In April, I flew to New York and enjoyed a day at the Bronx Zoo with 11 other members (11 adults and 5 children) of my family. We were celebrating the fortieth birthday of my daughter, who decided on spending her day this way.
The Bronx Zoo is located in a highly populated area of New York City in the borough called the Bronx. The picture of the buffalo with the tall apartment building in the background shows how close it is to everyday life. The other scenes show how the zoo provides a respite as well as educating the public about our wildlife.
We arrived early enough to see the California Seals presentation, which included watching them being fed. The family really enjoyed it. I, being able to see the Seals whenever I choose, sat on the sideline. Then, they all moved on to the Monkey House. The children came out, calling me inside to see some of the Monkeys’ antics. After this, they made their way to the reptile house, definitely not my cup of tea. I preferred to take pictures of the peacock. As we traveled through the zoo, my daughters spotted the children’s section. They took the children, ages 9 through 16, in to see what they had previously enjoyed as youngsters. They went into the prairie dog town and popped up in acrylic openings in the hill. Then they all climbed the ropes resembling a spider’s web, posing for a photo, obviously to tall for this area. It was still fun.
For lunch, a picnic was provided by the birthday girl. My eldest daughter brought very fancy cupcakes and one candle. Much to the dismay of the birthday girl (that she quickly got over), we sang “Happy Birthday” and ate the cupcakes.
Due to a grandchild’s scheduled soccer game, half the party left and the remainder proceeded with the day. After a ride on the Merry-go-Round, a visit to the Butterfly House was quite a treat. You walk in among the butterflies and watch them as they gracefully flit from plant to plant.
As a busy day ended, we were ready for a Starbucks. Alas, the people we asked told us of places that were well off our route. Finally, we took an exit of the highway and, low and behold, there was a Starbucks. A great day was had by all.
Actually, earlier in the day, the family agreed that we should do this again on someone else’s birthday, but as time marches on the family is just too busy again.
