Como Park Zoo

Earlier this week, I posted a video of the Arrows playing zoo. We had just returned home from our trip to Minneapolis, so I know their game of pretend was inspired by the morning we spent at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul.

The grounds at this zoo are really gorgeous. I already shared this picture, which is one of my favorites (especially considering it's in the parking lot!) I also loved this shot of the zebras.

We didn't have time to explore the adjoining conservatory. But the building itself is impressive.

One of the reasons I love to visit zoos when we travel is that there is almost always a chance to see an animal you don't get to close to home. For instance, they had a great polar bear exhibit at the Como Park Zoo, and while the Indianapolis Zoo has a polar bear, he's rarely been active when we've been. Not so at Como Park!

The polar bear lair was one of Big Arrow's favorite parts of the Como Park Zoo. Kids get to crawl around a tunnel and explore as if they were polar bears themselves.

The giraffes are a favorite in our family. Probably because they're always eating (in other words, they'd fit right in with us).

Little Arrow was content to just enjoy the view.

A few tips if you head to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory:

• Bring cash in small bills. This is a free zoo, but a donation is strongly encouraged as you enter. So you'll want to have a $5 or $10 bill handy.
• Use a baby carrier or have an extra set of hands. Given the colder Minnesota climate, many of the animals are housed indoors, so you'll be in and out of buildings. Unfortunately, the doors were a little tricky to navigate with a stroller. So bring a friend to help you or use a baby carrier.
• Don't worry about weather. It was a beautiful, sunny day when we were there, but if it had been gloomy, it would have been fine. Like I said, many of the animals are indoors. There's also a great area for kid activities just off the entrance if you need to escape the elements for a longer period of time. And you could always spend even more time exploring the indoor conservatory.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby, Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom, and Travel Tips Tuesday at Walking on Travels and Suitcases & Sippy Cups.

Lowry Park Zoo: Tips for More Fun!

During our trip to Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida in March, we woke up one morning to cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. I flipped on the television to see if there was any hope of the weather turning into a beach-friendly day. Instead I learned that weather reporters in Florida think mid-60s is cool enough to hunker down at home with sweaters and hot chocolate.

But being tough Midwesterners, mid-60s seemed like ideal zoo weather. So off we went to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. When we were able to park directly in front of the entrance, I had a feeling we might have the zoo all to ourselves even though it was a weekend. This proved to be correct until later in the morning, when the temperatures warmed up and the sun came out. But we had a wonderful two hours of quiet, with lively animals and friendly staff. Here are a few tips if you plan a visit:

• Go early. This is true at every zoo. In general, animals are much more active first thing in the morning.
• Interact with staff and volunteers. We learned a lot about the babies born at the zoo, the different temperaments of each animal, and we were even able to tell Big Arrow the animals' names because of the friendly folks who work and volunteer at the zoo. It seemed that almost every major exhibit space had someone standing around ready to answer questions and it really heightened our experience.

• Grab a zookeeper schedule. We picked one up at the entrance, and we were glad we made time to watch one of the zookeepers feed the penguins (which included a little presentation and an opportunity for Q & A). Some of the information was lost on Big Arrow, but older kids would benefit even more from this type of interaction.

• Dine inside at the Garden Grille. There were several food stands around the zoo, but we decided to grab lunch on our way out. There's a food court near the entrance/exit, and it is a clean, air conditioned space with healthier options. (A full listing of the zoo's dining options is available here.)
• Don't miss the manatees. Even though we are frequent visitors of zoos (read about our experiences at the Indianapolis Zoo, Louisville Zoo, and Fort Wayne Children's Zoo), I have never seen a manatee in person before. Because manatees spend much of their time eating, you're just about guaranteed to catch them chowing down on some lettuce, which is pretty fun for kids to see. I was equally as mesmerized, I couldn't get over how many manatees there were (seemed like at least a dozen!)

• Go on a dreary day. This is one of the most popular zoos in the country so I would imagine it gets rather crowded, particularly on the weekends. As it were, we had the place to ourselves for much of the morning. If it does rain, there are several buildings you could duck into to ride out the weather.
• Most of the rides are free! No doubt, zoos can be an expensive outing for a family. Add in extra expenses like rides, and it can be a budget buster. Fortunately, with just a few exceptions, the rides at Lowry Park are free and you can ride all day.

• Save even more with reciprocal membership. If you're a member of a zoo closer to home, see if they're listed here, and you'll save on admission.

If You Visit:
Lowry Park Zoo
1101 Sligh Avenue, Tampa
Open 9:30-5 daily.
Adult admission is $23.95, kids 3-11 are $18.95.
For other ideas on how to spend your time in Tampa/St. Petersburg, you can read my trip reports here and here.

This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups and Walkingon Travels.

Let's go to the zoo!

The arrow's second birthday is almost upon us and now that he's a bit older, I'm looking forward to seeing how he's changed by doing some repeat adventures. I have such fond memories of taking him to the Louisville Zoo and the Indianapolis Zoo for the first time last year. While the zoo itself might not be that different, I bet the arrow's enjoyment and interaction will be.

Case in point: the Indianapolis Zoo has a spectacular dolphin show that we saw last summer. My mom and I were completely mesmerized by it, but the arrow was totally disinterested and squirmy the entire time. I think he had trouble understanding what he was supposed to be looking at and overwhelmed by the other people there. This year, I have a feeling he'll connect much better with the dolphins as they flip, leap, splash and squeal.

Mom, why does everyone think this dolphin show is so great?

Another big change since our list visits to a zoo? It's kind of a big one: he can WALK. He was just starting to toddle around on our most recent trip to the Indianapolis Zoo in the fall. He ventured out of the stroller a few times, but for the most part, he was just a passenger. I bet I'll do a lot more chasing this spring!

Old enough to wave to the rhinos, but not quite walking!

Another reason to make a return trip to the Indianapolis Zoo? Three new exhibits just opened up, which I wrote about for Visit Indiana. I'd also like to get to the Cincinnati Zoo this year. I've heard lots of great things about it from friends, and it's less than two hours away. In fact, we want to plan an entire Cincinnati getaway weekend. It's a city I've only experienced in bits and pieces, despite being so close.

I'm not the only blogger with zoos on the brain lately:

• Travels with Children had a post recently about some of her family's favorite Midwestern zoos.
• Dominique at Midwest Guest wrote about an amazing photography exhibit at the Detroit Zoo.
• Mara at The Mother of All Trips had an interview with a staff member at the Dallas Zoo, who offered fantastic tips on how to help your kids get the most out of a trip to the zoo.

Want to see less pictures of the arrow and more pictures of actual zoo animals? Check back on Friday, when I'll be posting a few of my favorite up-close-and-personal encounters from our visits to the Indianapolis Zoo last summer!

What's your favorite zoo?

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at the Mother of All Trips.