So..... It is a holiday weekend and we wanted to do something other than go to the beach (not that I am complaining that the beach is our "fall-back" plan in the middle of February). We decided that our baby boy would love a visit to the Los Angeles Zoo.. Now, we aren't unrealistic parents. Yes, we think our son is super special (he is relaxed, happy, smart, VERY handsome, etc.) but he has only been in the game for 9 months so we have adjusted our expectations accordingly. Thus, we didn't expect him to "see" every Animal let alone be "into" the zoo. However, as is always the case with him, we were pleasantly surprised - not only with him but with the zoo.
We left our house yesterday sometime after noon and got to the zoo at around 1 PM (the longest part of the drive took place inside the park). We just found out there is a phenomenal short-cut from our house through Burbank to Griffith Park (I wish I had known about this sooner- it would have saved me A LOT of time driving back and forth to the golf course in the park). As soon as we hit the park, it became clear that we weren't the only people in LA who had the idea to go to the zoo during the long weekend - imagine that??!!
As we parked the car in an auxiliary parking lot, we could see the long line of people waiting to enter the zoo. We ALMOST turned around and drove to the beach but we decided to suck it up for our son's benefit (we promised each other that we would be EXTREMELY patient with the general public (more on THAT in a later post)). We rallied and got in an unnecessarily long line - we stood in that line all of 30 seconds. NO, we didn’t leave.. Rather, we simply took two side steps and signed up for a family membership (I think they let the line build up on purpose – sort of like Sprinkles Cupcakes – long line, great cupcakes).
Anyway, we finally entered the zoo and I have to say… we were pleasantly surprised! I wonder if all of my politics will be challenged now that I am father (my wife and I supposedly have “issues” with zoos).. Anyway, the zoo seemed well organized and manageable. Also, even though the parking lot was full, it didn’t “feel” crowded. This little zoo is the perfect size for parents with young children.
Why am I writing this blog? Well, if you are still reading, I am impressed and flattered. Here is why… Our son saw a few animals that probably blew his little mind – the first animals he noticed were the pink flamingos.. I have to tell you, if I wasn’t pushing him in the stroller, I probably would have walked right by these beautiful birds. I still wonder how his mind processed PINK BIRDS.
We saw giraffes and we saw gorillas! All of that would have been enough and I could write for pages just about watching our son see these beautiful animals for the first time. HOWEVER, I can’t take my mind off of the highlight of the day.. We had just spent $10 on a bottle of water and diet coke when we heard him…
Off in the distance, we heard what sounded like a wild monkey. In fact, it was so loud that we thought it was either being “piped in” to get visitors excited or a wild monkey had escaped. Then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone. We didn’t think anything of it again until about 30 minutes later when we reached the giraffe pen (which is across from the chimpanzees).
Here I am posing with my son in front of the giraffes when I see and hear one chimp go crazy and chase the other chimpanzees out of the little cave they have set up for them. The crazy chimp– clearly the largest of the group- chased the other 9 chimpanzees out of the cave and around the pen. There were about 100 people standing around watching his antics. We couldn’t resist- we were drawn to him like bugs to a light. We watched this chimp bully every other chimpanzee for 10 minutes and then he did something that sobered up the crowd - he stood up to his full height and started walking like a human being.. It freaked some of us out! Then, without warning, he was on the hunt again – he started chasing another chimpanzee over to the right side of the pen.
I followed the big chimp to the other side of the pen to get a closer look (it is the side where you can see the chimpanzees through the glass and the chimpanzees can walk right up to the glass)… I walked right up to glass with my son in my arms and there he was – 15 feet in front of us.. The big chimp was standing up-right, panting and looking very annoyed - he was looking down at the ground. Suddenly, he looked up and glared at me and my son. And, like a bolt of lightning, he charged us. I knew that there was a thick piece of glass separating us but it still shocking to have a wild animal “charge” you. He race right into the glass and smashed it with both of his fists. The force from the blow rocked the entire pen. I am a 6’3” 250 lb man and if that monkey had hit me with that blow, he would have snapped my neck or broken my back. People ran out of the area and children started crying. It was absolutely nuts!
One final note. What you probably don’t know is that my wife and I call our son “our little monkey” so we joked later that maybe this monkey thought I had stolen one of his children..
We left our house yesterday sometime after noon and got to the zoo at around 1 PM (the longest part of the drive took place inside the park). We just found out there is a phenomenal short-cut from our house through Burbank to Griffith Park (I wish I had known about this sooner- it would have saved me A LOT of time driving back and forth to the golf course in the park). As soon as we hit the park, it became clear that we weren't the only people in LA who had the idea to go to the zoo during the long weekend - imagine that??!!
As we parked the car in an auxiliary parking lot, we could see the long line of people waiting to enter the zoo. We ALMOST turned around and drove to the beach but we decided to suck it up for our son's benefit (we promised each other that we would be EXTREMELY patient with the general public (more on THAT in a later post)). We rallied and got in an unnecessarily long line - we stood in that line all of 30 seconds. NO, we didn’t leave.. Rather, we simply took two side steps and signed up for a family membership (I think they let the line build up on purpose – sort of like Sprinkles Cupcakes – long line, great cupcakes).
Anyway, we finally entered the zoo and I have to say… we were pleasantly surprised! I wonder if all of my politics will be challenged now that I am father (my wife and I supposedly have “issues” with zoos).. Anyway, the zoo seemed well organized and manageable. Also, even though the parking lot was full, it didn’t “feel” crowded. This little zoo is the perfect size for parents with young children.
Why am I writing this blog? Well, if you are still reading, I am impressed and flattered. Here is why… Our son saw a few animals that probably blew his little mind – the first animals he noticed were the pink flamingos.. I have to tell you, if I wasn’t pushing him in the stroller, I probably would have walked right by these beautiful birds. I still wonder how his mind processed PINK BIRDS.
We saw giraffes and we saw gorillas! All of that would have been enough and I could write for pages just about watching our son see these beautiful animals for the first time. HOWEVER, I can’t take my mind off of the highlight of the day.. We had just spent $10 on a bottle of water and diet coke when we heard him…
Off in the distance, we heard what sounded like a wild monkey. In fact, it was so loud that we thought it was either being “piped in” to get visitors excited or a wild monkey had escaped. Then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone. We didn’t think anything of it again until about 30 minutes later when we reached the giraffe pen (which is across from the chimpanzees).
Here I am posing with my son in front of the giraffes when I see and hear one chimp go crazy and chase the other chimpanzees out of the little cave they have set up for them. The crazy chimp– clearly the largest of the group- chased the other 9 chimpanzees out of the cave and around the pen. There were about 100 people standing around watching his antics. We couldn’t resist- we were drawn to him like bugs to a light. We watched this chimp bully every other chimpanzee for 10 minutes and then he did something that sobered up the crowd - he stood up to his full height and started walking like a human being.. It freaked some of us out! Then, without warning, he was on the hunt again – he started chasing another chimpanzee over to the right side of the pen.
I followed the big chimp to the other side of the pen to get a closer look (it is the side where you can see the chimpanzees through the glass and the chimpanzees can walk right up to the glass)… I walked right up to glass with my son in my arms and there he was – 15 feet in front of us.. The big chimp was standing up-right, panting and looking very annoyed - he was looking down at the ground. Suddenly, he looked up and glared at me and my son. And, like a bolt of lightning, he charged us. I knew that there was a thick piece of glass separating us but it still shocking to have a wild animal “charge” you. He race right into the glass and smashed it with both of his fists. The force from the blow rocked the entire pen. I am a 6’3” 250 lb man and if that monkey had hit me with that blow, he would have snapped my neck or broken my back. People ran out of the area and children started crying. It was absolutely nuts!
One final note. What you probably don’t know is that my wife and I call our son “our little monkey” so we joked later that maybe this monkey thought I had stolen one of his children..
