We decided that since Memorial Day Weekend was 3 days long we should get out for at least one of those days, so we went to the zoo!  We figured it might not be too busy if we went early enough on Saturday since a lot of people were also going to be camping.  It’s actually much easier to go to the zoo when there a lot of other families rather than a lot of people without kids who for some reason think it’s crazy that so many people take their kids to the zoo and get pissy if you’re walking slow or are chasing down a toddler who no longer wanted to sit in his stroller.

We brought the barge so that way both kids would have the option of sitting in the stroller at the same time. I brought a sling as well in case Phoebe got fussy, but really enjoyed hanging out in her own special seat, especially when Enzo was sitting in front of her and she could reach out to hold the seat in front of her.

Enzo was a little bit of a grump, but Phoebe was very happy just checking everything out.  We thought it might put Enzo in a good mood to try and ride a camel, and he got excited at the suggestion, so $10 later (ouch) he and Josh took a ride around on a camel.  Enzo got a little scared at first, so Josh showed him how fun it is to make silly noises because of how bumpy the ride was, and he got more into it.  Josh is actually recording Enzo making the silly noises (and not checking Facebook).

We did a fairly quick walkthrough this time around since Enzo was kind of having an “off” day, but did stop to see the otters and wolverine, which he thoroughly enjoyed before heading home.  Since we renewed our membership it’s nice to feel like we can stay as long as we want, and it’s okay to only see a few things each time.  I’m glad that overall the kiddos generally do really well on our little day trips, though.

It’s also the first time, though (at this particular zoo) that I kind of felt bad watching the animals. I never noticed how small some of the exhibits are and (maybe its hormones), I just felt a twinge of sadness as the lynx slept curled up in a ball next to the glass while small children tried to get its attention by making noise and banging.  It all felt a little depressing, to be honest.

And now that I’ve completely ended things on a dismal note (whoops), if I ever win the lottery, I know I want to put some of it towards wildlife conservation.  Anything helps, right?  Hopefully if you visit your own zoos frequently you’ll educate yourself and see what ways you can help support your local zoo as well as support wildlife in general.  There are so many simple things we could all do.