Back to the zoo!

So, we love the zoo. We have family passes and try to go as often as we can. The kids love the animals (so do I) and we're almost certainly guaranteed a good night's sleep after a day at the zoo. The last few times we've gone I've tried to leave the camera at home and leave my phone in the bag and just enjoy the moment instead of documenting everything.

But this weekend was different! July 20th was Visitor Appreciation Day, which meant the attractions that were normally a few dollars a head were free. Jay had an unexpected Sunday off so it worked out perfectly. Hayden had really been wanting to see the Rio 4-D experience and everything is better free.

We started off in North America. Lila loves the polar bear, Patches, and Hayden loves to watch the sea lions swim at the underwater viewing area. Lila loves all things bear, really, so when we got to the bears and they were actually moving around, she lost it. Overjoyed.

We saw the alligators and the turtles and the Sonora Desert but these kids really wanted to get to Jungle Junction! (That's where all the free stuff was) We grabbed a snack in one of the cafes and headed into the Rio movie. Thanks to the drizzly weather early in the day, things weren't too too busy so we didn't have to wait long.

Rio was really cool because a) the kids are currently obsessed with the sequel and b) it was a totally interactive experience. There were puffs of air blowing behind your ear, things flapping at your feet, birds flying at your face, the smell of sunscreen and even a little spray of the ocean! Hayden loved it, Lila tolerated it (in my lap). 

Since the carousel was free, we rode it all together. Lila always picks the Polar Bear; Hayden wanted to be beside her and that left the dolphin in the middle for me. They wanted to ride it over and over but we said one was enough. There was more to see! So we headed over to the Bugs exhibit.

This was so cool because the bugs were all giant so you could see all their moving parts. Hayden loved it; Lila hated it of course. But they learned a lot! Hayden has a recent obsession with scorpions so it was awesome for him to get to see a giant one. He was a little worried that the enormous spider was going to come to life, come down off the web and get him. So he was cautious in taking a picture with it.

Somehow, we have missed the Aviary on our last 1000 trips to the zoo. I can't remember ever having gone in it in the past four years. We stopped to see the flamingos, which was a huge hit with the kids. Inside,we saw pineapples growing, a ton of amazing birds and some that were hiding from us! 

By this point in the afternoon the kiddos were running out of steam but they won't leave the zoo without a trip to see the elephants, because they know they're my favorite! This time, we were there at the same time as the elephant keeper so we got to see a mother and daughter up close and personal, and even doing a few tricks for treats! 

It was a beautiful day well spent! We saw our baby baboons and the gorillas and a quick stop at the zebras and giraffes before we finally headed out. The biggest bonus? Lila rode in the stroller for the first time in over a year. Parent win! She loves the zoo and loves to walk but gets tired of walking pretty quickly, doesn't want to ride in the stroller and doesn't want Jay to carry her. So that means a long day for mom. This time, Jay told her "you're riding in your stroller, end of story" and she went for it! 

Thanks for taking it easy on mom, Lila!