San Diego Zoo

Happy 2010!  I don’t think we’ve ever been so happy to see the close of one year and the start of another.  And what better way to spend New Year’s Day than with a trip to the San Diego Zoo? 

 
Julie has never been to this zoo, and my only visit was in 1st grade.  I didn’t remember anything other than the skyway.  So good to see that it’s still operating!

 
We hit the kids zoo first, and good thing…the entire zoo became very crowded later in the day.  For now we had the place to ourselves!


Katie loved going down the slide.  “Wheeeee”.

But she wanted nothing to do with the giant tortoise statue!


An Ocelot.

Checkin’ out the Meerkats.
 
 
Katie was miss independent throughout the day.  Walking and talking, running ahead, looking at all the animals, etc. 

About walking…we had no idea how big or how hilly the zoo is.   It’s 100 acres in size, little of it is flat, and many of the walkways are quite steep.  I told Julie that the size reminded me of a Florida theme park.  If you aren’t in decent shape, forget it.  We lasted about 6 hours left without seeing everything.  We feel the zoo can easily take up an entire day and is much more difficult than walking all day at Disneyland.  Bring your walking shoes, sunscreen and stamina!



“What Dat?”

The Lost Forest is the most visually impressive part of the zoo…


…and the easiest to get lost in.  With multiple levels of winding pathways, it’s easy to get turned around.


She’s off…again. :)


The zoo’s newest area is Elephant Odyssey.  At 7.5 acres it is the largest exhibit in the zoo, and six times the size of the previous elephant enclosure.


It was really neat to watch Katie see her first elephant.  She kept pointing and it, and looking back at me as if to ask, “What in the world is that huge thing?!”


The work area was built to be spacious and open so guests can see the care being given to the elephants.


The entire exhibit is very nice and is a huge expansion of an already large park.  We also noticed the lack of shade out here and how warm it had become.


Good thing Julie found some shade! :)


Skyfari time!  Katie loved this and said “Wheee” throughout the entire ride.


The ride is very nice, taking you above the wooded areas of Lost Forest and Panda Canyon. 


It’s also tall, with some areas 200-300 feet above the walkways. If you don’t have a full price one-day admission ticket, there is a $4.00 up-charge per person, one way.  It’s a little expensive but the views are breathtaking.


Lost Forest with it’s elevated walkways among the trees, and the ground-level paths in the shadows.


Katie was having too much fun to look at the camera.


Walking through Panda Canyon with Skyfari high above.

A Siberian Lynx.


A young Warthog.  Hakuna Matata!


This peacock was very friendly.  He wouldn’t allow himself to be touched, but came right up to people eating on the patio.


We had a great time and fully intend on returning once Katie is a little older.  For an additional charge, buses take you on a guided tour, with multiple stops along the way.  We’ll do this next time to avoid all the walking.  And if you go, don’t worry about paying for parking…it’s free!

See you next time!