Our First Birmingham Zoo Trip

Last week the boys and I made our first trip to the Birmingham Zoo. Some friends from church were making the trip and that was all the excuse I needed to attempt the adventure. Walker was excited about going, but mostly looked forward to riding the zoo train. After Eli's reaction to the horses at Pops' work, I knew he would enjoy the trip as well.



When we arrived, so every school child in the Birmingham metro area. Now, I know that can't be true, but that is sure how it seemed. Our more experienced zoo companions directed us toward the back, and we really were able to avoid most of the crowds.


First we went into the butterfly house. Walker did great. We had to work on not touching the butterflies or the flowers, but he was fascinated. In this picture you can see him getting a lesson from a little girl that is from the elementary school we are zoned for, a neighbor maybe. If you look close you can see a butterfly that has landed on his hat, no one noticed until we saw in in the picture after we arrived home.



Then we headed to the ostrich and giraffe area. Along the way we saw the camels. Walker was really concerned that the baby giraffe couldn't get in the garage door (those tall doors for the giraffes to go inside and outside), he talked about it days later. We saw the zebras and both the boys really perked up at this. We are still talking about zebras also.



Next we headed to see the white tiger and the lions. Now the lions were out on display and everyone in the group was really excited, apparently the lions are usually pretty shy and hiding from the crowd.


[I cannot express how traumatized I am by how old Eli looks in this picture. Ahh, my baby is growing up.]

We got to see a hippopotamus who was also hanging by his closed back door. This concerned Walker as well, and we are still talking about the "hippot, who wants to go inside." We saw the rhino as well and he was covered in mud, I guess from trying to stay cool. Well, in all our stories where animals roll in the mud, those animals are pigs, so Walker would not accept any other name for that animal. So in Walker's world the rhino is a pig...one and the same.



Next we cooled off in the primates building. We saw hugging, talking monkeys (you really should ask Walker what a monkey says sometime) and gorillas, orangutans, and all other sorts of monkey like creatures.

Finally we headed ride the train, at the same time as everyone else. By this time it is lunch time and rapidly approaching is nap time and it is getting pretty hot out as well, but we must ride the train. If Walker was to ever believe a word that came out of my mouth again, we had to ride the train. I am so proud of the both the boys. The waited so patiently for 40+ minutes, in the sun and the crowd. We rode the train, which was just as thrilling as Walker had hoped and then decided to wrap up our day out.


[Occasionally I make the camera work.]


[Can you hear the roar?]

It was a great trip and we can't wait to go back...someday, out there in the future.