April 4: Something New at the Zoo

Raise your hand if you think the zoo is a fascinating place. Mine is definitely up there. At the end of every visit, I always leave there feeling like I've found or learned something new. So, when my wife suggested we take the kids on this glorious Easter Sunday, I was on-board immediately! And, once again, the zoo managed to deliver another new experience into my life. A few new experiences, actually. First, there was the butterfly exhibit. This wasn't the first time I'd been in the exhibit; however, during our last visit, when the kids and I came shortly after Christmas, we neglected to visit the butterflies. So it had been a while. Now, I'm no expert on butterflies. And, I can't really tell you much about them. But, today I learned that butterflies have an appendage called a Proboscis on their head which they use to suck the nectar from plants on order to feed. I also got to see the Proboscis on one of the butterflies who had landed on the brick edging on either side of the exhibit walk way. This particular butterfly was rolling it in and out in sort of a Gene Simmons fashion. Kind of weird, but very cool. Further into the day, the family opted to participate in the Zoo's Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Experience, which is currently showing "Wild World Africa", and the Wilderness Adventure simulated ride for the first time ever. Well, almost the entire family. My son got a little uneasy about the Wilderness Adventure right before we were supposed to board, and my wife ended up sitting this one out with him. Poor little guy. My daughter and I continued on and really enjoyed the simulation. All-in-all, the zoo was a wonderful, relaxing way to share the holiday with my family. Happy Easter everyone!