When Shaun and I lived in Seattle just after we were married, one place we wanted to visit but never had the chance to do was the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Now that we have Abby and Ellie who will enjoy it even more than us and a bit of time, we thought it would be great to take them and see what this zoo is all about.
Knowing how much we love the zoo, Shaun and I took a risk and bought a family membership for the year. It seems like a lot to do, especially with our current situation, but it wasn’t horribly expensive and we had a little money from our yard sale and my birthday. Plus the cost is worth it to get the girls out of the house and learning and having fun. A family membership for the four of us was just $114 and pays for itself in less than three visits. We can also use it to get into other zoos within the association which includes the Santa Barbara Zoo! So a visit back to California could include a trip to the SB Zoo, one of our favorite spots to go to. Completely worth the money and it gives us something to do that is outside and fun!
 |
| Ready for an adventure at a new zoo! |
 |
| Penguins! Gotta love the little guys in their tuxedos! |
 |
| Waiting for some lunch! |
 |
| Yummy pizza! |
 |
| The first of several rides on the carousel! |
 |
| Mr. Grizzly taking a stroll. He is quite a big guy! |
 |
| Mommy look at the bear! He looks just like the ones we have seen in Yellowstone! |
 |
| This lady comes every few weeks to sit the Orangutans. She knows about each of them and has even bonded with several of them, especially this female. That day at the zoo she was allowed to go back and visit with this female Orangutan and she gave her an orange peel. Seems silly to us but giving the peel (which is a treat, not a daily food item) is a sign that she has been accepted into the group by the matriarchal female. Pretty neat. When we came up the female Orangutan was telling her to paint, picking colors and having the woman make a rainbow. It was so amazing to watch. I love Orangutans. You can see the thought and kindness in their eyes and their human-like characteristics are uncanny. |
 |
| The girls were fascinated by the Orangutans, but who wouldn’t be? They were some amazing and peaceful to watch. |
 |
| Let’s ride a hippo! |
 |
| Mr. or Mrs. Hippopotamus heading into the water for a nice long dip. Love these guys and so did Ellie! |
 |
| Our last stop was to see the Gorillas. Abby didn’t want to leave without seeing them. They are so much fun to watch. |
Our trip through the zoo was a blast even though we ran out of time. I think we underestimated to size of the zoo and the time needed to see everything. Its a good thing we bought our membership that way we can come back and explore any time that we want to.
The Woodland Park Zoo is a beautiful little zoo with some amazing habitats for the animals they have. The girls had the chance to see a lot of animals. Everything from Grizzly Bears, River Otters and Elephants to Orangutans, Hippos and a whole lot more. The zoo also has a beautiful carousel that was built in 1918, originally from the Cincinnati Zoo. The girls rode that several times and it was hard to pry them off of it once our tokens ran out.
Our day was a blast and I have a feeling that we will be coming back here a lot, especially before the fall and winter rains begin. What a great zoo to have so close by. Abby and Ellie certainly were worn out by the time we got into the car. Always a good sign of a wonderful and adventure filled day!
The Wharton Adventures 