Our Educational Trip to the Zoo!

For the last day of Fall Break we headed into Phoenix to visit the Zoo and pick out our pumpkins for Halloween. Our trip to the Zoo ended up being very educational.

Stingray Bay is opening back up at our zoo. Today was a test run for members of the zoo. You have to pay a dollar to get in, but I thought it would be worth it, all the kids sounded excited to see it. As we got into the exhibit and walked around the the shallow end to touch them all the kids started freaking out. A lady from the zoo asked if they wanted to feed the sting rays. Addison said yes of course and the lady placed the shrimp into her hands. She had to keep her palm down and let the rays swim over her hand and suck up the shrimp. Addison quickly decided that wasn't for her! I fed the ray and I must say that it was a very interesting experience. You could feel the ray's suction and I will be honest I jumped!!
This was the first of many visits that I can remember all of the giraffes being so close to the front of the African exhibit. The kids climbed the stairs in the hut to get a better look. I stood below and as they were eating their breakfast their crumbs were flying onto my shirt and into my hair. Talk about a close encounter!!














This was the first time at the Zoo that I allowed Alex to roam freely. I am sure that the other parents around me wished I strapped him in, but he was really enjoying seeing the animals close up. He would climb on the fences and up the stairs when available to get a better look. He was very disappointed when the glass was getting in the way of him touching the baboon. He was screaming at him trying to get his attention and banging on the glass pretty hard. I am sure the baboon was happy for him to move on!


Please tell me what your answer would be...not only was it very visual, but there were sound effects too! Luckily Alex wasn't in the stroller and we had to quickly move to the next exhibit!!




For the first time at the Zoo I took the kids out of their stroller and into the Monkey exhibit. We were told as we entered that the monkeys pee on everything and we would need to wash our hands at the end of the exhibit. Leave it to our Alex to touch each rope, pole, and inch of sand he could get his hands on. After I washed his hands and started to help Addison he again started touching the sand and ropes and had to go through the process again!













Here we are standing next to the elephants. Addison noticed one of the elephants going potty and how it made a river!