Vacation at the Zoo

Our family did not do any traveling this summer--we were pretty certain it wouldn't happen, with a new baby and three other kids. But we did make it down to Denver a handful of times, and one of our Denver excursions was labeled our "family vacation" for the year. At first we were kind of joking about this title, but as far as day-trips go, this one was especially pleasant and smooth-sailing, so it actually felt like a vacation. And as a bonus, we didn't have to pack any suitcases!

We started the morning at the Denver Zoo. Ramona was the guardian of the map for a while, trying to ensure that we were covering ground at a good pace to see everyone's favorite animals.

 

 The girls got to watch a pelican get his breakfast.

 "Bear Mountain" was one of the requested stops.

 

 

 The pink flamingos were lovely.

Wylie was with us at the zoo, too. He spent most of the time asleep in the stroller . . .

 . . . but he did wake up to take a look around every once in a while.

 Visiting the gorillas was especially memorable.

I took this picture right before a gorilla named Charlie charged straight for Ramona and Mika--he came right up to the window, full-speed, and looked so fierce that both girls squealed and ran away! One of the zookeepers told us afterward that he was particularly territorial.

Ramona striking a pose in front of a bald eagle:

Mika and Ramona petting a snake:

Paula petting a skink:

Rhino:

Peacock:

Zebra:

As we were walking around, Paula kept asking to see the seals. She was delighted when we finally made it to their section of the zoo.

Giraffes:

 A young lion:

After a full morning of animal observation, we headed downtown for lunch, then walked a few blocks to a gelato shop for dessert. We had never taken the kids to this part of the city before, so it was a very new experience for them. The girls kept calling it "Denver City," and looked around, wide-eyed, at the tall buildings, bustling people, and outdoor pianos on the sixteenth street mall.

I think their eyes got even wider when they saw the display case at the gelato shop.

 YUM!

Not a bad way to vacation--it was short and sweet. And there was no suitcase to unpack, either!