Monday morning Mike and Bree got up early and packed everything up. After breakfast we checked out and loaded up the rental. We drove down to the San Diego Zoo and made it just as it opened. We asked a guide what we should hit before it got busy and he suggested the Panda exhibit. We ran through the fern trail and hit the Panda exhibit in time for breakfast. The Giant Pandas are indeed giant; and yet they roll around gently eating bamboo.
From there we continued on the main Park Way to see Zebras, dik diks, and head towards the Polar Bear Plunge. The bears were sleeping, not very exciting. We walked around the whole park, seeing probably 90% of the animals. The bird aviaries were amazing, with the 300 mm lens we were able to catch full frame shots of some great birds. In the beginning of the day it sprinkled occasionally but we had sweatshirts so we were ok. It was sunny, drizzly sunny again all morning.
We saw elephants, rhinos, a sloth, lions, California Condors and a black jaguar at the new Elephant Odyssey exhibit. The black jaguar was gorgeous and you could just see his spots as he moved. It is difficult to shoot through the nets of the exhibits because our cameras autofocus on the net rather than the animal. So we had to manually focus; which is hard when you're shooting a black animal doing laps in his enclosure.
We also saw another jaguar in typical golds and browns that was feeding. As we approached his enclosure a keeper was going to feed him. She knew her meal was coming and was pacing near the door. The keeper got her into a smaller portion of the enclosure with a gate while he went in with the food. He put the food (a giant knuckle from a bone that was almost a foot across) underneath a large bowl about 3 feet in diameter. After he left the enclosure he let the jaguar out again and she could smell the food. It only took her a few moments to realize it was under the bowl. The bowl was meant to engage her and keep some of her hunting skills tuned. She had to try to lift the heavy bowl to get to her food. She tried just to paw at it, then to dig under it and finally managed to get her body halfway underneath it. We never saw her successfully get it but it was fascinating to watch her try. It looked like a normal housecat playing with a toy; it was just a really big cat. Because she was right up against the netting she was about two feet from us. It was awesome. :)
By midday however, it started to absolutely pour. We tried to cover our cameras with our arms but we're still worried about them. We saw that everyone else had ponchos they had bought from the gift shops, not much more than garbage bags. We thought about buying some but realized we wouldn't be able to take pictures wearing ponchos. So we decided to buy one and cut it in half. We wrapped each camera in half a poncho and kept going. It poured off and on for the next few hours; we ended up drenched. We pushed on til the afternoon when it finally dried up.
We saw the new hippo exhibit, walked through the Hippo Trail, Monkey Trail and Tiger Trail to get there. We saw camels, llamas and marsupials of all sizes. One of the cutest things we saw were meerkats, they definitely know how to pose. There were also more baby Red River hogs that were running around. The warthog was so ugly, he still wasn't cute and just ugly. One of the oddest things was a capybara which looks like a two foot tall hamster. Very strange. A lot of the exhibits are quite expansive and really setup for the animals. One had a combination of several monkeys and an otter. The otter wanted up and the monkey wanted to play so the otter went back in the water.
After seeing the last of the park, we headed back to the airport to drop off the rental car. Mike loved the rental car. We got a Prius which was an experience. We got an average 47 mpg for 250 miles and it cost us less than $20 to fill up the tank before we returned it. There was actually quite a bit of room and the features were cool. There was a graph that displayed the power you regenerated with the brakes or a graphic that showed you were the energy was coming or going (into battery, from engine, etc). The gear shifter was odd, you had R for Reverse, N for Neutral, D for Drive and B for we don't know what. There was a P for Park button and an on and off button instead of an ignition. All in all a great experience from Hertz actually; we were really impressed.
We got to the airport almost 2 hours early so we settled in to wait to go home. There was a small puppy in a carrier that made the most high pitched yelping while we were waiting and Mike dreaded it being on our flight. Even though we took off about 20 minutes late we landed only 10 minutes late. Pamela picked us up and we were home to Beau by 10pm.
It was a great trip but a lot crammed into just a few days. After Bree downloaded the pictures, we ended up with:
1477 total on two cameras
463 "best of"s to share
<200 posted online
Be sure to check our picassa site to see pictures or facebook!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Sunday
Today we had a chance to sleep in and relax before going to a champagne brunch at Ocean House in Oceanside. It was a very nice place with sooo much food. We all ate too much food but it was delicious.
This is just the food that I could remember: eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, made-to-order omeletes; roast beef, ham and pork sliced; biscuits and country gravy; prime rib hash, gold rush potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy; bacon, sausage; pancakes; fajita bar complete with various salsas and choice of meat; clam chowder and minestrone soup; turkey enchiladas, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole; fresh veggies and fruit; cold crab legs, shrimp and salmon; cinnamon rolls, bagels and muffins; waffles with strawberries, peaches and whip cream; fried chicken; seafood quiche; a dessert bar including cheesecake, chocolate mouse , peach cobbler or chocolate covered strawberries; and of course, all the mimosas you can drink!
We were all completely full and practically rolled out of there. We went back to the hotel to relax and digest a little bit. Devon had work to do and Sean napped but the rest of us decided to go back down to La Jolla to cruise. We walked down to La Jolla cove which was absolutely crammed. We walked along the beach and saw sea lions and seagulls and tons of pelicans. As we were walking along the park area, Bree ducked into a small shed hanging off the side of the cliff to take a picture. The whole shed shook violently and she jumped out thinking it was going to fall off the side of the cliff. When she got back to "solid" land she found the ground was still shaking. It was an earthquake, centered in Baja California and actually lasted a long time. The USGS has said that it was a 7.2 which is actually pretty big. Very few people on the beach or in the area seemed to notice at all.
Afterwards we walked back up to the main street, Prospect, via a different way for a more gradual climb. We ended up deciding to go to the church that Bree was baptised in. Robert has nicknamed it "Chicken of the Sea," but its real name is "Mary, the Star of the Sea Catholic Church." It was a beautiful old church, built in 1909 and gorgeous! A worker opened it up for us so we could go inside and light candles. The candles were actually electric; you pushed a button on the top, which was different. Robert and Mike took some photos of the church, including one to recreate one he took in front of a stained glass window at Bree's baptism.
From there we wandered past shops and continued back to the car. We passed a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop with elaborate caramel covered apples, caramel covered marshmallows, chocolate covered s'mores, etc. We were mentally strong enough to avoid it however. :)
From La Jolla we headed back up to San Marcos and met Sean and Devon at the San Marcos Brewery & Grill. We were all still full from brunch so we thought we would just have happy hour but in the end we all ordered food and beer. Robert had shrimp & chips, Pamela had potato skins, Grandma had a hot fudge sundae, Devon had garlic cheese bread, Jo had pasta primavera and Dale had a huge appetizer sampler. We and Anna Mae had fish and chips that was absolutely delicious! Everyone ended up sharing everything everyone else ate and we still couldn't eat it all. The boys were less them impressed with the beer but the food was excellent.
Afterwards, we headed back over to Devon's apartment for a tour. Her place is so cute and very nicely done. Its a split level with a garage on the bottom and stairs that lead to a kitchen, dining area and living room. There's a half story with a bedroom and bathroom and the third level is Devon's room and bathroom and her friend Alaina's bedroom and bathroom. It was nice to see her place after hearing about it so much. Its cute and all decorated with lyres, one of her sorority's (Alpha Chi Omega) symbols.
Now we're back at the hotel, early enough that everyone is able to relax. Tomorrow Robert, Pamela, Anna Mae, Grandma and Sean will be heading out by car back home in the morning. Dale and Jo will take the rental car back and fly back. We, on the other hand, are heading to the San Diego Zoo. We'll be there all day and then drive our rental back to the airport and head home. Its been a great weekend but its gone by so fast!
This is just the food that I could remember: eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, made-to-order omeletes; roast beef, ham and pork sliced; biscuits and country gravy; prime rib hash, gold rush potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy; bacon, sausage; pancakes; fajita bar complete with various salsas and choice of meat; clam chowder and minestrone soup; turkey enchiladas, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole; fresh veggies and fruit; cold crab legs, shrimp and salmon; cinnamon rolls, bagels and muffins; waffles with strawberries, peaches and whip cream; fried chicken; seafood quiche; a dessert bar including cheesecake, chocolate mouse , peach cobbler or chocolate covered strawberries; and of course, all the mimosas you can drink!
We were all completely full and practically rolled out of there. We went back to the hotel to relax and digest a little bit. Devon had work to do and Sean napped but the rest of us decided to go back down to La Jolla to cruise. We walked down to La Jolla cove which was absolutely crammed. We walked along the beach and saw sea lions and seagulls and tons of pelicans. As we were walking along the park area, Bree ducked into a small shed hanging off the side of the cliff to take a picture. The whole shed shook violently and she jumped out thinking it was going to fall off the side of the cliff. When she got back to "solid" land she found the ground was still shaking. It was an earthquake, centered in Baja California and actually lasted a long time. The USGS has said that it was a 7.2 which is actually pretty big. Very few people on the beach or in the area seemed to notice at all.
Afterwards we walked back up to the main street, Prospect, via a different way for a more gradual climb. We ended up deciding to go to the church that Bree was baptised in. Robert has nicknamed it "Chicken of the Sea," but its real name is "Mary, the Star of the Sea Catholic Church." It was a beautiful old church, built in 1909 and gorgeous! A worker opened it up for us so we could go inside and light candles. The candles were actually electric; you pushed a button on the top, which was different. Robert and Mike took some photos of the church, including one to recreate one he took in front of a stained glass window at Bree's baptism.
From there we wandered past shops and continued back to the car. We passed a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop with elaborate caramel covered apples, caramel covered marshmallows, chocolate covered s'mores, etc. We were mentally strong enough to avoid it however. :)
From La Jolla we headed back up to San Marcos and met Sean and Devon at the San Marcos Brewery & Grill. We were all still full from brunch so we thought we would just have happy hour but in the end we all ordered food and beer. Robert had shrimp & chips, Pamela had potato skins, Grandma had a hot fudge sundae, Devon had garlic cheese bread, Jo had pasta primavera and Dale had a huge appetizer sampler. We and Anna Mae had fish and chips that was absolutely delicious! Everyone ended up sharing everything everyone else ate and we still couldn't eat it all. The boys were less them impressed with the beer but the food was excellent.
Afterwards, we headed back over to Devon's apartment for a tour. Her place is so cute and very nicely done. Its a split level with a garage on the bottom and stairs that lead to a kitchen, dining area and living room. There's a half story with a bedroom and bathroom and the third level is Devon's room and bathroom and her friend Alaina's bedroom and bathroom. It was nice to see her place after hearing about it so much. Its cute and all decorated with lyres, one of her sorority's (Alpha Chi Omega) symbols.
Now we're back at the hotel, early enough that everyone is able to relax. Tomorrow Robert, Pamela, Anna Mae, Grandma and Sean will be heading out by car back home in the morning. Dale and Jo will take the rental car back and fly back. We, on the other hand, are heading to the San Diego Zoo. We'll be there all day and then drive our rental back to the airport and head home. Its been a great weekend but its gone by so fast!
Butterfly Exhibit & Confirmation
As we waited in line for the butterfly exhibit, we were entertained by a "butterfly man." Dressed in butterfly wings and a straw hat covered in parrot feathers, he entertained the crowds for hours. He had several different bits that he rotated through. He would start at one section of the line and play a a guessing game about his first name. He said that it started with the letter "E" and everyone in that section of the line would guess. Ebenezer, Eric, Edward, Ed, Eron, ... etc. The section of the line that played this game was hidden around a corner so that only that some were able to play and hear the answer. The butterfly man would then continue to the beginning of the line and proceed to the end and explains to everyone that we will all do the stadium wave. We did several versions, even one in which we made different noises, like mooing like a cow. He also carried around and snapped a pair of metal salad tongs that he used to delve out spiced bug. He would pick a section of line and pass out small meal worms that were coated in cheese. Grandma and Mike tried one and said they tasted like a Cheeto.
We finally got to the head of the line and into the butterfly exhibit. It is in the Hidden Jungle in the park which changes all the time and often has different birds, butterflies, insects, etc. This time it is filled with butterflies and was great. We took a ton of pictures and wandered around watching them all. We had to be careful not to step on any that landed on the ground and not to touch them. Mike had a butterfly land on his arm and didn't want to come off. He was stuck with it on his arm until we went to leave. There was a Park employee at the door that had you twirl in front of them so that they could check you for butterflies. He managed to carefully get the butterfly off of Mike before we left.
By this time we were pretty warm out and tired from the sun. We drove back to the hotel and all changed and prepared for dinner and Devon's Confirmation. We went across the freeway from the hotel to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a nice big dinner. Devon and Grandma had to go early to the church for rehearsal so we all took our time before heading over. Devon got confirmed at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Oceanside which is a new church but very traditional. We got there before the church opened so we waited in the car because it was very cold. The sodium lights in the parking lot made everything black and white. Grandma had jelly beans which all looked black and white. Bree was trying to knit and got stuck at one point because she couldn't tell what was orange, gray or one of two shades of blue.
At the beginning of the ceremony we all met outside around a giant bonfire. Everyone who was baptised got a candle that was lit inside after the ceremony started. There were several people that were getting confirmed, baptised and taking first communion. The ceremony was three hours long though, with lots of chanting. Very interesting but a long time to stand. Afterwards we went back to the hotel to rest.
We finally got to the head of the line and into the butterfly exhibit. It is in the Hidden Jungle in the park which changes all the time and often has different birds, butterflies, insects, etc. This time it is filled with butterflies and was great. We took a ton of pictures and wandered around watching them all. We had to be careful not to step on any that landed on the ground and not to touch them. Mike had a butterfly land on his arm and didn't want to come off. He was stuck with it on his arm until we went to leave. There was a Park employee at the door that had you twirl in front of them so that they could check you for butterflies. He managed to carefully get the butterfly off of Mike before we left.
By this time we were pretty warm out and tired from the sun. We drove back to the hotel and all changed and prepared for dinner and Devon's Confirmation. We went across the freeway from the hotel to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a nice big dinner. Devon and Grandma had to go early to the church for rehearsal so we all took our time before heading over. Devon got confirmed at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Oceanside which is a new church but very traditional. We got there before the church opened so we waited in the car because it was very cold. The sodium lights in the parking lot made everything black and white. Grandma had jelly beans which all looked black and white. Bree was trying to knit and got stuck at one point because she couldn't tell what was orange, gray or one of two shades of blue.
At the beginning of the ceremony we all met outside around a giant bonfire. Everyone who was baptised got a candle that was lit inside after the ceremony started. There were several people that were getting confirmed, baptised and taking first communion. The ceremony was three hours long though, with lots of chanting. Very interesting but a long time to stand. Afterwards we went back to the hotel to rest.
Wild Animal Park
Today we got up early, met for our complimentary breakfast and headed out to the Wild Animal Park. Mike and Sean had to re-evaluate their sunblocking technique as both were a little red. Sean, Mike, Bree and Devon all piled into our rented Prius and hit Walmart for a hat and more sunblock. We met the rest of the family at the Wild Animal Park and ran to the meeting place for our tour. We decided to do a Photo Caravan which is a big truck that you all pile in and they actually take you out into the exhibits! It lasts about two hours and was worth every penny. Our tour guide was amazing, she knew every animal by name and species. She was full of interesting facts and tidbits.
We started in the Africa exhibit with the giraffes and rhinos. About five minutes into the tour we pulled up alongside to sleeping rhinos that were lined up butt to butt. They were actually "best girlfriends," which is apparently how rhinoceros pair up. Female rhinos are very close and help to protect each other. By laying butt to butt they were able to protect each other's flanks and see more. They just kept on sleeping despite us being ten feet away from them and talking. Our guide said that rhinos get up at "the crack of noon," and they still would sleep for several hours. We could see several giraffes in the distance, which was only about a football field's length away. The guide said that the giraffes think of us as the ice cream truck. They have all the food they could want available constantly but we had special leaves that are treats to them. As we stopped in the middle of the enclosure, sure enough a giraffe snuck up behind us to get a treat. Everyone got a handful of leaves and we were instructed on how to and how not to feed the giraffes:
1. ONLY feed the giraffe from the back of the truck. If you fed them from the side and they get startled, they could hurt themselves on the supports for the canopy of the truck.
2. If you're scared of the giraffe, feed it first, THEN runaway. The giraffe really wants that leaf, and if you walk/ run away with it, it will follow you. Which means the entire giraffe head and neck will stretch inside the truck all the way to the back. They can reach that far. Also, don't bend or curl away from the giraffe while holding the leaf, they can wrap their tongue and/or neck all the way around you. If you're scared, hold the leaf behind you or above your head; then scurry away.
3. Don't pet the giraffe. Most of the females and babies would take that just fine. But they can head butt you, and you would be knocked out. A likewise warning for the tongue; the trainer described being "tongue slapped" by a giraffe who still wanted leaves when she was out.
So one at a time we went to the back of the truck and held out these long leaves for the giraffe to eat. They seem even bigger up close and it was absolutely amazing! Bree took many pictures of each family member feeding the giraffe and Sean managed to get video of Mike doing it. As soon as the giraffe realized we had no more food, she wandered away and we continued on. We stopped alongside several giraffes to see them eating, drinking water and rubbing their long necks against trees. As they drink from the stream they have to spread their long legs out to the side in order to bend down. They can't drink for long, our guide said, because they will get a head rush and can faint.
Our tour guide knew each giraffe by name and lineage. She could spot who was born of whom, how old they were, etc. Her favorite was a young female (2.5 years old) who was pregnant. She said she was too young to be pregnant but the lone male had had other plans. The dominant male was apparently not nice to the trucks so they avoid feeding him from the tour trucks. The Wild Animal Park has an elaborate breeding program and often switches animals or has "visits" from males at our zoos. There is a "zoo dating service" that allows zoos to borrow or permanently trade animals in order to have healthy offspring. She told the story of a male rhino who was at the San Diego Zoo and had only sired few children in a long period of time. He was shipped up to the Wild Animal Park and in a short time had a huge amount of children. Apparently the "best girlfriends" dynamic was missing at the Zoo and that was something male rhinos look for.
Our guide new elaborate details about the mating, and how the males check for fertility which was fascinating. There is so much knowledge at the park and so much planning! The keepers are aware of everything that goes on. Our guide was able to point out the new lambs in one herd that had been born that morning and to whom they were born and who was next. The exhibits are also carefully planned not only to mimic the animals natural environment but also to keep them as "natural" as can be. The African prey area where we were is downwind from the African Predator area. That way the prey always smell the predators and just think they're really smart at outsmarting them. This way they still go through all the same mating and breeding rituals.
We passed by the oldest rhino in captivity and I'm pretty sure the world. She is 47 years old and still ticking. Believe it or not, an older rhino does actually look older and has a more wrinkled, weathered face. They also lose the hair around their ears which makes them hard of hearing. We saw many Antelope and variations of deer in the Africa portion before going to the Asia section. There were so many variations it was hard to keep them straight! Some were in "velvet" which means they had on their fancy coats for breeding. Others were molting out of them in order to blend in post-mating season. Apparently the males in most breeds change their coats to a very black and white (high contrast) coat in order to attract the females. They stand out and look like rebels, like "hey I don't care if predators can see me, I'm that strong." But as soon as they mate, they don't want to stand out anymore and its advantageous to blend in with the rest of the herd.
We made a big loop through the exhibits and went back the way we came. As we passed by a gorge we were trying to see some Asian rhinoceros, but they were deep in the gorge. Our guide had warned us against calling to the animals like dogs an cats. But when we came near these rhinos, she really wanted us to see them so she called to them by name and called, "Babies! Babies!" while shaking the bucket of apples. That was the rhino treat, but even that couldn't get them up before the "crack of noon." We got really excited at one point because one started to get up when she called it by name but then it just resettled. They were all piled together in the bottom of the gorge on top of each other, but the guide tried to convince us they're not usually social animals.
The tour lasted about two hours and was absolutely amazing. We saw baby animals and so many up close and personal! From the end of the tour we headed through the village (gift shops and food courts) and most of the family stopped for lunch. Mike and Bree continued on to see some of the bird aviaries, gibbon monkeys and gorillas. We wandered through several of the closer exhibits and grabbed a quick hot dog before meeting the rest of the family at the Frequent Flyers bird show. Its amazing! Trained birds fly over your head in order to show visitors some of the birds up close. There were three pheasants named Larry, Curly and Moe because they goof off some times. A scarlet macaw circled the stadium at the beginning of the show. We tried to catch the birds in flight but with a 300 mm zoom lens, thats not easy. We also saw a large Andean Condor that is a success story in terms of captive breeding and re-release. They used the same process to help save the California Condor. He had a ten foot wingspan! There was also a beautiful hawk that came down at the end of the show. Bree loves bird and it was one of her favorite things at the park from childhood. The only thing that was missing was the emu. There used to be an emu that was trained to walk from one trainer to the other across the stage and that was all that he could be taught to do. Emus have very poor memories and that took years to do. The emu used to have 8 shows and training sessions a day with two trainers. Even though the trainers were the same each time, the emu thought he made 16 new friends a day with treats.
From there we headed over to the Lion Camp. We got to see two male lions eat large bones; we think they were cattle or horse femurs because they were several feet long. We saw the cheetahs and decided not to make the long trek out to the outer safari area to see elephants and tigers. We did got to the butterfly jungle though, which had just opened. The line was over an hour long and moved really fast until we got into site of the doors. Then it just crept along ever so slowly. I'll write more about the butterfly exhibit next ;)
We started in the Africa exhibit with the giraffes and rhinos. About five minutes into the tour we pulled up alongside to sleeping rhinos that were lined up butt to butt. They were actually "best girlfriends," which is apparently how rhinoceros pair up. Female rhinos are very close and help to protect each other. By laying butt to butt they were able to protect each other's flanks and see more. They just kept on sleeping despite us being ten feet away from them and talking. Our guide said that rhinos get up at "the crack of noon," and they still would sleep for several hours. We could see several giraffes in the distance, which was only about a football field's length away. The guide said that the giraffes think of us as the ice cream truck. They have all the food they could want available constantly but we had special leaves that are treats to them. As we stopped in the middle of the enclosure, sure enough a giraffe snuck up behind us to get a treat. Everyone got a handful of leaves and we were instructed on how to and how not to feed the giraffes:
1. ONLY feed the giraffe from the back of the truck. If you fed them from the side and they get startled, they could hurt themselves on the supports for the canopy of the truck.
2. If you're scared of the giraffe, feed it first, THEN runaway. The giraffe really wants that leaf, and if you walk/ run away with it, it will follow you. Which means the entire giraffe head and neck will stretch inside the truck all the way to the back. They can reach that far. Also, don't bend or curl away from the giraffe while holding the leaf, they can wrap their tongue and/or neck all the way around you. If you're scared, hold the leaf behind you or above your head; then scurry away.
3. Don't pet the giraffe. Most of the females and babies would take that just fine. But they can head butt you, and you would be knocked out. A likewise warning for the tongue; the trainer described being "tongue slapped" by a giraffe who still wanted leaves when she was out.
So one at a time we went to the back of the truck and held out these long leaves for the giraffe to eat. They seem even bigger up close and it was absolutely amazing! Bree took many pictures of each family member feeding the giraffe and Sean managed to get video of Mike doing it. As soon as the giraffe realized we had no more food, she wandered away and we continued on. We stopped alongside several giraffes to see them eating, drinking water and rubbing their long necks against trees. As they drink from the stream they have to spread their long legs out to the side in order to bend down. They can't drink for long, our guide said, because they will get a head rush and can faint.
Our tour guide knew each giraffe by name and lineage. She could spot who was born of whom, how old they were, etc. Her favorite was a young female (2.5 years old) who was pregnant. She said she was too young to be pregnant but the lone male had had other plans. The dominant male was apparently not nice to the trucks so they avoid feeding him from the tour trucks. The Wild Animal Park has an elaborate breeding program and often switches animals or has "visits" from males at our zoos. There is a "zoo dating service" that allows zoos to borrow or permanently trade animals in order to have healthy offspring. She told the story of a male rhino who was at the San Diego Zoo and had only sired few children in a long period of time. He was shipped up to the Wild Animal Park and in a short time had a huge amount of children. Apparently the "best girlfriends" dynamic was missing at the Zoo and that was something male rhinos look for.
Our guide new elaborate details about the mating, and how the males check for fertility which was fascinating. There is so much knowledge at the park and so much planning! The keepers are aware of everything that goes on. Our guide was able to point out the new lambs in one herd that had been born that morning and to whom they were born and who was next. The exhibits are also carefully planned not only to mimic the animals natural environment but also to keep them as "natural" as can be. The African prey area where we were is downwind from the African Predator area. That way the prey always smell the predators and just think they're really smart at outsmarting them. This way they still go through all the same mating and breeding rituals.
We passed by the oldest rhino in captivity and I'm pretty sure the world. She is 47 years old and still ticking. Believe it or not, an older rhino does actually look older and has a more wrinkled, weathered face. They also lose the hair around their ears which makes them hard of hearing. We saw many Antelope and variations of deer in the Africa portion before going to the Asia section. There were so many variations it was hard to keep them straight! Some were in "velvet" which means they had on their fancy coats for breeding. Others were molting out of them in order to blend in post-mating season. Apparently the males in most breeds change their coats to a very black and white (high contrast) coat in order to attract the females. They stand out and look like rebels, like "hey I don't care if predators can see me, I'm that strong." But as soon as they mate, they don't want to stand out anymore and its advantageous to blend in with the rest of the herd.
We made a big loop through the exhibits and went back the way we came. As we passed by a gorge we were trying to see some Asian rhinoceros, but they were deep in the gorge. Our guide had warned us against calling to the animals like dogs an cats. But when we came near these rhinos, she really wanted us to see them so she called to them by name and called, "Babies! Babies!" while shaking the bucket of apples. That was the rhino treat, but even that couldn't get them up before the "crack of noon." We got really excited at one point because one started to get up when she called it by name but then it just resettled. They were all piled together in the bottom of the gorge on top of each other, but the guide tried to convince us they're not usually social animals.
The tour lasted about two hours and was absolutely amazing. We saw baby animals and so many up close and personal! From the end of the tour we headed through the village (gift shops and food courts) and most of the family stopped for lunch. Mike and Bree continued on to see some of the bird aviaries, gibbon monkeys and gorillas. We wandered through several of the closer exhibits and grabbed a quick hot dog before meeting the rest of the family at the Frequent Flyers bird show. Its amazing! Trained birds fly over your head in order to show visitors some of the birds up close. There were three pheasants named Larry, Curly and Moe because they goof off some times. A scarlet macaw circled the stadium at the beginning of the show. We tried to catch the birds in flight but with a 300 mm zoom lens, thats not easy. We also saw a large Andean Condor that is a success story in terms of captive breeding and re-release. They used the same process to help save the California Condor. He had a ten foot wingspan! There was also a beautiful hawk that came down at the end of the show. Bree loves bird and it was one of her favorite things at the park from childhood. The only thing that was missing was the emu. There used to be an emu that was trained to walk from one trainer to the other across the stage and that was all that he could be taught to do. Emus have very poor memories and that took years to do. The emu used to have 8 shows and training sessions a day with two trainers. Even though the trainers were the same each time, the emu thought he made 16 new friends a day with treats.
From there we headed over to the Lion Camp. We got to see two male lions eat large bones; we think they were cattle or horse femurs because they were several feet long. We saw the cheetahs and decided not to make the long trek out to the outer safari area to see elephants and tigers. We did got to the butterfly jungle though, which had just opened. The line was over an hour long and moved really fast until we got into site of the doors. Then it just crept along ever so slowly. I'll write more about the butterfly exhibit next ;)
Friday, April 2, 2010
Sea World & La Holla
This morning we were up at 8am to make it down to breakfast and out the door in time. Breakfast was complimentary and quite a spread! We left full and ready to go. We drove down to the Point Lomas Seafoods stand to buy sloppy crab sandwiches for later. We drove to Sea World and were quite impressed with their parking. They had everything marked with cones and attendants everywhere to guide you to a parking spot. That way everyone filled in front front to back during the day. We got in to the park and immediately went to the Shamu show. Its a little different each time, this time is more touchy feely than it used to be but its still amazing. The new Shamu is absolutely huge, its hard to believe that he can get as high out of the water as he does. We tried to take pictures with our big zoom lens but he was so fast we may have only gotten splashes.
After the Shamu show we walked over to the Wild Arctic Encounter exhibit to see Walruses, Polar Bears and Beluga Whales. One walrus did continuous laps rubbing his belly up against the glass; while another ate (and regurgitated and ate again) some fish right up against the glass. We had to run across the park to near the Shamu show again to see the Dolphins feed. The dolphins are fed and go through light training as they are so we got to see them do flips and simple tricks.
After that we decided to get lunch. Mike, Bree, Sean, Robert, and Anna Mae left the park to get our sloppy crab sandwiches in the car. They were so good! Imagine soft, fresh sourdough bread, with a cup of shelled crab and a tangy special tartar sauce. We also got "extra" sauce to make them "extra" sloppy. Everyone but Bree had a beer with it too, which made it even better. They are amazing; if you like crab and you are anywhere near San Diego, you have to go. ;)
After we got back into the park, we met up with Devon, Grandma and Pam at the Penguin Encounter. Devon loves penguins. There are over 300 in the exhibit and we were lucky enough to catch them eating. There were large stuffy looking Emperors that can way up to 100 pounds! And smaller adielas that leapt out of the water with ease. We even got to see "Tut," a King penguin that is going blind and the favorite of the trainers. There are very few King penguins in the exhibit and they are shy.
We went to the Sea Lion show which is a classic although the show itself often changes. It was very funny and the two sea lions, Seymour and Clyde, seem to be the original sea lions we last saw ten years ago! The show was a spoof on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and was called SLL (Sea Lions Live). It was quite cute; Mike thought the sea lions may be smarter or at least better trained than our dog Beau.
We also went through the Shark Encounter, saw the flamingos, watched the sea lions and dolphins feed as well as going through the fresh water and sea water aquariums. By the end of it we were tired of walking (and from the late night before) and headed out. Mike and Bree got dropped off near the airport to pick up a rental and then we all headed to La Jolla.
La Jolla is a high end road with nice galleries and restaurants. Mike and Bree noticed an artist painting outside her gallery and wandered in. It turned out to be Sally Huss, an artist Bree had seen before. Her art is light and bright, fully of happy thoughts and pretty images. We ended up buying several small prints for gifts and look forward to buying more from her. She even signed the largest print we bought which was amazing. :)
From there we met the rest of the family, including Jo and Dale at Alfonso's. Alfonso's was a favorite of Pamela and Robert's when they lived in San Diego and it was the first place they took Bree after she was born. We had nachos, margarita's and great meals. Now we're all full, slightly tipsy and tired from our long day. Its early to bed now and early to rise! We head out to the Wild Animal Park tomorrow!
After the Shamu show we walked over to the Wild Arctic Encounter exhibit to see Walruses, Polar Bears and Beluga Whales. One walrus did continuous laps rubbing his belly up against the glass; while another ate (and regurgitated and ate again) some fish right up against the glass. We had to run across the park to near the Shamu show again to see the Dolphins feed. The dolphins are fed and go through light training as they are so we got to see them do flips and simple tricks.
After that we decided to get lunch. Mike, Bree, Sean, Robert, and Anna Mae left the park to get our sloppy crab sandwiches in the car. They were so good! Imagine soft, fresh sourdough bread, with a cup of shelled crab and a tangy special tartar sauce. We also got "extra" sauce to make them "extra" sloppy. Everyone but Bree had a beer with it too, which made it even better. They are amazing; if you like crab and you are anywhere near San Diego, you have to go. ;)
After we got back into the park, we met up with Devon, Grandma and Pam at the Penguin Encounter. Devon loves penguins. There are over 300 in the exhibit and we were lucky enough to catch them eating. There were large stuffy looking Emperors that can way up to 100 pounds! And smaller adielas that leapt out of the water with ease. We even got to see "Tut," a King penguin that is going blind and the favorite of the trainers. There are very few King penguins in the exhibit and they are shy.
We went to the Sea Lion show which is a classic although the show itself often changes. It was very funny and the two sea lions, Seymour and Clyde, seem to be the original sea lions we last saw ten years ago! The show was a spoof on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and was called SLL (Sea Lions Live). It was quite cute; Mike thought the sea lions may be smarter or at least better trained than our dog Beau.
We also went through the Shark Encounter, saw the flamingos, watched the sea lions and dolphins feed as well as going through the fresh water and sea water aquariums. By the end of it we were tired of walking (and from the late night before) and headed out. Mike and Bree got dropped off near the airport to pick up a rental and then we all headed to La Jolla.
La Jolla is a high end road with nice galleries and restaurants. Mike and Bree noticed an artist painting outside her gallery and wandered in. It turned out to be Sally Huss, an artist Bree had seen before. Her art is light and bright, fully of happy thoughts and pretty images. We ended up buying several small prints for gifts and look forward to buying more from her. She even signed the largest print we bought which was amazing. :)
From there we met the rest of the family, including Jo and Dale at Alfonso's. Alfonso's was a favorite of Pamela and Robert's when they lived in San Diego and it was the first place they took Bree after she was born. We had nachos, margarita's and great meals. Now we're all full, slightly tipsy and tired from our long day. Its early to bed now and early to rise! We head out to the Wild Animal Park tomorrow!
Good Friday = Sea World!
It was a long drive last night! We left Bree's parents house last night at 6:30pm. We had Togo's and snacks on the road and drove all the way to Button Willow without a stop. We made it to San Marcos in 7 hours, with the one stop in Button Willow, not bad! Robert drove the whole way so undoubtly he's tired. Sean, Bree, and Mike sat across the back. Three grown adults across the back does not a comfortable ride make. But we managed, with several cricks in the neck! We got to the hotel around 2am and went straight to bed. Bree had trouble sleeping and was up before the alarm. The hotel is quite nice and comfortable. We're headed down to breakfast and then off to Sea World! We are stopping first at Point Lomas Seafoods for their famous sloppy crab sandwiches. Its a family tradition and we'll take them in a cooler to Sea World for lunch. Off we go!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
San Diego here we come!
Mike and Bree head out tonight with the rest of the family for San Diego! Devon, Bree's little sister, is going through Confirmation this Easter weekend. Bree's Grandmother, Elaine, is her sponsor so she's going down with us. We'll be joined by Robert (Bree's Dad), Pamela (Bree's Mom), Sean (Bree's brother) and Aunt Anna Mae (Elaine's sister-in-law and Pamela's Aunt). It'll be a full car with seven people and their luggage. We're driving down today (Thursday) after everyone gets off work and hope to get in around midnight. After that its a go-go-go-go weekend! We have plans to go to SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park and of course, Devon's church.
Robert and Pamela lived in San Diego while he was in medical school. Sean and Bree were born down there and so we often made family trips growing up. Now Devon is attending school down there at Cal State San Marcos. But its been ten years since the whole family went down there all together. We're really looking forward to the vacation!
Robert and Pamela lived in San Diego while he was in medical school. Sean and Bree were born down there and so we often made family trips growing up. Now Devon is attending school down there at Cal State San Marcos. But its been ten years since the whole family went down there all together. We're really looking forward to the vacation!
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