Woodland Park Zoo…

While we were visiting my parents we took a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo and the experience was enough to make me remember why we don’t GO to the zoo very often…  tons of walking, the boys complaining, juggling babies, nursing in public, animals hiding, expensive food… let’s just say I’ll be fine if I don’t go again until next summer…

The big attraction for Gage and Cooper on this trip was their maps of the zoo.  They received them from the guy who took our outrageously high entrance payment and right away determined the route we should take to get to the ultimate destination… the grizzly bears.   Cooper filled Kaden and cousin Hank in on their plans and off we went.  Each animal was visited briefly, but no one could really take the time to appreciate each one because as quickly as we’d stop, Gage would push us along “to get to the grizzlies!”

Last year when we went, the hippos were the favorite animal and we spent most of our time watching them swim in circles, one with a duck on its back and the other pushing a log with its nose.  This time, one was sleeping and the other got out and walked away.  Fine with Gage… he didn’t care to see them anyway. 

Making sure we were on track…

Watching the penguins jump through the water would have been really cool… but judging by his map, Mr. Bossy-pants Gage knew the bears were right around the corner…

But much to his annoyance, we had to stop and use the bathrooms – so Cooper re-checked out our course, while Gage did find entertainment with the hand-dryers…

And I found entertainment taking pictures of Hankers’ blue eyes…

Eventually we did see the grizzlies but they were doing some stuff that made me uncomfortable taking pictures, so I’ll just tell you that Gage saw them for a moment but quickly became more interested in the fish swimming in the bears’ pond.  Fine by me so I didn’t have to explain anything to him. 

Then the obsession became getting a treat and we re-routed all around the zoo in order to find hand-scooped ice-cream because soft-serve just wouldn’t do… so we stopped to have a break in the shade (and Kaden, too!)

Although the focus is off on this one… I still love Gage’s little face and it was so sweet of him to actually stand still long enough for me to capture it…

Because before we knew it, they were climbing…

And he was making this face.

And here they would have stayed if I’d’ve let them. 

Farewell, zoo… until next time. 

(and the boys still pour over their maps, remembering all the animals they kind of saw.)