5 Must-Sees At The National Zoo

Last month, we took an impromptu road trip to Washington, D.C. One of the must visits on our list was Smithsonian's National Zoo. Harper has been wanting to go for years to see the pandas, and we were finally doing it!

The zoo is vast. We had no idea how sprawling it is. The exhibits are spaced apart, and there is lots of walking involved. National Zoo offers many amazing exhibits. Upon entry, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the zoo map, decide what you want to see, and go see it!

Here are my recommendations for the 5 must-sees at the National Zoo:

National Zoo is one of only 4 zoos in the United States that offers a panda exhibit. So, if you are at National Zoo, make it a point to see the pandas. But be patient. We had to linger for almost an hour to get a good sighting of one panda. There are 4 pandas in total, two adult and two cubs. Cub sightings are somewhat rare. If you get a glimpse of one, you are lucky!

Check out the live giant panda webcam here to get a sneak peek.

It's no surprise that I love the big cat exhibits, and the lions are always one of my favorites. They are so regal and generally look so peaceful, which is a sharp contrast to their personalities when they are on the hunt for prey or protecting their young.

Check out the live lion webcam here to get a sneak peek.

It's easy to see why this exhibit was one of the most crowded. Gorillas are absolutely fascinating to observe. With mannerisms nearly identical to humans, gorillas are as close to humans as any animal will ever get. I stood in front of the exhibit mesmerized for at least 20 minutes while I closely watched this gorilla meticulously pick at a piece of fruit it was eating.

These gentle giants never cease to amaze me with their extreme intelligence and incredibly social behaviors. National Zoo boasts 6 elephants. During our visit, we saw 4 and were able to catch a close up of these two. The Asian Elephant exhibit is accessible from two directions, so you are able to get a better look at them.

National Zoo is home to special exhibits that are continually changing. During our visit the impressive Washed Ashore exhibit was on full display. The exhibit was a a larger-than-life exhibit of 17 marine wildlife sculptures—from jellyfish to sharks—made entirely of plastic pollution directly recovered from oceans. I was astounded by how much trash and waste ends up in our oceans and how this trash becomes the ocean's most deadly predator.

Check the National Zoo's website for information on current special exhibits.

Miscellaneou Notes:
We stayed at the Marriott Wardman Park (which was a hop, skip, and a jump from the zoo) and ate here and here.

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5 Must-Sees at the Central Park Zoo

We spent 2 days in New York City over the weekend. Our first day was filled with city exploring and shopping. Our second day was spent at the Central Park Zoo.

I love visiting zoos, and whenever I travel, I make a point to try to squeeze in a trip to the zoo if the city has one to offer. Some of my favorites include Philadelphia Zoo, Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Denver Zoo, and San Diego Zoo.

Sunday was our first trip to Central Park Zoo. There is something incredible about a zoo placed in the middle of a sprawling metropolis. We loved it so much, we're planning a summer trip to another NYC zoo: Bronx Zoo.

Are you planning a trip to NYC during the summer? If so, pop in to Central Park Zoo. It's a nice 2-3 hour distraction from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Before you go, check out my list of the 5 things you must see when visiting Central Park Zoo.

1. Sea Lions
Located in the center of the zoo, the sea lions are a real treat. Upon arriving, we checked out this exhibit first. The four sea lions were happily swimming and perched on the rocks to sun themselves. We walked around the zoo, and after we were finished seeing all the other animals and exhibits, we circled back to see the sea lions again.

This time they were very active. Putting on a show for the spectators, but there was no trainer to be found. They were jumping, splashing, diving, and even interacting with the audience. As we stood there, we were unaware that it was almost their feeding time. Obviously as their feeding time approaches, they become much more rambunctious than they are otherwise. Their antics are not to be missed!

2. The Red Panda
If you like pandas, you'll love red pandas. They are smaller, cuter, fluffier versions of their big cousins, the panda. They have long, puffy tails similar to those of a raccoon and the sweetest little faces. We, unfortunately, didn't get a head on look at it's face, as it was sitting in the tree like this the entire time.

{Photo credit: Central Park Zoo}

3. Snow Leopard
The elusive snow leopard proved to be just that on the day of our visit. We caught a momentary glimpse of it as it was shifting positions in the sun. But the pictures of it on the zoo literature and Web site are incredible. I would have spent my entire day there waiting to see it, but I had some impatient little friends with me.

4. Penguins
The Antarctic penguins are seriously fun to watch. We happened upon the exhibit just as 4 penguins were huddled together with one of them at the helm. It looked like a conductor leading an orchestra of three. I loved seeing them waddle around. Penguins are among some of the most social birds on Earth, and it was interesting to step back and observe them as they "socialized" with each other. Rarely did we see a penguin standing alone.

5. Your Surroundings
I was in awe of the fact that we were in a zoo and everywhere we looked, we were surrounded by skyscrapers. In the middle of a zoo! Tilt your head back and take a look up when you visit Central Park Zoo. You'll be amazed.

For more information and to plan your trip, visit Central Park Zoo online and on Facebook.

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100 Things To Do This Summer

School will be out for the summer starting tomorrow. I'm hoping to stave off a favorite summer saying, "I'm bored", with this list.

Filled with all things small, large, and in-between, this list contains lots of fun things to do when you've got a few minutes to spare or a whole day to play.

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Our trip to the Philadelphia Zoo

I was invited, along with several other Philly area women, to attend a mom bloggers event last Tuesday, August 3rd, at the Philadelphia Zoo. I was excited. Although we live only an hour or so from the zoo, we had never been there. Always my intention, just never executed it. This invite was the perfect excuse to get my girls there and to mingle with some bloggers!

Emma and Harper were practically jumping out of their skin. "Are we there yet? How much longer?" They couldn't wait to get to the zoo. Once we did, we mapped out our plan and began to wander around.

It was agreed. This was by far our favorite...a two-week old giraffe. Seriously cute.

We stood by the giraffes for at least 25 minutes. It was hard to walk away from the mama and her baby.

The cheetah was the only cat we saw that wasn't sleeping. I'm certain she was hungry.

Hard to believe when they are merely pacing back and forth that they can reach speeds up to 80 mph.

We took a break from animal watching to ride the train.

There were so many different species of monkeys.

To cool off, we headed to The Treehouse, a members-only indoor play area. This was a big hit!

We headed back outside for pony rides.

After pony rides, it was off to the Children's Zoo area where you can pet and feed (or groom!) animals.

Throughout the zoo, there were exhibits of several zoo animals that were constructed completely out of Legos. Our favorite was definitely the polar bear.

For $15 per person, you can enjoy a ride in the zoo balloon. On this particular day, the balloon was grounded due to high winds. Although the balloon is tethered, riders can enjoy spectacular views of the zoo and the city skyline. Definitely next visit!

Disclosure: I received complimentary parking, admission, pony rides, train rides for myself and two children, members-only admission to The Treehouse, and a goody bag.

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