Lions and Tigers and Bears - oh my!

We survived the zoo... and Carl and I didn't cuss each other one single time. The place was nearly deserted so we didn't have to stand shoulder to shoulder with other sweaty, irritable people. The ape, reptile, and panda habitats were all air conditioned so we stayed there a little longer just to enjoy the cool. However, when we walked back out it was like walking into a sauna.
Luckily, we left before the REAL heat of the day. All in all, I would do it again. It was a lot of fun! J-man enjoyed taking "notes" of all the animals he saw. Below he is working on the rhino...

The kids took their picture with the late Willie B. For those of you not familiar with this awesome silverback, he was the icon of Zoo Atlanta and passed away in 2000. This city mourned his death - we were all in shock. I can remember seeing him when I was little and his habitat was a cement cell with a tire swing and a ramp. He was a star, though. Many of you may remember him in a Samsonite commerical back in the 1970s. I loved this big ol' guy and got teary eyed when I saw this bronze statue. (Crazy, I know.)


My favorite animal at the zoo, however, is the Panda; we have a male and a female on loan from China. I think they are the cutest darn things even though they are mean as hell. Don't you want to just hug them?

I adore spending time with the kids. Yes, they are going to have memories of our experience but so will Carl and I. This was time well spent - even though now we all stink like, well, animals!