San Diego, CA

29 Oct - 3 Nov

The world famous San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park, along with the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species are all a part of the Zoological Society of San Diego. We had planned on three days in San Diego, but found we couldn't get away in less than six.

We were most impressed with the care that was given to create habitats for the animals that came as close to their natural habitat as possible. We learned a lot about some very special animals like the Giant Panda at the Panda Research station.

This is the place to be an animal in a Zoo! The big open spaces give the animals the freedom to live normally, which makes it a great place to observe natural wild animal behavior.

There was a peacefulness there that made us feel a sort of reverence for the wild animals.

The dolphin and orca shows were exciting, and the sea lion show was really funny. We also learned about the gentle manatee, and enjoyed watching it much on lettuce. There were two arctic exhibits where we could see penguins and polar bears. There was even a simulated helicopter ride to the "arctic research station." It was almost like we really took a trip!