San Diego Zoo and Safari Park
Trip Start
Feb 03, 2012
1
20
25
Trip End
Ongoing
San Diego, California
Thursday, March 15, 2012
San Diego is well known for their zoo so I wanted to be sure that we got to see it. Pam and Kinley joined us at this time especially so that they could see it with us. While we were a little disappointed by the actual zoo, the Safari Park was amazing! We spent the last two days checking out both parks. I heard about the San Diego Zoo Safari Park from Jason and my Mom. The safari park is really up in Escondido, California, about 35 minutes north. It was well worth the drive. The park was gorgeous, filled with lush vegetation and many of the animals roamed freely in large areas, unlike the San Diego Zoo, where the animals were in small enclosures. There was even a duck pond where the girls were able to feed the ducks. One of our favorite things was a fantastic bird show where birds, some with 6 ft wing expansions, were trained to soar right over our heads!
The Safari Park is just like normal zoos where you walk around freely and visit the animals, but there is also a "safari" that you can take as well. Pam, the girls, and I boarded a large open-air train that that led us through the open plains of the 40 acre Asian Savanna habitat filled with elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and various other animals. The only animals that we didn't get to see were the koala bears. Apparently, they are on loan to the zoo in Dallas! The girls loved the fact that there was also playground and a carousel. We had a fantastic time!
