The Zoo!

It as been many years since I last visited Hoogle Zoo. I drove on Sunnyside Avenue once when my friends were visiting from Buffalo, that was two years ago. It's been a while, a long while. Long enough for me to forget basically everything about the zoo with the exception of a few things like lion headed drinking fountains and plastic animal vending machines.
Here are a few things I noticed during our stay:

1. The Lion shaped water fountain outside of the primate house decorated with the stone head of an elephant. Now they have TWO of them! The other one is up by the wild cats. Avery just wanted to play in the water.


2. I was also looking forward to seeing zebras....check!


3. We always had fun comparing ourselves to gorillas with the handy paintings on the walls. It looks like Avery is right on track for a baby gorilla!


4. I heard there were some baby animals. We saw a bunch but not the baby elephant because it needed bonding time with the mother.
5. I also wanted to see if they still had those awesome plastic animal model machines. I had been a while so I wasn't sure if they were still around. I loved those machines because not only did you get a plastic animal but you could WATCH the machine make it! I swear I can still smell the burning plastic and I feel the mild burns that the "cooled" plastic would leave when I picked it out of the slot. Unfortunately they are gone. Just like the lions and the hippos. Although, according to a helpful zookeeper, the lions and hippos will return as soon as the African savanna habitat is finished. On the plus side we did carry on tradition and get a photo on the bridge.
6. Did I mention that there wasn't a lion? There also was no stuffed Liger. The zoo had it displayed in the large cat house. I always thought it was so cool, like a unicorn or a pegasus. (Before you call me out as a total geek, I was in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at the time so it's acceptable. Right?)

Anywhoo. All in all it was a fun day. Here are some random shots from the day and the picnic we took afterwards. We went to Memory Grove and ate a lunch on a blanket. That was yet another location that I haven't visited in a very long time. It was amazed at how quiet it was even though it was close to downtown.

Goodbye Armstrongs! It was fun to see you so much this summer! See you in October!

(I'm so glad Vegas isn't further away than it is.)