The San Diego Zoo

After speeding out of Los Angeles as quickly as possible and getting a "good night's sleep," we drove down Historic 101 to San Elijo State Beach where we spent a few nights.



Our days were filled with planning the next few weeks.
What do we do in San Diego? Where should we stay? Can we get appointments at the VA clinic? And just getting over our stolen bikes. There really is a grieving process.

And now we are the hostel in Point Loma - a neighborhood of San Diego.


Now, I had no idea my mother-in-law has always dreamed of going to the San Diego Zoo - so this is for her.

I must admit, I was a bit skeptical. I mean, aren't all zoo's the same? They house animals for research and education purposes, and they all have the same basic animals.

I was wrong. The San Diego Zoo is amazing!

Richie has now placed it at the top of our favorite stops on the road trip (just below Crater Lake)


First, the weather was incredible - not too hot.

It's springtime, so the zoo was full of newborns running amok. And while most of the animals were napping, it sure made for some adorable pictures.


There were many bashful, cuddly, and sleepy animals, which also made for some great photos.

I hope they make you smile.


Now remember, all animals are either caged or behind glass - so I'll apologize in advance for the wires or a haze that might appear in many of the photographs.


We were most fascinated by the Gorillas - as were most people - and we watched them for at least an hour and a half. It's hard for me to understand how some people can ignore the similarities between humans and gorillas. Hand prints, opposable thumbs, fingernails, mannerisms, etc.



We learned that polar bears CAN live in the warm San Diego air and they really enjoy their carrots!


Now what is cool about this zoo, is there are multiple exhibits of the same type of animal. We saw these little and big parrots everywhere!


We found this little bear snoozing on a tree branch. His mom was walking around, and his brother eventually climbed on top of him and fell asleep too. Look at his little feet - and that tongue!


We humans should mimic these animals and just nap in the sun sometimes!


The koalas were snoozing with one baby just-a-chompin' on a branch. Did you know that koala's sleep 18-20 hours a day?!?!? Something else I COULD mimic.

When I saw this guy, I started singing Hakuna Matata. You know that part... Don't be embarrassed - sing along!

Why, when he was a young warthog...

When I was a young wart hog

He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal
He could clear the Savannah after every meal

I'm a sensitive soul though I seem thick-skinned
And it hurt that my friends never stood downwind

And oh, the shame
He was ashamed
Thought of changin' my name
What's in a name?
And I got downhearted
How did ya feel?
Everytime that I...

Hey! Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!

We saw more Flamingos than I've ever seen in one spot. Did you know that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp?



And the large, creepy birds of prey.


Meerkats running crazy and rolling around in the dirt (I guess to keep cool)!


Camels - the kind with two humps - known as Bactrian camels. They are native to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.


Even something called a Buergers' Tree Kangaroo


Baby giraffes and zebras...



And hundreds of reptiles!


These tiger cubs were playing in the water. They are normally a solitary animal, but this area had 4 - a mom (we assume) and 3 cubs. The Keepers pulled the mom out, and the cubs went wild! Very cute to observe.


And the 2nd coolest thing was the last thing we saw - the large turtles.
These guys move a lot faster than you might think!


Ironically, there was a rabbit in the same area as the turtles and Richie (of course!) made a joke about the tortoise and the hare.


I must admit - our zoo visit has us wanting to watch Madegascar again.


This is Richie's favorite photo of the day - the the Komodo Dragon. I just read an article on the secret to the Komodo Dragon's Bite - check it out.

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I'm really excited! I just read the National Park Service is going to open The Statue of Liberty crown to the public starting July 4, 2009. This means there is a chance we'll be able to see the city from the pretty lady's head! I've always wanted to do that!