Animal Adventures – Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh, my! And Elephants, too!
Posted in Family Fun, National Park, Travel, Zoo | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: US Domestic Travel, Washington DC, Zoo
Everyone loves a day at the zoo! And one of the best zoos is the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Get on your comfortable walking shoes and plan to spend a day visiting the animals with your human animal family, because the zoo is even more fun with kids.
It’s All Happening at the Zoo
There is often a newborn – animal, that is – that creates quite a stir.
The pandas are one of the prime attractions at the zoo. With everyone jockeying for position, it may be hard to get some great photos. It was fun watching the pandas, though, as they ate their bamboo and lumbered about. They are so big and fluffy that you have to remind yourself that they are bears, so I was glad of the separation from them.
There are three pandas to view these days and they are playful and fun to watch, but sometimes, not totally active. Hey, you wouldn’t want to move around a lot in the DC heat and humidity, either!
Playful Panda with Bamboo
Other Zoo Denizens
The Zoo has set up habitats where you can see animals in what seems like “natural” settings for their particular climate.
You’ll see lions, tigers, elephants, gorillas and orangutans, fish, hippos, reptiles (snakes), and more and more and more. Allow lots of time. (Enjoy some representative photos below.) My favorite are the orangutans who can travel above you, swinging 35 feet in the air, traveling to different parts of their domain.
For human animal visitors: There are places for snacks and fast food meals, if you do spend all day and get hungry watching the animals being fed.
For the Kids
Kids will love to see all of the animals, but for a hands-on experience, head to the “Kids’ Farm” where children can pat and enjoy alpacas, cows, rabbits and other creatures and also learn about how pizza ingredients are grown.
Elephant coming to visit
Tired tiger
Leopard
Drinking bear
Arriving at the Zoo
The metro does have stops to save parking issues. There is one stop in either direction and all involve a three -block walk, but you can take a bus that will then get you directly there. (See link below.)
Driving is possible, but parking fees reflect the fact that parking is relatively scarce, so public transportation is suggested. If you simply must drive, use this address with Mapquest or Google to find your best route. 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
The zoo is open for viewing from 10 AM- 6 PM, April- October and 10 AM-5PM, November-March. And, best of all, admission is FREE!!
The paths can be sloped and, if you’re out of shape, you might feel it. But, it is handicapped accessible.
Links
Public Transportation to the Zoo
You can also view animals online with a Webcam to get the flavor of the zoo’s inhabitants
Tomorrow- Come back and learn what to watch out for when booking current air fare.
Tags: US Domestic Travel, Washington DC, Zoo