It is so big. There is a gondola, busses and escalators!
Mackenna and I stared at the map for a few minutes unsure where to start. We must have looked lost because a volunteer wearing red asked if she could help us.
We only had a couple of hours so took the 35 minute guided tour on a double decker bus so we could get an overview of things and then decide what we wanted to go back to and/or see the exhibits we'd missed. The tour shows you approximately 70 percent of the zoo.
After the bus ride, we rode the gondola to the back side of the zoo. Mackenna wanted to see the Giant Pandas so off we went. We had a better view of the female. They are hoping she is pregnant. They'll know in a couple of months. Fingers crossed!We then rode an escalator back up to that backside part and followed a path through the elephants and other animals. The San Diego Zoo is great, but I must admit visiting it today made me appreciate our Oregon Zoo back home much more. It might be smaller, but some of the pens, such as for the giraffes, seem better suited for them. But the San Diego zoo has a better variety of animals and the landscapes/plants are incredible.
After a quick bite to eat, we took the Big Cat Trail. I must admit this was my favorite part. Especially since all the animals were out and within viewing site. A black jaguar had tuckered himself out with a bone and slept so soundly, reminding me of my black kitties Yoda and Beauty.This big cat to the left was not a happy camper. The cat was having a stare down with a man and not liking that one bit. At one point, the cat started hissing and growling. That reminded me of a couple of my cats back home!
But even still, the cat remained at the front of the cage instead of stalking off. I'm assuming he/she was looking for away to get through the fence and show the stare-off guy exactly who was the boss. That's what my cats would be doing!
This cat was in the same area as the other one, but the opposite corner in the front. (A very smart feline to stay away from grumpy pants roommate.) As you can tell, this one was just resting. No hissing, just some panting. It was a very sunny day. I just love big cats!We continued to follow various paths and trails until we reached the exit. We managed to see quite a bit in the almost four hours we were there. It's a place you could spend a full day and not see everything. Our Costco 3-1 passes allow us to go back if we like. Those things were a bargain. But we haven't decided what we're going to do yet with our next free block of time.
Last night was the opening of the NEAA specialty. Everyone dressed up to watch the Veteran Sweepstakes. Chaos turns seven in July and will then be considered a veteran and allowed back in the breed ring. Veterans are allowed to be spayed. It was so wonderful to watch these old dogs strut around the ring.
Hope life is treating you well! We're enjoying our time away from home.
