Expiration

Last March my family bought an annual membership to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  For those not familiar, that is where Winter the dolphin lives.  Late in 2013 and early 2014, they were filming Dolphin Tale 2 at the Aquarium and had it closed for filming off-and-on for two months.  Because of that, they extended our membership through the end of this May. 

Last month I also purchased discount tickets to go to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa and they expire May 30.  So what's a girl to do when you are in the last week of the month and have passes to two places about to expire?  You go to both of them in the same day, of course!

We had been to Lowry only once and that was 3 years ago.  I remember there being animals as well as a few rides for the kids.  We've been to the Aquarium a couple times in the last year so I figured we'd spend less time there so we started at the zoo.

We spent about 3.5 hours at the zoo where we walked just about every path we could.  Being that it was 90 out we also stopped for snow cones.  Aside from the fact that they helped cool us down, we were able to dispense our own flavors.  I had a wonderful tropical fruity concoction while my kids had I have no idea what to call it... a fruity cacophony of flavors.

Unfortunately, the two rides my kids were most interested in were either closed or they were to big to ride  :-(  Did I mention they were water rides which meant our initial plan for cooling off didn't work.  Yay for snow cones!

We were able to see a couples shows, as well as see some animals up close.  So all in all it was a good time and I'm glad we did it.

Lorwy is one of 5 locations in FL that takes in hurt manatees

National bird.  Got to see one fly and heard their call (very different than what you think).

Baby is almost 2 years old.

One of my daughters favorite animals.  Flock flew by us and one right over us too.

After the zoo we drove over to the Aquarium and spent about 45 minutes there.  We got there just in time to see most of a Winter show / training session and got to see some of the changes that were made for the filming of the new movie.  Although this was a really short stop, I know Winter is a favorite of my daughter, so I'm glad we went since I don't think we'll be going back for a while.

Winter is way down there in the middle of the picture.  Down side of getting there late = bad view.

Only thing about the trip I disliked... the drive.  It's a long drive to begin with, but on the way home we encountered 2 separate accidents with overturned SUVs which had traffic backed up big time.  In fact, it delayed us so much that we didn't get to see my hubby before he had to go to work.

Zoo # 7

Yep.  That's right.  Today, the kids and I went to our 7th different zoo.  Today we drove to the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, FL.  It's what I would consider a smaller zoo.  But what it does, it does well.

The first thing I want to say about this zoo is that it's volunteers are GREAT!  They are knowledgeable, friendly, and seem to be everywhere.  Some of the volunteers are very attached to the animals they work near.  For example, one of the giraffes is being moved to Richmond, VA and the volunteer talking about the giraffes started to choke up when talking about the move.

Another thing about this zoo that I really like is that it has a lot of hands-on areas for the kids.  When we first walked in, there was a woman holding a bearded dragon that the kids were able to pet.  They also have an area where the kids can pet a variety of sea creatures.  And for a small fee, you can buy food to feed various animals around the zoo (giraffes, birds, deer, alligators).  Oh, and they have hand sanitizer in abundance for after your animal encounters.  I came prepared but it's nice to know they thought of it. 

Unfortunately, there was one area that we were not able to take advantage of and that's a small water park.  I heard they had a place where the kids could get wet, but this was more than what I thought it would be so we were not prepared.  I think from now on, I'm going to come prepared just in case (especially in the South).

The beauty of a small zoo is that you don't have to trek across acres and acres to see all the animals.  The animals seemed to have plenty of room, but at the same time I didn't feel like I walked for miles (which some zoos do).

We move to the West side of Florida on Friday where we will visit zoo #8 in the next couple of weeks.  It's so exciting being able to see so many different places!

Good help is so hard to find...

but when you do, it's great.  A few weeks ago I mentioned that hubby and I had been having some trouble with DMV.  I then explained that sometimes all you need is to find the right person who really knows what they are doing.  On Thursday I got to experience that again.

You see, the weather was so nice and we'd been learning about the different types of animals (reptiles, mammals, etc) that I decided a trip to the zoo was in order.  Even though Friday's weather was going to be warmer I decided to go on Thursday; that way I could avoid the heavy traffic on the way back home.  Unfortunately I didn't realize there was a bunch of construction, so a trip that Google maps said would take just over an hour took 2 hours.  When we got there we were the 5th person turned away from the last parking lot with space.  Arghh!!!

Then my daughter proceeded to tell me that she needed to use the bathroom.  Of course?!?!  I knew that I would not be able to find a place to park in DC much less a place with a public bathroom, so I ended up parking in the bus zone and found a zoo employee there and told him what happened.  He told me that I could park there while we used the bathroom.  When we got back to the car, he told me to follow him over to a lot nearby, because 3 people had just left the lot.  He ended up moving the cones and let us park (one of the best parking spots I've gotten there too).

We then spent 4.5 wonderful hours at the zoo looking at animals and enjoying the weather.  The National Zoo is still one of my least favorite zoos that I've been to, but this trip certainly did help me to appreciate it a bit more.

Being that I'm a cat person, seeing the 6 and 7 month old lion cubs was a plus too.

My Life is a Zoo

Not really, but I've been to so many as of late that it sometimes feels like it.  You see, I've gone to 6 different zoos in 5 different states over the last 4 months.  As such, I feel like a bit of a connoisseur.  Because of that, I'm going to rank the zoo's I've been to and explain their ranking.

1.  St. Louis, MO

Admission is free but you do need to pay for parking.  There are a few activities you can do at the zoo that cost extra (ride the train, ride the carousel, attend a sea lion show, pet a stingray).  We did pay to do many of the extra things and we don't regret that purchase at all.  We thought the layout of the zoo was well thought out and that the animals had not only ample space, but visitors to the zoo had a pretty good chance of seeing the different animals (even if they were sleeping).  Our only complaint was the cost of the food and drinks.

2.  Des Moines, IA (Blank Park Zoo)

This was the smallest of the zoos we went to.  That meant it didn't have as many animals but they were all laid out in such a way that you could see them without any problems.  They also had numerous shows and meet the keeper opportunities which the kids loved.  We also paid $1 to feed a giraffe a leaf of lettuce (OK we paid $5 and got 6 leaves), and we also paid $1 for each of the kids to feed some parakeets.

3.  Columbus, OH. 

I've heard lots of good things about this zoo because it is where Jack Hannah is based out of.  Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed.  Maybe it was because of all the hype.  Don't get me wrong, it's a nice zoo, but the layout for the animal enclosures made it hard to see some of the animals.  They do have numerous meet the keeper opportunities and an animal show that is really cute (with primarily house pets that have been rescued from local shelters).  In addition to having lots of different animals (a plus when it comes to kids) they have a spectacular play area for the kids and a mini-amusement park complete with a coaster, log flume, and swing (the day we were there it was cold and a bit windy so most of the rides were closed).  The price of the foods at the zoo is also rather reasonable for eating out as well.

4.  Cincinnati, OH. 

Technically the Cincinnati Zoo is also a Botanical Garden.  That means the zoo is beautifully landscaped and for the most part well laid out.  It is rather hilly which made pushing around my 6 year old and 4 year old in a double stroller a bit difficult at times (I kept telling myself I was getting a good workout).  I love some of the special themed buildings they have (cats, insects and butterflies, etc).  I also liked how everything was well shaded (very important considering the day we were there it was 90).  Besides the hills, my biggest beef with the Cincy Zoo is the price to park and get in.  I also wished they had at least one area for the kids to just unwind and run around.

5.  Washington, DC. 

This was the first of the zoos I'd been to but it's also one I've been to multiple times because it is my "home" zoo.  The National Zoo is very nice considering it's in the heart of the Nation's Capital.  It is rather hilly in areas (again making pushing a stroller hard).  It was also undergoing LOTS of construction.  A necessity I understand, but it meant that many of the animals we were there to see were taken off display because their habitat was being renovated.  It would have been nice to know in advance just so I could have prepared my kids.

6.  Minnesota Zoo in Minneapolis, MN (Apple Valley). 

They claimed they have the second largest acreage of any zoo in the United States.  If that's the case, they are letting a lot of it go to waste.  They claim it is because they are trying to preserve some of the marsh land in the area.  I have no problem with that, but don't tout to me that you have all this space and disappoint me by having so few animals.  They did have a few kid play areas that were nice (including a water fountain for them to run in).  They also had a really nice aquarium complete with a dolphin.  That said, I would not go back to this zoo.  Instead, I would go to Como Zoo (in nearby St. Paul) which I hear is much nicer and also has a small amusement park.

Now to cover some general information.  If you are planning on doing anything like this I would recommend that you  get a family membership to your local zoo.  The reason is because by doing so you are allowed into that zoo for free for the next year.  My local zoo is the National Zoo.  I figured out that I would need to go to the National Zoo 2 times in order to "make back" my money (your membership is tax deductible by the way).  Not only that, but having a membership to the National Zoo got me discounts at every zoo that I went to.

To ellaborate:  I got into the Des Moines Zoo for free (it normally would have cost us $30 for 3 of us).  Getting into St. Louis is free for everyone, but we were able to do all of the "extra" activities except for petting the stingrays for half price.  We got into all the other zoos for 50% off and we even got 15% off food or gift store purchases in Cincinnati just for showing them my National Zoo membership.

I have gotten back so much more than what I paid for the membership.  Not only have we gotten discounts at other zoos, but we've been able to experience 6 different zoos in 5 different states.  We've seen MANY different animals and have lots of pictures and memories that will last a lifetime.

An Oldie But a Goodie

Over the last 3 months I have taken my children to 5 different zoos (and have plans to do another in the next couple of weeks).  What have I learned? 

1.  Make sure you bring a stroller (or get one from the zoo).  Even if your child is used to walking, they will inevitably get tired of walking.
2.  Get a membership to the zoo most local to you because you will get discounts at other zoos.  Don't forget to mention it everywhere you buy something inside the zoo.  You'll be surprised what you can get at a discount.
3.  Check before going to make sure you can bring in your own food.  If not, plan on going to the car to eat or plan your trip so that you are arriving or leaving around lunch.  Most food inside the zoo is overpriced and doesn't taste that good either.  If you can, make sure to pack not only a lunch, but snacks and lots of drinks too (20oz drinks cost an average of $2 ea).
4.  Be prepared to say "No" to the MANY requests for things from the gift shop.  I tried to avoid the gift shop entirely but marketing being what it is, they always seem to put it in a place where kids see it.  My solution for this was to get my kids started on collecting elongated pennies.  We wander around the zoo in search of the 1 design they like best.  This not only gives them something to look at later to remember the trip, but it doesn't take up much space and costs between $.51 - $1.01 each.  Many postcards aren't even that cheap.
5.  Before going to the zoo, find out what animals are there and let your child(ren) know.  Ask them which one they want to make sure they see and plan accordingly (very important in some of the larger zoos where it is hard to see everything in one day). 
6.  Be prepared for disappointment (theirs and even yours).  One zoo I took the kids to, didn't have the standard animals (elephant, giraffe, zebra, etc) and my kids were a bit disappointed but because we knew some of the animals that were there I was able to distract them with what we were going to be able to see.  I must admit it was our least favorite of the 5 so far, so there is something to be said for the old standbys. 

More zoo information to come after we visit zoo #6 (one of the top 10 in the USA).