When we first entered the zoo, the kids had consulted their maps and the sunscreen was fully applied, Ephram was beside himself with excitement. He insisted we stop at the very first thing he saw - which was a pretty little pond area with a lot of ducks. He was so excited about this pond, we spent about a half an hour there. (Charlie and Macie were enjoying it too.)
A little while later, as we were nearing the elephant care station - where the boys were both fascinated by the foot soak an elephant was receiving - we stopped so that a family of ducks could safely cross the road.
We spent quite a bit of time at this playground in the morning. The boys were having a great time playing with each other, and Macie happened to be snoozing in her stroller.
A little bit later it was lunch time. Even the little eating area was so much fun for the kids. Charlie and Ephram split a cheese pizza and a bag of cheetos. They loved both.
Then it was off to see more animals. Ephram stalked a certain turtle for several minutes. He also really loved climbing on the rails of the exhibits to get a close look. There's something about my 3 year old hanging out on a set of rails that is totally endearing to me.
The polar bear exhibit was a big hit for the boys. They enjoyed this big scale that weighed them together. They also had fun crawling through the pretend ice caves and popping their heads through the holes. The polar bear was being a little shy, but we did catch a quick glimpse of him right at the front of the exhibit before he went back into the shadows. Then the boys found the helicopter that was there to represent how polar bears are found... and their love of this exhibit was locked.
We also saw, and admired the cuteness of, the pandas. There were several types in this area of the zoo. This exhibit was very crowded, but we were able to see the pandas eating and a momma panda taking care of her young one.
The next favorite was definitely the hippos. When we got there they were "dancing" around the pool. Swimming in circles and then surfacing at the top before they went around again. We would see them go by and then the water would be dark and empty for a few minutes. The hippos would start to appear really blurry, and then all of the sudden they'd be swimming by right next to us. After two passes, Ephram had it figured out. He ran down to the front of the exhibit and waited for the hippos. When the hippos appeared, he would run along the glass right next to them. He knew exactly where they stopped to surface, and would stop next to them. On one pass, a hippo gave him a little kiss through the glass. Priceless.
I have many more pictures, and we saw so much more. We stayed in the zoo until closing time. The kids also really enjoyed the monkeys, the tiger and clusters of birds. They also really enjoyed a 4D movie starring the characters of Madagascar.
Before we left we stopped and let the boys get their pressed pennies to add to their collections. They love this tradition.
Then it was time to head back to my Grandma's house. We are very happy with our decision to do the zoo instead of a traditional amusement park on this visit. The San Diego Zoo was everything I remembered it to be.
