San Diego Zoo and Safari Park

One thing we (especially the kids) have really enjoyed while living here in San Diego is the zoo.  And the season passes are so reasonable, and so many people we know have them, that it seemed like a no-brainer to get them.  I didn't realize how much we would end up going to and enjoying it.  There is also a Safari Park associated with the zoo that is a little ways out of town.  I love that on any random day (especially one when we've been without daddy for a while) I can take the kids on a really fun, already paid for outing.
The first thing Zach wants to do when we get home from either park is to see the pictures we've taken.  This year I'm considering getting him a little camera of his own to take his very own pictures (which I'll be sure to post:)).  I love that we can do things like this that they love, and call it "school".

All that being said, here are a few bunch of our favorite zoo pictures!

The koalas are almost always our first stop.  Since they are nocturnal, they are hardly ever awake when we go, but they are adorable either way.



In addition to the caged animals, there are a lot of native animals that hang out at the zoo...like this peacock.



I think one of our favorite animals as a family is the giraffe.  In fact, I have so many giraffe pictures, I'm pretty sure I could make an entire post out of them...but I won't...well, not right now at least.:)



Flamingos are usually pretty boring (and stinky) in my opinion, but this particular day they were putting on a show.




Can't you just hear him saying "cheese"?  Pandas are one of the main attractions at the San Diego Zoo, and we can understand why, they are so cute!  The lines to see them can be pretty long, but when they aren't we stop in to see them.




One of the wolves that lives at the zoo out for a stroll.




The flowers here are pretty awesome, as well.




In the small bird exhibit, you can go in the cage an actually hang out with the birds!  The one on the bottom left was actually a random bird that was perched on a tree (not in an exhibit), and the one on the bottom-right is a hummingbird that landed...which I had never seen happen before, so I thought it was pretty exciting.  Moving on to the Safari Park...




As you can tell, the set up here is a lot different, the spaces the animals live in are huge, and although there are fewer species living here, I think it's a better experience overall.  It's far less crowded (for humans and animals), and it's far enough out of the city that you feel like you're really going somewhere special.  By the way, I have no idea what this animal is...I'm sure you can google it if you really need to know.:)



Did you know that lions sleep an average of 20 hours a day?  Well, if this guy is any indication, I believe it, he's been asleep, in relatively that same spot every time we've visited.



The Safari Park is also home to lots of native animals...this deer was hanging out along the side of the road (imagine that) that the tram tour follows.



Cheetahs are really fast.  No, I mean REALLY fast.  One of the daily events here is the Cheetah Run (a.k.a put a piece of meat on a line that gets reeled in by machine and watch the cheetah sprint after it)...very impressive.



One of the things we are able to point out at either park is the amazing creativity of our Creator.  There are a huge variety of hoofed animals on the plains here, but each one is so unique.



This is the baby rhino...and people think I have big babies.:)










Did I mention that we really like giraffes?




I absolutely love this picture of Zach taking it all in.


I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." Psalm 90:2