Vacation - our day at San Diego Zoo

The next day, after our trip to LA area, we got up early and headed back down to San Diego to go to the world famous zoo there. It was a really pretty zoo. The scenery was amazing. The walks were enjoyable (for the most part ;). The weather was ideal (as always in Southern CA - a perfect 72 degrees!) The size was massive. And the animals were fascinating.

During this excursion, Brooke became fascinated with maps. She would, sometimes, rather look and study the map than the animals we were in front of! We finally, at one point, had to take the map away.

So, then, that, of course, led Brenna to become fascinated with the map. ;P

The koala bears were one of my personal favorite. They are just too cute! I could just take one home I swear!

This is actually a large (nonactive) termite mound that Brooke is standing in...

Here is a picture of the zookeepers on duty...

And here is Brenna standing next to the llamas, because that seems to be a favorite, due to our love of the collection of Llama Llama Red Pajama sequence of books.

And we had coincidentally just finished reading a Magic Treehouse book that referenced mammoths. So this was fun when we got to see a sculpture that was the actual size of a mammoth (and second in line, a baby mammoth)!

Here's Brooke standing like a flamingo in front of the flamingos...

(after someone mentioned to me this was where the filming of the opening of Three's Company happened, I remembered the scene where Crissy or someone was in front of the flamingos like this, so I had to take a picture of Brooke doing it too!)

Then, we came upon the polar bear area, where they had several caves for the kids to crawl in and more!

We lucked out because right as we were walking up, the polar bear was right next to the viewing glass playing with a ball. So fun to watch!

I am sure we did not see it all. We got turned around so many times within the zoo itself while looking for a normal place to eat. (every place to eat was a theme of some kind) We finally rode the little moving ramp/sidewalk thing (I am sure that has a more technical name) back to the entrance of the park, where all the main restaurants were. We had lunch there, which was surprisingly affordable, especially for the kids. They each got a souvenir bucket filled with their food - a hot dog, bag of chips, bag of animal crackers, and raisins. Plus a souvenir cup filled with the drink...and it was all only $5.50! Not bad for a park!

Anyway, while we were there eating outside (have I mentioned yet how awesome the weather is?!), this lonely peacock was walking around the dining area scrounging (begging) for leftovers. :)

After lunch, we headed over to the playground area...

Then on to the petting zoo...

It was outside of that area, that we got a stranger to take our picture again. I think this is one of the best family pictures we got on our trip though!

Then Brooke wanted to ride the Sky Fair, so Brad and Brenna and Brooke rode it up, then back down while I stood below with our stroller.

I should mention here that we think this is where Brooke's adventurous side started to rear its head. This child is scared of EVERYTHING! Especially heights. But starting here, at this zoo, we began to see her morph into some child we had never seen before, by wanting to ride crazy rides (for her) and do crazy things. (you will see more of that in later posts...)

So here they are from my view...

And Brad had a camera with him, so here they are inside the cart (is that what it's called?)...

After doing that (and wanting to do it again and again and again!), we took the bus tour (yea, we're kinda backwards I guess) and got to see the whole zoo quickly and the parts we missed on foot. Mainly, out of the whole bus tour, Brooke was most excited to see a REAL wolf...

Afterwards, it was getting late. The zoo closes at 6 and it was close to 5. Neither girl had taken a nap and our feet were starting to hurt (we got there when it opened that morning!). In fact, we had to conjure up a double stroller to make it back to the entrance/exit with both kids.

We went by the gift shop, picked out some souvenirs, and headed out the front gate, where we got this next series of pictures. Again, at the time, I was thinking this was where the opening of Three's Company happened. Later, when I got home and googled, I discovered the opening is really at the LA zoo. Bummer. I'm not as cool as I thought I was. ;P I did learn, though, through my googling (scroll to the bottom where it says "Technical Aspect), that some of the opening was filmed at the Santa Monica Pier, which we were at the day before!

Anyway, I'll stop linking everything and finish with the rest of the pictures ending our day.

(Brooke's lips are red, because she had just finished having an ICEE - didn't want you to think I was putting lipstick on her at the zoo...LOL)...