At the zoo

We went to the zoo today --kids under 11 got in free, if they brought in a stuffed animal...so I only had to pay for my grandmother and me.

Anyway, they had a tent set up from CHKD--and the first booth I got to? The car-seat booth! They had a car bed, an infant seat of some sort, a convertible, a combo, I think a tan/beige Apex and a Turbobooster.
They also had...pics taken from the rear-facing page. The pic on this one---I didn't see the others. I was like...DUDE! I totally recognize where y'all got that pic from!

It was manned by two women, and they were telling folks about the new booster law starting July 1st. One woman made that comment..you know the one, about the short adults? Gah.(our law doesn't include any height requirements, just age). Anyway, I couldn't stay, otherwise I'd have geeked out and DS2 was trying to leave with another family. lol

Anyway, that was fun. lol

And in the petting zoo, we saw a pig poop. What fun. lol

sounds great.. Great thing to have many people see it. But you have to pay for the ZOO? The DC zoo we don't have to

broken4u05 said:

sounds great.. Great thing to have many people see it. But you have to pay for the ZOO? The DC zoo we don't have to

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LOL, that's because the "National Zoo" is just that -- we, the people of the United States, pay for its upkeep. Your tax dollars at work in a good way :thumbsup:

I believe it's the only 'free entrance' zoo in the US too. :shrug-shoulders:

Awesome place. I'd love to go back for a visit.

We just got home from our local zoo. I have a family pass, but it was 'Zoolute to the Military day' today. All sorts of free stuff to do & eat & free entrance for military families. DD had a blast

I thought of getting a membership to the zoo, but y'all... I GOT LOST AGAIN!

I cannot drive in Norfolk. I found the zoo okay this time, it was getting from the zoo to the interstate, somehow, I ended up on the wrong road! Gah. Put 60 miles on the car today. at least 10 were spent getting myself back to the interstate after I got turned around.

This is why we don't go to the beach...I'd get lost. lol. (AND I'M FROM HERE!).
(Okay there real reason we don't go to the beach has to do with my pathological fear of water...)

(Another reason it probably would make no sense to get a membership...the last time we went to the zoo, was last July)

O i know it is the national zoo i just didn't think it was the only one free. You have to pay for parking though. But i do not drive in DC so i take the metro.

Simplysomething said:

I thought of getting a membership to the zoo, but y'all... I GOT LOST AGAIN!

I cannot drive in Norfolk. I found the zoo okay this time, it was getting from the zoo to the interstate, somehow, I ended up on the wrong road! Gah. Put 60 miles on the car today. at least 10 were spent getting myself back to the interstate after I got turned around.

This is why we don't go to the beach...I'd get lost. lol. (AND I'M FROM HERE!).
(Okay there real reason we don't go to the beach has to do with my pathological fear of water...)

(Another reason it probably would make no sense to get a membership...the last time we went to the zoo, was last July)

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Same thing with why i do not drive in DC. I always get lost. I was in DC got onto a highway and went through the Baltimore tunnel 3 times. It was at night too and after midnight and i was not legally able to drive at that time of the day (12-5) If i was not lost i would have gotten home on time. It sucked. I got a GPS from my mom after that

Sorry, Simply, but I'm laughing, can't help it.

I have a funny story about dh if that will make you feel better.

On the Virginia Zoo admissions page,
"An ATM is available at the Zoo entrance in the gift shop. "

Brought back idiotic hubby incident on our last trip before moving from Germany. We were visiting the Basel Zoo on the way out of Switzerland. At the entrance window, they took only cash and we didn't have quite enough Swiss Francs left after the weekend.

Ticket lady told dh the ATM was around the corner. I turned around and he was GONE -- Vanished -- Disappeared .... with the diaper bag that had my wallet & keys in it along with our coats. DD was in the Ergo on my back. January in Switzerland. At least it was in the mid-50s. We weren't freezing, but it was very chilly. But I had no shelter, no money, no ID, no snacks, and it was lunchtime. I went around the corner of the building, ATM, but no dh.

We waited for over an hour, maybe even 90 minutes. All I could do was wait. I couldn't take dd off my back since body heat was what was keeping us warm. She was hungry and worried about daddy. I had so many people look at us pityingly. Eventually, dh returns. He had gone all over creation looking for an ATM. Found one finally. Was he apologetic. No, he was defensive and annoyed that I was giving him 'that look.'

I didn't even want to talk to him. I couldn't believe he had just took off without any warning and with all our stuff. I couldn't even rant properly at him since it would have really really upset dd who was only calm because I was managing calm too.

After things settled down, I found out he had gotten LOST on his ATM expedition! And when he came back up to the Entrance, he saw the ATM machine. He was soooo embarrassed. As usual, a good offense is better than being apologetic

As usual, so much time was wasted while we typically bumbled & stumbled our way across Europe We enjoyed the zoo. But the 3 hr drive home was completely exhausting after that long standing episode with dd on my back.

So while you're getting lost in your vehicle, don't feel too badly. At least you didn't abandon your spouse & child in a foreign country with no ID, money, warm clothes, or food so you could go get lost instead of asking for clarification when you misheard someone. That's another one dh will NEVER live down

St. Louis has a free Zoo as does Madison Wiscosin.

Jenn

Morganthe said:

LOL, that's because the "National Zoo" is just that -- we, the people of the United States, pay for its upkeep. Your tax dollars at work in a good way :thumbsup:

I believe it's the only 'free entrance' zoo in the US too. :shrug-shoulders:

Awesome place. I'd love to go back for a visit.

We just got home from our local zoo. I have a family pass, but it was 'Zoolute to the Military day' today. All sorts of free stuff to do & eat & free entrance for military families. DD had a blast

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Morganthe: Oh, my! What an awful experience! I'm exhausted just READING about it!

LOL -- I surrender

Y'all in the Midwest HAVE FREE ZOOS and I'm jealous!

I'm just a zoo'o'phile and other than the National Zoo, I've paid entry fees for every other one I've visited throughout the country. Sorry for assuming

I am thinking about taking my boys again soon. I love the zoo

I wish our zoo was free - it gets pretty pricey oif you go often. On the flip side, a year's membership is pretty inexpensive, so it pays for itself quickly.

We get a zoo pass every year. Our zoo is one of the top zoos I guess, no way they'd make it free.

Is the norfolk zoo nice?We are planning on taking tristan this next weekend.

I agree with norfolk,I can't even find my way around chesapeake yet, let alone norfolk,we went to the base yesterday and spent a total of 2 hrs driving there and back because we got lost.It is suppose to be a 20 minute drive

Yes, the Norfolk Zoo. At least you have an excuse for not knowing your way around, I've lived in this area my whole life! lol Oh, is it nice? Depends on your definition of "nice". Compared to what it was 10 years ago, yes it's nice. Compared to..say, the Jacksonville Zoo (They have a train! Stupid JAX for being 600 miles away)...no, it's not nice. lol

I usually print directions for places that I don't go often, because...well, I like directions. There are some places that don't give both the number and name of streets...which annoys me {For example, route 58 in Suffolk, beyond the one bypass is Holland Road. Route 17 in Portsmouth is, I think, George Washington Highway [What makes it more fun, is that there is a Holland Road in Va Beach, and a GWH on the Peninsula, and they aren't related]} I need BOTH.

I can only do "turn at the big red chicken" types of directions, when I've been to a place before. Because then I recognize landmarks. And it's not to say I haven't been places around here, but if I wasn't driving, I don't know how to get there. lol

to make matters worse, I have no cell phone, so when I do get lost, I cannot call and whine to one of my better at directions people. lol


signed: really good at getting lost, but always finds her way back. lol

We go round and round and round.

I never was at the Norfolk Zoo. I liked to visit the Living Museum instead. I realize it's now a large complex with two other sections, but I thought it was very relaxing to see rescued animals in their natural habitats. After all these years, the ones there are probably 4th or 5th generation

At the time, there were wonderful signs directing a driver to get there correctly. That might have changed, but it was easy to get there

jennsmile said:

St. Louis has a free Zoo as does Madison Wiscosin.

Jenn

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Love the free zoo in Madison! It's less then 20 minutes from me, so we're there a lot, especially since DS2 is on a primate kick.

The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News? I've only been there once or twice. I do know how to get there though--because my one brother lives up on the peninsula and I've seen signs for it. lol

There is a free zoo in the Chicago area too. And then there is Brookfield Zoo that will suck every last cent from your pocket! They charge extra for everything. Nice zoo, but expensive and not very user friendly if you have an elderly person with you, who needs a wheel chair.

Our zoo is not free but we get a pass every year. We were able to use our pass to get into the Virginia Zoo free last fall while mooching off my bil. He has a condo in Virginia Beach and he let us crash there, while we "watched the place" for him. I've got some great pictures of my kids in the park near that zoo because we got there early and they weren't open yet. Nice climbing trees!