San Diego – Zoo Edition

San Diego is another wonderful California city we are enjoying on our west coast trek!  We rented a car in Los Angeles and drove here-arriving Wednesday afternoon.  Today we went to the San Diego Zoo which turned out to be just as wonderful as we were told it would be!  The first thing about the zoo is its tremendous size- it stretches over 100 acres and has over 12,000 endangered animals.  The zoo is also beautiful and looks like a giant rain forest.  It is green and verdant and provides the perfect backdrop to the diverse group of animals who call it home.  

Despite its size, it is actually rather easy to get around.  You can of course walk–it is interesting and lovely but if you would prefer to skip its steep inclines, be sure to  take the complimentary bus tour.  When we first arrived, we climbed aboard for the ride covering around 75% of the park.  The driver kept up a commentary on the animals and made stops at various compounds to allow us to take pictures.  In addition, this bus tour gave us an opportunity to see exactly where the different species were located.  Yep, later we went back to see the species we found interesting, including baboons, monkeys, penguins and others.  The aviary is a must-see for those who love birds.

The zoo also provides an aerial tram that will quickly move you from one end to the other.  Enjoy the overhead view!  The zoo has various restaurants as well as cafes, souvenir shops and much more.  We had a fantastic day but it is impossible to fully explore in one day.  Plan accordingly!

Tomorrow we have a tour arranged that will whisk us around to various spots of interest in and around this fabulous city.  Yep I will post about it.  Stay tuned!