Family Staycation 2012: Day 2

For our 2nd day, we decided to give the zoo another shot. And while it was still pretty crowded, we were at least able to find parking in or near the zoo parking lot, so I guess that was an improvement over Monday.  Mainly because we got there a little earlier in the day.

It had been a couple years since I was at the zoo last, and I was a little disappointed in some of the animals that seemed to be missing. No bears, no lions (there were tigers, but they were sleeping).  And of course the sea lions and penguins I remember from my childhood have been gone for a long time. There was a fair amount of construction going on, so maybe that was to blame for some of the animals being missing.  Just this morning I checked the zoo's website and it turns out that a new exhibit is opening in June that's supposed to have polar bears, penguins, seals, and sea lions. So I guess we just weren't there at the best time.

All that said, we still had a good time at the zoo.


These colobus monkeys were probably the most entertaining part for me.  They'd climb the net surrounding their pen and then swing on it until they could get close enough to the trees outside the net to grab some leaves or buds or whatever they were trying to eat.

They still have some good gorillas, which the Phoenix zoo didn't have any of.

Got good pictures of an elephant eating.

Saw a rhino up close.

Rode the zoo train.

Finished the day off with some artsy reflection shots on the waterglobe

After the zoo, we headed back up to Draper for sandwiches for lunch, and then had a fairly lazy afternoon, playing games, watching cartoons, Easter egg hunting, and just relaxing.


Austin hanging out on the back porch

George made some tasty pork steaks for dinner and then we spent a little time in the hot tub, before calling it a night.