Journey to the Knot: "More Zoo!"

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

"More Zoo!"

Almost exactly a year ago, Banner had his first trip to the zoo. Since then, he's been to that same zoo at least 3 other times. So, we decided to try a different zoo, and I decided to put it on my Camp Mommy calendar and make it a special event with Daddy, too - even though it was a mid-week trip. Wednesdays are half-price admission, the weather could not have been more amazing, and Banner was so excited to go - it was truly a perfect day! Given it is mid-July and I'm 31 weeks pregnant, I expected to be hot and sweaty the whole time. Although it wasn't cold by any means, the breeze, the slight overcast, and the record low high temperatures kept the morning's trip extremely manageable and comfortable.

I know I've been to this zoo before - years and years ago - but I don't remember it being this incredible! Caden has always raved about it, and now I know why he loves it so much. Watching how close my child could safely get to the animals was awesome. There were so many great set-ups and interactive exhibits. In fact, by far my most favorite part was the reptile and amphibian house - which I typically love to skip. We could see the animals very well, and most of them were pretty active when we were there first thing in the morning. I was consistently impressed with what we were able to see! Banner was a bit weary at first, wanting one of us to hold him, but he soon realized that the animals couldn't really touch him through the glass and became much more comfortable. He loved walking around the zoo and naming all the creatures we saw. He did great the whole time - listening like a champ, eating his snacks and lunch well, and wanting to really watch each animal. We even treated ourselves to a family chocolate ice cream (one of my favorite parts!) after an active morning. It is definitely a trip I know he'll remember for a while. Personally, I can't wait to go back, and I found myself so totally empathizing with Banner's demands of "More zoo, more zoo!" as we headed toward the parking lot after a few hours of such fun!