visit the San Diego zoo

Though all the animals were either tired or retarded.

just went there last night for my prom!

Being from SD, I’ve gone to the zoo so many times. Sometimes for class field trips, other times with my parents, and even for college to write a paper on marsupials! In 2006, I finally got to take my husband there for his first time, and along with my parents, we all had a blast! I especially loved checking out the monkeys because they have SO many expressions :D

My husband and I spent a whole day at the San Diego Zoo, and we still didn’t see everything. We loved the setting and we loved the animals and we were completely blown away by the vastness of it all. But that isn’t the end. The next day we went to the Wild Animal Park, and it was even more mind-blowing. Don’t miss this zoo and its sister park. It is an immersion in another world.

But I thought it was overrated. Yes, it is a large, nice zoo, but it’s hardly the best one in the U.S. I thought some of the animal exhibits were in too-small cages/enclosures, and the narrow pedestrian walkways were too close to the road for the bus tours. Having said that, I loved the panda bears (if not the setup of their exhibit) and the polar bear. And I definitely appreciated getting in free with my military ID.

I love the San Diego Zoo. It’s a great place to see the animals, hang out or go for a nice, long stroll. It’s really beautiful there, and very relaxing. In fact, my photo ID for this site was taken in front of the bronze gorillas near the entrance. -and see how relaxed I look! XD The employees are really friendly too. One noticed me admiring a flower and told me it was a ginger plant. He even cut me off a part of the root so I could grow ginger and harvest it at home! (Which I am!) I love it there! XD

”...the San Diego Zoo…”

Trust me, any kid who grew up where I did who watched TV remembers that jingle. Been there more times than I can count—it’s been some years now and I should go back to see what has changed, but the experience remains a wonderful thing all around. At the same time my attitude towards zoos is tempered by the fact that the animals surely would prefer to be elsewhere, yet the SD Zoo is definitely on a higher level than some spots in this world.

The polar bear exhibit is totally worth it.

...okay, enough with the Simon and Garfunkle….

The San Diego Zoo is wonderful. If you can, spend the ENTIRE day there. I recommend the Kangaroo Bus Tours (double decker buses that allow you to get on and off) so you can see the entire zoo – and if something really striked your fancy jump off the bus and see it – OR – after the bus tour walk the zoo.

Wear comfortable shoes. Lots of walking up and down hills.

Don’t miss : Polar Bears, Hippos, the new Ape exhibit, Meercats. The sky ride is fantastic – besides having panoramic views of the zoo, you can also see the great architecture of Balboa Park and Downtown San Diego from up high, and since the airport is downtown, it’s pretty cool seeing the planes approach for landing over the city.

The zoo’s website is www.sandiegozoo.org

For a zoo, it is a great experience. WAY Better than most other zoos I’ve visited. Be prepared to walk a whole lot more than you think.