and round tip or cut off one corner of a sandwich bag and make the mane. Add facial features with the decorating gel. Roll two small balls out of the tootsie roll and then flatten. Frost them the same color as the mane, let the frosting set … Continue reading →

Going to the Zoo

Every Thursday is half-price day at the Boise Zoo and today we finally made it. Because of illness and bad weather we had to keep putting off our trip and I was tired of my kids asking when we were going to go. We went in the morning before the usual afternoon heat, which actually turned out to be rain. We had a great time seeing all of the animals. But I did learn that animals rarely cooperate. The entire time my son wanted to see the badger. Then when we finally got to its exhibit it was curled up … Continue reading →

“Naked Mole-Rats”

My young daughter loves the zoo. We have been fortunate to travel to the Bronx Zoo, the Brookfield Zoo (see my blog: “Day Trip: Brookfield Zoo“), the Honolulu Zoo and other local zoos across the country. So imagine my surprise when I came across an ad for the Knoxville Zoo’s newest attraction. No, not a ferocious lion, or a unique red panda or a new dolphin exhibit, rather: “Naturally Naked Mole-Rats.” They are described as having “wrinkled, hot dog-shaped bodies” and are attracting thousands of spectators, especially kids who are mesmerized by the animal’s activities. The mole-rats are displayed in … Continue reading →

Z if for zoo

Taking your kids to the zoo can be a delightful way to spend a day outdoors and amongst some of the most magnificent creatures in nature. Spring is an exceptionally popular time for schools and parents alike to take kids to the zoo. So it’s important to plan for your trip carefully, especially if you are heading out in springtime. Zoos often feature memberships that can greatly reduce your visitor costs if you plan to attend the zoo regularly. You can also pre-buy tickets to many zoos and that can save you money as well. Check their website or with … Continue reading →

San Diego – Life’s a Beach

Southern California’s beaches are a testament to beauty and outdoor pleasure. If you’re looking for a great place to visit the beach, San Diego offers you plenty of beach fun to go with the world-class zoo located in Balboa Park. If you’ve never been to San Diego, it’s a fantastic place to take a family vacation and spend more time outdoors than in. There are 50 continuous miles of beaches to choose from in the area. Among the choices are Black’s Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and more. If you’re vacationing with a pet, Ocean Beach is a great place … Continue reading →