Z is for Zoos!

Can you believe it? We are finishing the alphabet this week with the letter Z!

Z can remind you of a lot of things, but for us, it always comes back to the Zoos! Ever since the girls were itty bitty, like 2 and newborn, we have been taking them to the zoo. When they were tiny and we lived in Indianapolis, my parents always bought us a zoo membership for their birthday present. It is still one of our favorite zoos to visit, and we try to go with my Mom at least once a year, sometimes more.

Indianapolis is not our only zoo though, we also like to visit the Cincinnati Zoo, and we have been to the Pittsburgh Zoo as well. Each of these three major zoos has its own unique experience, and some special features that set it apart as a destination (and a really cool road trip!)

Sometimes we have just gone to look at the animals, sometimes it was to learn more about a specific animal we had been reading about, and sometimes... it is just fun to go to the zoo. 

Have you ever heard the song Going to the Zoo by Peter, Paul and Mary? Kurt has been singing this song to the girls for as long as I can remember. Even now at the ages of 19 & 17 hearing this song makes us all want to go to the zoo. If you've never heard it, here is the song on YouTube. If you start singing it to either girl today, they will want to take another trip to the zoo!

The Indianapolis Zoo is the youngest of the three zoos mentioned above. It moved to its current location in 1988. It has changed a lot in those years since, mostly for the better! It has a great Oceans building, which hosts fun interactive exhibits like petting dog sharks and some small water critters (think touch tank from Finding Dory, but smaller!) There is also a Humongous  Dolphin pavilion to watch the shows, and an underwater viewing dome - so cool!

The Pittsburgh Zoo is older, but well kept. While some of the animal exhibit areas seem a little on the small side, the real star of the show for us was the PPG Aquarium. This was so amazing, we could have spent all day just in the aquarium! If you have ever watch the River Monsters TV show...they have live arapaima fish in one of the tanks! The girls had watched that episode of River Monsters with Kurt, and we had read the book Made in Heaven: Man's Indiscriminate Stealing of God's Amazing Design, so Emily especially was all excited about learning about this Amazonian fish. Then we walked into that part of the PPG aquarium and they had more than one! She literally sat on the floor and stared at the tank for several minutes - then she came and got me - Mom, you HAVE to take some pictures!

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a masterpiece! It has been around since 1875! Seriously, 1875! That makes it the second oldest zoo in the US. Every exhibit here invites you to come learn about and appreciate the animals. Each one has its own unique flavor, and the layout of the zoo on the rolling hills of Cincinnati offers some wonderful viewing opportunities. If you have never been here and you are wondering if it is worth the admission price - oh yes! A dozen times yes. Plan to come as soon as the gates open in the morning and stay all day. You still won't have time to see everything well, but you'll love what you do see!

Why the zoo? What makes it one of our favorite places to go? You can go to have fun, you can go to learn about animals, or flowers, or to ride the zoo train. You can have a picnic lunch, or buy food there. The zoo is a place to make lasting memories. 

What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo? Do you have a favorite zoo we should add to our next road trip? Leave a comment and share your favorite zoo story!


Linking up with Annette and Amanda: