Tag: Woodland Park Zoo

It’s Zoo Time!

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We’re going to the zoo!! I know, this is nothing out of the ordinary for the Wharton Family, but we love this place.Who wouldn’t?! Its spring time in Seattle and when the sun comes out and the days warm up, you get out of the house and enjoy it. That is just what we did. I always enjoy my time at the zoo with my little monkeys!
Watching the gorillas!

Woah mom! Its coming our way!

Amazing and so beautiful

The Woodland Park Zoo’s oldest gorilla. She has been here since 1979. Looking good!
The Penguin Whisperer
Becoming one with the penguins. Love this spot.
“Let me in!”
She is fascinated by the ocean and all the creatures in it.
Hello pretty penguin!
Just out for a daily stroll in my tuxedo.
Penguin chicks in their natural habitat.
Taking in and enjoying a beautiful, sunny day in Seattle.

Little furry sentry standing guard.
“What? Who are you looking at?”
“Whats the shiny thing that you hold in your hand?”
Meerkat kisses… totally irresistible.
“I am ready for my glamor shots atop a Komodo Dragon!”
Sisters and besties forever. They might fight but they still lean on each other whenever they can.
I wish Ellie’s hand could always stay this small, especially when compared to a Orangutan.
Mama watching over her little not so little cubs.
Mrs. Hippo
Hungry, Hungry Hippo… ok, dumb joke.
Cheeky Monkey
Beautiful and curious.
Hello Wolf…
Big ole Grizz
Tiny Otter Bubbles
There is something very peaceful about watching the river otters swim and play. I could sit here for hours if my family let me.
“He’s a Raven Lunatic” Love you Daddy!
Nothing completes a trip to the zoo like a roll down the hill.

Another zoo trip complete! I am sure we will be back very soon and ready to visit our favorite friends again!

Birthday Trip to the Zoo

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Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Denise and Auntie Jillian were supposed to come to Seattle for Abby’s birthday last weekend. Due to some unexpected work issues, they had to cancel and miss the festivities with Grandma Zoe, which was a big bummer for them. The plan was to have them come out and visit whenever they could and as luck would have it, the following weekend worked out for everyone. Yesterday afternoon they arrived tired from the road but so excited to see all of us. We hung out, had dinner and caught up with each other. 
When asked by Grandma and Grandpa as to what she wanted to do for her birthday while they were in town, Abby decided that she wanted to go to the zoo. So on their first full day in Seattle we started out early and headed to the Woodland Park Zoo. Thankfully the weather was spectacular and allowed for a beautiful day to see the animals.
We had to stop and see our favorite tuxedo friends

Our fearless leaders showing us the way through the jungles being followed by Auntie Jillian the ferocious beast. Abby and Ellie didn’t have a clue she was there.
The Asian small-clawed otters were out with their babies. Unfortunately they spent most of their time hiding behind the rocks playing in the bamboo.

Standing guard over the family
Meerkat cuddle huddle

Abby really wanted to see the Kimono Dragon and she was surprised with how big they are. There were even babies too!

Lion smiles. These statues are original to the zoo which opened in the early 1900’s.

“Mommy, I want to smile but I cant. The sun is in my face.”

Sleepy lion cubs.

Swimmin’ Hippos

Coming up for a bit of a breather

Pondering the meaning of life… That and picking food from his teeth.

The oldest female Gorilla between both groups at the zoo. She has been with the zoo since 1970.

Afternoon snuggle with mommy Jaguar

Mama keeping a watchful eye on her adventurous cubs
A little cub out for a stroll and a climb, still getting used to those climbers legs

Fall is starting to set in at the zoo.

Trying very hard to sleep until some “local” decides to throw rocks and food at the wolves to see what they would do. Let’s just say I chased down a zoo employee and got them removed from the zoo. Your welcome.

After having a cheeseburger and chips thrown at her, this female was on alert. I am betting she is the alpha of the pack and she was not thrilled about the disturbance.

So beautiful. I could never get sick of watching wolves… EVER.
The Brown Bear out for an afternoon stroll. It was also quite apparent that dinner was coming as this one paced the back of his enclosure.

Auntie JJ taking a rest with a few little monkeys.

 
Crazy squirrel trying to reach a strategically placed ice cream cone.

Before we knew it the zoo was close to closing and it was time to go. On the way home we decided to stop at the mall so that Auntie Jillian could do a little shopping for work clothes and other items at stores that are not located in Bozeman. Hey, when you live in a smaller town its things like this that cause a lot of excitement. If you have seen the mall in Bozeman, you would understand what I mean.

After some shopping we headed out for dinner at Abby’s favorite place, you guessed it, Red Robin! Hey, she is the birthday girl and she gets to pick. After a yummy dinner and some great conversation it was back home for presents. When we arrived, Abby was greeted by a table full of fun and colorful boxes as well as a cute mural and Mario play set made by daddy. She was super thrilled.

All of the lovely presents and play sets!

Abby was pleasantly surprised when she came through the door.

Thank you Great Grandma Laura for the cool shoe piggy bank!

“Lalaloopsy, loopsy Hair!”

All I have to say is that Abby is one lucky and very loved little girl. I am not sure about where all the presents from the last two weekends will go! I am sure we will find a place or two. Happy Birthday little monkey! I wonder what tomorrow has in store for us?

Yup, its the Zoo Again!

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Yes… Its the zoo. By now we have used our memberships enough to pay for it two times over. Today was a perfect day to go too! Warm but overcast and this time we got out of the house early to see if we could catch some of the animals we have been hoping to see. (Like the Asian Small-clawed Otter pups that I have been dying to see.) Lucky for us, it all worked out!
All smiles and ready for another day at the zoo.
We cant come to the zoo and not stop to see the penguins! 
After the penguins we made our first big stop to see the Asian small-clawed otters and their pups. During our last trip to the zoo, several volunteers suggested coming first thing in the day to see them and they were right. All of the pups were out running around with mom and dad when we arrived!
The otter pups were so cute and little! You could hear them squeaking and calling for mom and dad. Seeing them made our day!
Oh those faces… Can you see why we wanted to see these guys!?
During a Birds of Prey demonstration, this hawk kept making his presence know. Who could blame him, he is beautiful. 
Silly orangutan.. hiding and snacking.
Even the lion statues need a kiss or two. She sure makes me smile.
“When I was a young warthog!!!”
The new baby giraffe was out of the barn and visiting with the public. I think she needed a bit of a break but was very curious about all of the people watching her.
Mrs. Hippo was moving around, ears twitching and blowing some bubbles. I think her hippo companion was annoying her. 
What a face…
“Yes, we get to ride a hippo again!”
Pretty bird!
Mama and cubs resting with Mama trying to stay awake but dozing off every now and then. As we learned the cub closest to her is the one male of three cubs. Apparently he is a mama’s boy and never leaves her side.
What a beautiful animal. 
Today the wolves were awake and roaming around. I was in absolute heaven! Watching wolves will never get old to me.
Ellie loves watching the fish in the bear ponds, hoping that the Brown Bears might show up for a swim.

As per usual, our trip to the zoo was another fun one! The best part about going with children is that for them, it never gets old. Every trip feels like the first one and they get excited with each and every animal that they see. I love experiencing it all through their eyes. Until next time, which I am sure will be soon!

Another Fun Trip to the Zoo

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Still don’t believe me when I said that we would use our memberships to their fullest? Well then maybe this next trip might convince you. Yes, we went again and had a grand time as always. As you can tell, we have our favorites spots to visit. Nothing wrong with that if you ask me. It gets us out of the house, out in the sunshine that will certainly disappear soon and learning lots of new things. Plus, each trip is a different experience depending on when you go. Many of the animals at the zoo have babies and with several of them (the Asian Small-Clawed Otters and the Giraffes) we always seem to miss them. So we go each time with the hope of catching a glimpse of them and other babies as well.
Mama Jaguar resting with her babies. It was on this trip that the cubs consisted of two females and a male. The male cub is a complete mamas boy and never leaves her side. In this picture you cant even see him because he is snuggled up close to her.
Vana White, I mean Abby, showing us a replica of the rocks that can be found where the Humboldt Penguins live.
Penguin Chat
Penguin Bum
Waiting to be fed by their keeper. Some of them were pretty hungry and pushy.
Today on the Northern Trail the Grey Wolves were out in plain sight and easy to photograph. It was a warmer day and humid, so its obvious they were enjoying their rest in the shade.
Classy lady! This is how she rolls and shes not ashamed of it.
Today the two River Otters were out of their dens and roaming around. Love these guys so much! Unfortunately the glass to their habitat was very foggy from the water and humidity so my pictures didn’t turn out as nice as I would have liked. Oh well, still pretty cute if you ask me!
As we sat and enjoyed the area, the two otters started splashing around in the water, tumbling, rolling, and chasing each other for a good twenty minutes or so. Very special to watch since this was the first time we had seen them outside of their den.
Ellie happily watching the river otters swim and chase one another.
Finally a few of the animals from down under were out and about. Don’t be fooled though, this is a Wallaby not a Kangaroo!
We also took a trip to the African Savanna and lucky for us, the lioness was out and playing with her cubs. The cubs are almost as big as she is now but still so very cute and playful. Love to watch lions, especially when they are in a playful mood.
Life is good when you have a tree to wrestle with!
This cub loved playing with the ball, so much so that he would bite any of the other cubs that tried to take it. Proof that sibling rivalry exists in the animal world too!
Per Abby’s request, one of our last stops was to see the gorillas. This female was enjoying a break up in the trees, eating and watching the world go by.
The male of the group was happy to stay separate from the others, cleaning and picking at his nails. I love watching primates and seeing so many humanistic traits.
One last photo with the hippo. Like I said, I think they love the hippo statue more than the hippos themselves.

Our zoo trip today was fun and just as we thought, we had the chance to see some things we hadn’t seen before. I think this has become one of our favorite places in Seattle, aside from the ferries and Puget Sound.

Its Off to the Zoo We Go!

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So did you think I was kidding when I said we would use our zoo memberships to their fullest? Well, I wasn’t! A lot of the unpacking has been done, the girls were restless and the sun was shining so we got an early start to the day and headed to the zoo. On our first trip, we hadn’t allowed enough time to see as much as we would have liked so we made another attempt today. Another perfect day at the zoo! This time we had the chance to see a lot more and while we didn’t see it all, we covered a lot of ground.
Our first trip was through the Tropical Rain Forest. We found this Lemur hanging out and trying to catch some Z’s in his tree.  Thanks to some unruly zoo visitors (there seem to be a lot of those here) he couldn’t doze off and eventually moved from his spot.
At the rain forests edge are the Jaguars. Mama was standing watch as her three cubs napped, although she kept dozing off too. I know how you feel Mama Jaguar!
I love Jaguars and so did the girls. So beautiful and the cubs were adorable too!
We then headed to the penguin habitat, a popular spot to be. These Humboldt penguins were having a blast swimming and the girls couldn’t stop giggling as they watched them. Love an up close experience like this.
This particular penguin seemed very interested in Ellie. He or she kept swimming up to the glass right in front of her. Of course Ellie loved every minute of it.
These guys look so cute in their little tuxedos!
After our visit with the penguins we took a walk along the Northern Trail. There we found one of the two Brown Bears just hanging out and giving what almost looks like a smile to us. I love bears!
Something about drinking her juice from lunch was funny. Who can resist that smile!
Watching the trout and salmon and hoping that Mr. Brown Bear might come down for a drink. Love the viewing areas for the North American habitats.
Now, we can see these guys any time we want to in Yellowstone but this guy has a pretty impressive rack… of antlers. Couldn’t resist taking a picture.
Had a rare chance to see the snowy owl. He looked right at me and even hooted! Such a pretty bird.
Abby wanted to sit and take a picture with the ravens. This is for you Grandpa Jerry!
Ellie wanted to join in on the fun too!
After a trip through the North American Trail we made our way to Tropical Asia. The orangutans weren’t out and about but this zoo volunteer and this Siamang was giving us a great example of the bonds that are created with some of the animals. 
If you visit tropical Asia you have to stop by and say hello to the Elephants!
The girls seem to love the statues at the zoo. I think they were more interested in the statue of the snow leopard, the the actual animal itself!
I could see why they might not be interested. This snow leopard was happily snoozing. Not too interesting to a three and five year old.
Our last stop was a quick one to see the Meerkats. Love this little guys, especially this one. He looked so comfy and cozy just sitting on his rock, watching the people watching him.

Before we knew it, the zoo was ready to close. Abby and Ellie were having such a great time and didn’t want to leave. Shaun and I certainly like to encourage a love for places like the zoo but when you have to encourage two young children to leave, sometimes bribery is involved. So, as an incentive we told them that if we left, we would take a ride on the ferry and then get some dinner. It worked like a charm! I swear to you, we don’t do this often.

Sunset on Puget Sound
Sunset on Puget Sound
Sunset on Puget Sound
Abby was quiet and enjoying the wind and the water. She also didn’t want me to take her picture.
Love those girls, especially when they don’t want me to take pictures!
Watching the scenery and asking Daddy lots of questions.

The ride on the ferry couldn’t have been more perfect. We were on just as the sun was beginning to set and it was spectacular. The spectacular sight of the sun setting over the Puget Sound always reminds me of just how beautiful the Pacific Northwest is and even though I miss family and friends in California, this move was worth it. Just another day in our kind of paradise.

First Trip to the Woodland Park Zoo

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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!