Off to the Zoo...The San Diego Zoo that is...
Written: May 29 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pandas, Polar Bears
Cons: rushed through the Panda Exhibit, may have too many hills for some
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| loves2run's Full Review: San Diego Zoo |
Last June, my husband got transfer orders to San Diego, California. We sat our two children down and explained to them where we would be moving and then proceeded to tell them about all the fun places we could go once we got to San Diego. Of course, the San Diego Zoo was on the top of the list.
Many of you are probably familiar with some of the animals from the San Diego Zoo just by watching The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Of course, the birth of Hua Mei, the first surviving Panda cub born in captivity in August of 1999 brought a lot of attention to the zoo also.
You will find the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. Parking is free and admission is $18.00 for adults and $8.00 for children 3 to 11. They offer an Annual Zoological Society Membership Pass that will get you into both the zoo and the Wild Animal Park. The cost of the pass is $60.00 for a Single Adult Membership or $76.00 for a Dual Adult Membership and $19.00 for each Child Membership. They are good for one year. The zoo also offers a Deluxe admissions which includes a bus tour, I am not sure of the cost for this since we personally bought the Annual Passes. The gates to the zoo are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; however, the grounds do not close till 6 p.m.
There are plenty of places to eat and get drinks at the zoo. I can’t attest for the cost or quality of the food because we have never eaten there. We personally take advantage of the zoo’s policy of allowing you to take your own food and drinks into the zoo. We did purchase two souvenir cups our first trip there and bring these back each visit for discounted refills on soda. You will also find a lot of gifts shop all over the zoo. As with any tourist attractions, the gifts are on the expensive side. The zoo allows people to sell t-shirts and gifts outside the gates, these tend to be cheaper but then the quality is not as good either. The zoo has disclaimers posted that these people are in no way associated with the zoo, none of the money will go to support the animals; whereas, if you buy your gifts inside, the money goes back into the zoo.
The zoo sits on 100 acres of land, so come prepared to walk! There are a lot of hills around the zoo. In one area it is so steep, not only do they have stairs, but they also have a mechanical people mover. Most places are stroller and wheelchair accessible. You can also use the “Skyfari” to get from one side of the zoo to the other. It is free to those with annual passes or $1.50 per person per ride for those without passes. I am not sure if this is included in the Deluxe Admissions package.
Okay, now we have the particulars out of the way. What should you see first? Well, our family always heads to the Panda Bear Exhibit as soon as we get onto the grounds. You want to get in line to see Hua Mei, the baby Panda as soon as possible. The exhibit is usually open from 9:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. If you get there in the morning, you have a better chance of seeing the Pandas do more than just sleep. Also, the lines can get pretty long as the day goes on. Do not expect to take a leisurely look at the Pandas, they constantly remind you to keep moving. Unlike the other exhibits, you cannot stand there and watch till your heart’s content! They console you with the fact you can go through the line as many times as you wish.
Another must see exhibit is the Polar Bear Plunge. There is no time limit for this exhibit! You can stand there as long as you want watching the Polar Bears playing. No matter what time of the day we have gone there, we have found at least one Polar Bear playing in the water. This is probably our most favorite exhibit, thus we find ourselves spending long amounts of time there, just ooowwwing and aaahhhing over their exploits.
The Gorillas are another must see. We have found ourselves disappointed though; arriving at the exhibit only to discover that the Gorillas are nowhere in sight. We thought it was because we had gotten there too late in the afternoon, so we tried going in the morning on our next visit to the zoo. But, we missed them then too. So, it really is a hit and miss with the Gorillas.
The Hippopotamus is another fun animal to watch. Depending on which days you go, a mother and baby or a male hippo will be on exhibit. They do not put all three on exhibit together. We have only been there on the days that the mother and baby hippo were out.
The San Diego Zoo, I believe they told me, is the only place you will find an Albino Koala Bear. Just do not make the mistake that I did and ask the Zoo Keeper if that was “just an Albino Koala Bear?” I was wondering if it could possibly be a baby Koala and this is how they are born with no color, but when I asked, all she heard was “is that just an Albino Koala Bear?” I thought the Keeper was going to pass out!! She then gave me a full lecture on how this is the only one that they know of and how important it is. Of course, I am turning red as everyone is listening to this! So now it is a running family joke!! “Just an Albino!”
There are so many more animals to see, but I won’t sit here and list everyone of them, the before-mentioned exhibits are just the ones my family believes to be “must see” exhibits.
The zoo offers two shows that are pretty fun to watch also. The Sea Lion Show and the Wild Ones Show. The Sea Lion Show concentrates on teaching you the ecosystem, and how important it is that we protect the animals. At the Wild Ones Show you get to see prey and predators from around the world. Of the two, we found the Wild Ones Show the most interesting. You can catch either show two times a day.
If you would like more information you can visit the San Diego Zoo’s official website at http://www.sandiegozoo.org . While you are there you can catch Hua Mei on the Panda Cam.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
loves2run
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Member: Donna
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 189 members
About Me:
Wife, Mother, Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, Volunteer, Avid Reader
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