The San Diego Zoo
Written: Mar 13 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Panda Bear and the Gorilla Tropic Area.
Cons: To spread out, not enough for kids to do.
The Bottom Line: If you want to see a Panda Bear, this is the Zoo for you, if you want to see animals, save yourself the money and go to your local one!
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| ImAmes's Full Review: San Diego Zoo |
I have been to only a couple Zoos in my lifetime, one being my local and favorite, the Milwaukee County Zoo. So when I was invited to get a free ticket into the San Diego Zoo during my trip to CA, I could NOT refuse! I had heard all about the new panda bear and was eager to see one for the first time.
Before I begin, I would like to express how screwy this Zoo is set up. You have to go back up hills, or backtrack if you want to see everything, where other Zoos have been like a wheel sprocket where you could walk the entire thing without alot of that. So if you are paying a visit to the San Diego Zoo, make sure that you are aware of all the walking and retracing involved.
The first thing we did, and I recommend to everyone else, is that we visited the two Panda bears, Mom and Baby. The reason to do this first is because they are only out now and then, and aren't out for very long. To find the Panda Bears, you will go RIGHT when you walk in the Main Entrance, and then take your first left down a steep hill. The Pandas were in 2 seperate cages on the right, with a host to answer any questions you may have. They are kept pretty far away, and you have to be very quiet, so keep that in mind if you have kids along.
Next we hiked back up the hill to take a bus tour on their double decker bus. Now the top would have been cool to ride on, but it started to drizzle, so we opted for the first level. I suggest to anyone to try the top in better weather, because the bottom was near to impossible to see anything on the opposite side of the bus, making it hard for pictures or an type of camcorder taping. If you want to see a lot, sit on the RIGHT SIDE of the bus, the left side only had the giraffes. The bus tour cost $5.00 per adult, also offering a different tour for more money, where the bus stops to drop you off and let you look around before boarding for the next exhibit. I think the 2nd tour offered is wonderful for anyone who can't walk alot or for parents with little ones. If you want a different tour or view of the park, they have a Skyfari Aerial Tram that takes you HIGH above the park and I am sure San Diego as well, to get a different look at things. This is not in operation during inclement weather or at dusk.
We decided to walk the Zoo a bit, coming across Snake/Reptile houses that seemed to be set up very odd. I honestly thought that we were about to walk into a bathroom, but they were the reptile houses that are set up four in a row-I didn't understand why they didn't just put them all in one. Near the Snakes and such, were the Alligators, which they had quite a few and close enough to get some great pictures too!
We walked the bus route to see Cat Canyon, which explains itself, and then headed on over to the Bongo Canyon to catch a glimpse of the Hippos and Birds of Prey.
One of my favorite parts of this Zoo was the Gorilla Tropic Area. First there are cages of every kind of speicie of Monkey. I warn people not to aggravate these poor animals, for I did see a child opening and closing his umbrella to scare one and it got furious, and I got out of there, because when they get mad, watch out for flying poop!
The next area of the Gorilla Tropic was the large viewing area where these beautiful gorillas were jumping and playing, and oh yeah, one was eating his poop in front of us- truly repulsive! On a brighter note, a mom gorilla was breastfeeding her baby, truly beautiful, while the Dad sat next to them in a protective state. You can see them in an outside viewing area too, but the stone wall makes it hard to get close to them. The glass viewing area lets them come right up to the glass, this is a great exhibit for kids who want to get close without any danger involved.
Unbelivably, we had an appetite left after seeing that display of ugliness, so we decided to hit the pizza stand located near the entrance. The prices were not that bad, and we were given mini-pizzas that were quite filling and delicious. After we swigged down our Cokes, we headed off to the last Exhibit, the Childrens Zoo Area.
The Children's Zoo was set-up nicely, but I didn't see a whole lot for kids to get involved with. They had the billy goat feeding area, like many do, along with some small exhibits of newborn chicks and what trees look like inside. As far as any animals that I feel my kids would have enjoyed, would have been the otters. They were quite playful and neat to watch in the under water viewing area. I didn't see any staff except for one who had a tree kangaroo on a leash, and even then she didn't really explain about the animal, or why it was out and about.
We did not see any of the shows offered, such as the Sea Lions or Birds of Prey, only because there operating hours during the off season are quite short and is hard to get it all on because of the lay out of the park.
The last thing I needed to do before I left was to check out the gift shops. Now near the Koala Bear Exhibit, a not miss one too, is a nice little shop that sells magnets for 99 cents each, which is a great souvenier to take home and look at. There were a variety of animals offered on the magnets, along with similiar postcards and books. I also found pressed penny machines here, so I got one of the Panda Bears, located OUTSIDE this shop, and one of just the San Diego Zoo logo, located near the Pizza Place near the entrance. They cost 50 cents and one nice shiny penny to get the best look!
After shopping there, I browsed a small stand near the Childrens Zoo area which I HIGHLY recommend for parents with small children! They had a Panda Stamp Set for only $3.00 and fun zoo jewelery that costed between $1-$3- another fun and cheap souvenier for the kids!
THe last store you will go through is the exit. They have designed it so that you exit it through a large gift store that offers everything from T-Shirts to Mugs. They are not the cheapest here, so make sure you really need or want that item, and that it isn't going to break or shrink on you when you get back home.
I recommend this Zoo if you are in the San Diego area and would like to spend a relaxing day somewhere, but you probably can find the same animals, except for the Pandas, right in your own back yard at your local Zoo.
For more information on the San Diego Zoo, such as current ticket prices or hours of operation, call (619) 234-6541.
Recommended:
Yes
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ImAmes
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Member: Amy Joy
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