Cleveland Zoo

I like to go to the zoo as often as I can.  For awhile, I went once a year.  The last time I went was Labor Day weekend 2011 and it was to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  That year, they had just opened the Elephant Encounter - a huge new multi-million dollar (I think?) exhibit for the zoo's four elephants.

This year, I thought it was time to visit the Columbus Zoo.  The last time I went was probably three years ago and they were undergoing construction at the main gate, which is always annoying when you travel from far away only to arrive at a construction mess.

I love going to Columbus in general, but the zoo isn't in Columbus proper, it is in Powell.  So, I did a little research to see how long the drive would be.  Two hours and forty-five minutes from my house.  Yikes.  And, we I got on the website for the zoo, I got more good news.  There is construction around the zoo that could cause delays.  And, ticket prices are now $15 for each adult plus $8 just to park!  Heck no!  Columbus Zoo may be famous and have Jack Hanna's picture all over everything, but hubby and I have limits.  Time for Plan B - Cleveland Zoo.

Don't get me wrong, Cleveland Zoo is not my second choice of the two zoos.  I probably even prefer Cleveland Zoo.  So, I don't understand why Columbus gets all the praise.  Plus, it is an hour closer to my house.  Tickets are also cheaper.  Prices are now $12.25 for adults and free parking.  And that includes the awesome Rainforest exhibit they have.  Yes friends, I highly recommend the Cleveland Zoo.

We went on a Sunday, so the roads weren't super busy, but the drive was still a nightmare.  I am not a confident driver to begin with, but having to get off on so many exits and the confusing road signs is not fun.  It is not driving straight up Rt 77 like I thought.  So, if you ever head up that direction, please be careful.

Anyway, this summer, the zoo has a new exhibit - Dinosaurs!  We definitely wanted to do that.  An extra $3 a person (Columbus Zoo has the same thing this summer for around the same price).  As it turns out, Dinosaurs visit the zoo every couple of years.  Who knew?  I recommend it.  The dinosaurs are really cool and they move and make noise.

One thing that was disappointing about the zoo this time was that we didn't see any shows.  Sometimes those shows are a time waster but you always get to see cool animals.  Every place where they normally have shows was closed.  It was very weird.

My favorite part of the zoo is the Australia section.  I just love kangaroos and wallabies.  You can't get very close to them like you used to.  My mom took a picture of me a few years ago where a kangaroo was about six feet from me.  Good times.  There is a little train you can take to get you a little closer, but we decided not to do that.  Last time we visited this zoo, it was ninety degrees and even though it was about eighty this time, it was still freaking hot.  Better to stay in the shade or keep moving.  Next was the big hill where there are monkeys and fish and all kinds of cool stuff.  There are three ways to get there - the tram from the welcome plaza, the big road (the long way), or the steps through the woods (the short but difficult way).  We were too far from the welcome plaza, so we took the stairs.  It was quicker, but I was huffing and puffing like you wouldn't believe.  We were so excited just to get to the top of the hill and were so tired that I don't think we really enjoyed the exhibits.

We also enjoyed the cool wolf habitat that is near the Northern Trek (those wolves have a lot of space) and the giraffes.  There was a big crowd around the seals, but by then, we were in desperate need of a slushie.  We checked out the rest of the exhibits on the way back and headed toward home after a long, hot day.