Lions and Tigers and...Balloons??

So, it's the day after Christmas and there are shreds of wrapping paper strewn about, toys everywhere, dishes to be done and general cleaning to do after a crazy holiday. What do you do? Stay home and clean like responsible parents and adults? Absolutely not...you load the kid in the car and you drive to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Since neither of us wanted to sit at home and look at the mess that we were not about to clean up we decided to make use of the fabulous Zoo membership that Grandma Susie bought us.

The drive down was very easy and Tenley napped most of the way. Michelle had never been to the Wild Animal Park before and I hadn't been in many, many years so we didn't know if it was crowded or not. There was a fair number of people there but not so much that it was uncomfortable. The park is divided into sections and you can walk around and see various animals in their natural Southern California habitat. There is also a tram ride that takes you through every section of the park but the line for that was more than 3 hrs long and Tenley is not one to wait for anything.

We decided to head down to the Heart of Africa to see the Giraffes. On the way to that area there was a lot to look at. But the most interesting thing, as far as Tenley was concerned, was the biggest balloon she has ever seen. She kept pointing and saying "Up". The park has a new helium balloon and for $15 a person you can float up to 400 ft and get the true bird's eye view of the entire park. We opted to pass on that but Tenley pointed at the balloon every time she saw it.

We saw lions, giraffes and birds of all kinds, but much like the Zoo earlier in the month, Tenley's favourite animal seemed to be the gas powered carts that the employees drove around. Every time one would come by she would squeal with glee and wave at the cart as it drove by. It was hysterical.

We saw quite a bit of the park and really got our exercise as the park is built on hills. It was a very nice day and we can't wait to go back again. To see photos of Tenley and the animals, go to http://www.jeffandmichelle.net and click on the word Photos.