I can’t quite remember what started it or when it started, but I’ve long had a desire to visit the San Diego Zoo. I had traveled to the San Francisco area years ago, but Southern California remained on my bucket list–until this summer.
My family planned a fantastic week-long adventure to California, based largely in part around my son’s wish to see the MLB teams out there, but we added other attractions in that area, including the zoo.
I can honestly say that the zoo lived up to all of my expectations and more. It was the favorite part of our trip for 3 out of 4 family members, and below I’ll tell you why.
Above the Norm
Panda bears, a jaguar, and our family’s favorite–koala bears–were just a few of the unique and different animals we encountered at the zoo. You can see a video of just how close we got to the polar bear here on our Instagram. For kids who love animals, nothing compares to seeing them in person. For animals we weren’t familiar with, the kids enjoyed reading about them and noticed how many of them were listed as threatened or endangered.
It’s Personal
My daughter particularly loved the elephants and that was one of the areas where the zoo added a personal touch. They had signs that listed the elephants by name, described their personality and even a characteristic that would help visitors know which elephant was which. We also found similar signs at the gorillas, orangutans, and giraffes.
Beyond Animals
In two different areas of the zoo we encountered volunteers with small tables who were teaching you something specific. At the elephant habitat, we learned how elephants grow their teeth and even got to touch an actual piece of elephant tooth they had found in the yard. At the new penguin exhibit, part of the just opening Africa Rocks, they had penguin feathers so we could learn about how penguins swim and keep warm. Having real, hands-on items they could touch really ramped up my kids’ interest levels.
If you’re looking for your next vacation destination, I can’t say enough about not only the zoo, but also the USS Midway, San Diego Padres ballpark, and the rest of downtown San Diego that we explored during our trip. San Diego is only about two hours from the Los Angeles area, and we split our week between the two areas. Stay tuned for more info about our trip to come in future weeks! See more photos from the zoo on our Facebook page.
Disclosure: Our family received complimentary admission passes to facilitate this review. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
