Monday, November 23, 2009

Santa Barbara Zoo

I have said it before and I will probably say it again and again. I love a zoo. I love being able to get up close and personal with animals I might never get a chance to see otherwise. I love zoos even more now that I have children. I will admit, Ben isn’t exactly the most excited child to be at the zoo. Unless he can touch the animal, he doesn’t see the big deal. But Mari, a child after my own heart, get just as excited as I do at every enclosure. She wants to learn about the animals as much as I want to feed her with all my years of gathered knowledge. Luckily, most zoos have things that will appeal to both children. 

The day we went to the Santa Barbara Zoo, I forgot my stroller. Yes, I drove all the way up to Santa Barbara without a stroller. Lucky for me, the zoo rents wagons. It was such a treat for the kids to hop in and out of the wagon whenever they pleased. This way they were able to get closer to the penguins or stingrays or elephants on their terms.Collages5

In addition to all the wonderful animal exhibits that Mari loves, the zoo has a fun playground that both kids enjoyed.  The centerpiece is a big astroturf hill that kids bring cardboard to slide down on. The kids without cardboard were happy to roll down the hill on their backs. There is also a train that takes the kids on a little trip around the zoo. A train of any shape or size is always a hit with my kids.

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The highlight of our day at the zoo was feeding the giraffes. Both kids were a little too shy to give the giraffes the food on their own but were absolutely thrilled to watch Mommy do it. I have to be honest, Mommy was absolutely thrilled to be feeding the giraffes.  Their long tongues were such a neat sight. If I were a zoo giraffe, I think I would want to live in the Santa Barbara Zoo. Their ocean view is amazing.

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If you would like more information on the Santa Barbara Zoo click here.




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6 comments:

La Jolla Mom said...

I love the Santa Barbara zoo! My parents live nearby. It's very rarely crowded either.

Debi said...

We enjoyed this place a lot, too. It's the perfect size for toddlers & the open space at the top is amazing. We didn't get a chance to feed the giraffes, but it sounds fun!

Carolina said...

I've been wondering about this zoo, so thanks for info. I was hoping to get to it last spring, but a little illness derailed our trip plans.

Helene said...

I've never been to that zoo...but we did go to the San Diego zoo a couple times.

The giraffes do have an awesome view!

Lora (tripping with kids) said...

This sounds wonderful for little ones. Looks really beautiful too, to walk around. We will definately put this on our southern ca go see list. Thanks for the tip.

Randy said...

Too funny, we forgot our stroller when we went to the Philadelphia Zoo a couple of weeks ago. If you are a member, you can get discount or free admission at over 100 other zoos and attractions. For example, The Philadelphia Zoo offers 50% to reciprocal members, while the Santa Barbara Zoo offers free admission to reciprocal members.