Zoo days

One of our favorite places to go around here is the Santa Barbara Zoo. We are so lucky that of all the zoos out there, this is the closest one to our house, just 40 minutes away. They (the SB Zoo people) like to brag that it is the world's most beautiful zoo, and if that's true, it's not hard to believe. It's basically a park, with rolling green hills, ocean views, places to have a picnic--or wedding, and oh, a bunch of exotic animals.

So when we go, I must admit that it's not all for the little ones-- I absolutely love going up there and soaking in what I can (the gorillas! and the lions! they're amazing!) while I chase down my own little animals. In addition to seeing the animals, there are some really fun things for kids to do. Here are some photos, from the past year that we've been going, of their favorite zoo things. (And woah, look at how much they've [she's] changed!)

The hill slide

The train

The eggs

I tried to get them to share an egg for old times' sake.

Can't say I blame them for not wanting to go back to those days.

Their friends

Guess which two were stopped and asked if they were twins?

Hint: not the actual twins. 

The Endeavor

Technically can't be categorized as an SB Zoo favorite, but the shuttle did fly right over our heads while we were there. I watched it go by and then took this pic of Isaac and Grandma, so the shuttle is too small to see in this photo. Isaac would have had an awesome view if only his telescope was pointed in the right direction!

And, a new favorite from our most recent visit with Grandma & Grandpa...

Feeding the Giraffes

Bet you can guess what we talked about at the dinner table for the following few weeks!