The Zoo!

We really tried to break up Christmas vacation with some fun activities so the kids wouldn't miss being with family as much. We went to the Children's museum, the park several times and the Phoenix Zoo. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed a little cooler weather (cooler for Phoenix anyway) and had a lot of fun without school and homework lingering over Travis. It was a really nice break. The zoo was really impressive. The layout of the entire zoo was really nice and we spent nearly 5 hours there and walked 4 miles (according to our map). There was so much to look at and do. I think I took at least a hundred pictures so lets see if I can narrow it down to some of my favorites.

This is a cool tree house they had for the kids to play on. It had a slide and sand to play in with a little creek running underneath it. The kids spent a lot of time here.

 There is a lot of water throughout the zoo. In one area there is an island out in the middle of this little lake. We didn't think much of it until we notice there is a monkey swinging around out there. No nets, no cages, just a monkey hanging out on this cool little island. It was pretty cool. Look close, can you spot him in the picutre???

How about in this closer shot?

Who would have thought a Kangaroo pouch could hold that much?

The sign said this was the actual size of an African elephant.

 

Flamingos! Pretty cool. They had flamingos in several areas throughout the zoo.

This is the biggest tortoise I have ever seen. At least twice the size of the one at the Boise zoo.

A baby Zebra . . . ahhhh!

I can't remember the name of these monkeys (Passion probably does, I'll have to ask her) but their faces look like a lions with a shaggy main surrounding their face. 

Petting goats at the petting zoo.

They had two tractors set up to play on right outside the farm petting zoo area. Wisdom thought this was pretty cool!

They also had a little people farm play area where only kids under a certain height could go play. It was pretty cool. I wish I had gotten a shot of the whole play area though. It was like a gigantic little people zoo playset.

My girls actually getting along for a moment. We had to take a picture!

I have to tell one little story about our zoo visit. While eating lunch at a little table area, the kids kept feeding the birds. And the birds kept getting really close to them. They were fearless. Travis and I told the kids to stop and eat their lunch already. So they did. But a few minutes later we hear this weird screeching sound and look over to see Passion with a huge grin, cupping a tiny bird in her hand and saying, "I caught one, I caught one!" What I wish I had done next was taken a picture but instead I yelled, "let it go, let it go!" and then the little bird bit her and she dropped it. Crazy girl! The bite didn't break the skin but it left a couple little red marks that Passion proudly called her bird kisses.