NC Zoo Trip

Remember last week when I took Monday off from blogging?  Well the boys and I met my aunt and uncle, Pam and George, in Greensboro and then headed to Asheboro to spend the day at the North Carolina Zoo.

The NC Zoo is immense.  It was a very hot day (around 92* or hotter) and we certainly felt it as we walked around.  I kept refilling the boys' sippies though and they seemed to handle the heat pretty well.

Pierce said he most wanted to see an elephant.  Reid said he most wanted to see a lion.  Both of them were excited they got to see their special animals.  Cort on the other hand....he wanted to see a cow.  He had to settle for the bison in the prairie section.

Have I ever mentioned how much I adore lilly pads?  Possibly my favorite as far as flowers go. 

Pam and Reid check out some ostriches, zebra, and a giraffe that was peeking out from a rock formation.

Pam and George treated us to a dinosaur 4-D movie.  I wondered what 4-D was, and it turns out that it blows air at your legs, the seat vibrates, and you get poked in the back.  Pierce and Reid did pretty well, but Cort got a little scared.  After the movie, Cort threw a huge tantrum (as only an almost-3-year-old can do) over having to return his 3-D glasses.

George, Pierce, and Cort check out the inside of a bee hive.  Reid refused to go in initially, because he thought the huge bees on top were real.

My favorite section may have been the desert.  I just love the southwest so much.  I hope I get to venture back sometime, but for now I got my fill in the zoo!

Cort said that this ocelot was "his" cat.

And in the nocturnal section of the desert, we found this huge frog.  The glass was a little smeared, so the picture isn't as clear as it should be.

After that, we saw a very large grizzly bear.  We also saw the black bears.  We recently had a black bear run across the highway in front of our car, which really made an impression on the kids.  So they were happy to check them out from a distance.

The zoo geyser, in the prairie section.

In addition to the desert, I also really like swamps.  We had fun checking out all of the gators. 

Reid looks at the huge American alligator on the shore across the water.  Not so scary from a distance.

Overall, such an excellent day, and one that the boys will be talking about for months to come.  Extra thanks to my aunt and uncle for this special day!

Readers, what is your favorite animal at the zoo?