Tag Archive | flamingos

THE Zoo

Now for the BIG excitement for the week… a trip to the CALGARY ZOO!!! You read that correctly… Kathy, myself and my girls at one of the best zoos in Canada. The last time we went here was when Emanuel was a tiny baby! A LOT has changed!! First off, 5.00 fee for parking! We parked in the Tiger lot! Trinity thought that was cool.

At the zoo

One of the amazing entrance statues

It took a little pre planning and organizing but we managed to get to the zoo when it opened at 10, pay our admission (ouch! even with a coupon) and get going. Apparently quite a few schools figured it was a good day for a trip to the zoo as well so it was a little busy. BUT we managed to see everything we wanted to and really enjoy a rather perfect day. 

Ready to see and do...

We started with the penguins. That is, the ones you could see from outside the main exhibit. The wait when we got there and when we were leaving was well over 30 min and the penguins that were visible from right past the entrance of the zoo were exciting enough for our two little ones.

PEGUINS

Of course we had to take pictures in front of the exhibit sign too… it was just too cute.

Me, my girls and the nifty penguin statues

We decided to bypass the North American exhibit (umm can see most of that ANY time) and the dinosaurs (new exhibit but lots of walking AND we had the wrong “e” named child with us for it). Instead we headed right over the bridge (what a high water level there is right now!) and onto the African exhibit… we needed to get in our lion time (though really all we got to see was a VERY well groomed head)…

Lion

The tortoise on a walk was much more rewarding!

Tortoise

Though the renegade peacock was more exciting…

Peacock

And the visiting sparrow… we figure he was there for the same reason we were… a little zoo culture! 

Another visitor

Let’s see what else was there? Of course Trinity had to pore over that map and choose the animal shapes that interested her the most!

Master map readers

Oh and lots and lots of flamingos, an unexpected find! And pink to boot… 

Trinity and the flamingos

We had to stop for a hot dog along the way… just a snack to tide the girls until we got our lunch break. Of course that was coupled with a potty break. 

Munchies

We HAD TO see the elephants, Trinity was emphatic about that. 

Elephants

There was also the last remaining dinosaur from the original dinosaur exhibit to check out. Trinity was quite interested in what seemed to be a hole in its neck. Apparently it is a historical landmark now. 

Huge!

Trinity was very intrigued by the train that was NOT a real train… a part of the children’s area it ran out on the walkways without a rail. She was certain that that was NOT the way it should be! 

Train that is not a train according to Trinity

We also saw the red panda… a favourite of Karyn and mine! 

Pandariffic

And a goat with the neatest curly horns!

Very curly

Oh and I got a close up of a second roving peacock…

Another peacock

Lunch was a bit of a rushed affair with two slightly cranky kids but it was totally yummy and gave us enough energy to see our last exhibit. My favourite exhibit was the butterflies. It is way bigger than when I went as a child and still a lovely place. Though with all the children in from school trips the butterflies were not landing very often. Trinity had to check out the pond in the middle of course. 

Cutie

Butterfly

And another

On the way out we had to take a picture on the pink light… All in all I think we spent around 4 hours out and by the end of it we were ALL ready for a nap… so… we did!!!

Pink

I got the boys each a pencil and we got a special postcard to share… and then each of the girls got a little kitty teddy… so we did really good with our shopping as well.

Now post nap we had ANOTHER exciting activity planned – dinner with Esther! At HER place! This was our first visit there AND our first dinner cooked by the lovely Esther. Both were wonderful. We caught up, hung out and generally spent some wonderful girly time together. Trinity even had her nails done AGAIN! Spoiled!

Esther in the kitchen

Painting nails

The girls

So that was one of our best days in the city… not only did we see some of our favourite critters but managed to corner the elusive Esther in her natural habitat. With a promise of a repeat visit! Seriously this week was an eye opener. I have missed these people. 

Late night boardgame with Kathy and Neko

The most interesting fact we could find about hippos

And the hippos who live it