The First Time

Pat and I had the privilege of taking my niece to the Detroit Zoo for the first time. We took Jordan and Harmony, our granddaughter, this past Sunday. It was a lot of fun! We saw some animals that we haven't seen in previous trips, explored areas that were until then unexplored, and paid a small fortune to ride the train.

What is up with that anyway? Do you know it cost the four of us $12 to ride the train from the back of the zoo to the front of the zoo; a one-way trip behind the zoo with no real sites to see! It just blew my mind. When we used to take all seven of our kids it was a mere 50 cents. That was just a few years ago, really. At today's rates it would have cost us $27 for a quick ride from the back to the front of the zoo! How on earth could we have justified doing that? I guess three dollars is the new fifty-cents! Sad...

Anyway, despite my sticker shock at the cost of the train ride, we had a spectacular time. See for yourself:

Jordan and the Big Blue Dog!

Amphibiville is very interactive!

Everyone has to get their picture taken here!

She's trapped in a dino cage!

This feels great on a hot day!

The Arctic Zone is awesome!

The ice wall is C-O-L-D!

Harmony pushed Jordan for quite a while!

The prairie dogs are so cute!

These prairie dogs aren't too bad either!

Who knows what this is?

"I want to ride the zebra!"

The zebra.

Waiting for the train to leave.

The zoo was fun...

...for me too!

The train is loud!

Ahhh...

Wordless Wednesday

Making Memories

About a week ago, Pat and I took two of our grandchildren, Harmony and Dustin, to the Detroit Zoo along with our youngest son, Adrian. What a great time we had! It was so much fun to see the kids get excited about the animals, the fountain, and the train.

Despite the fact that it was so hot that day it was pure joy for all of us to experience elements of nature that are rare and exciting. How often do we see a flamingo or a penguin? Harmony just loved the penguins. Although, it did take her a few minutes to warm up to the reptile house.

The highlight for Dustin was the train. Oh, how he loved the train! We had a great time sharing in his joy. Isn't it fun to watch the uninhibited enthusiasm of a child? He was so excited!

Our time was maximized due to the fact that we went prepared. We all had our hats, sunscreen, and plenty of snacks and water. We had everything that we needed to stay comfortable and healthy without having to spend a ton of money while we were there. Although, since our membership does give us a discount in the gift shops, we did get the little ones a memento from the day.

Despite the fact that they are two and almost three both of the young ones remember our day at the zoo. Harmony asks if we are going to see the animals every time she comes over now. Even Adrian, 14 years old, enjoyed the day and looks forward to going back. I am sure we will see many visits to the Detroit Zoo before our pass expires next year.