Milwaukee County Zoo: Autumn Visit

Few Autumn days can surpass the beauty and comfort that we enjoyed today. With temperatures reaching the high 60s, it was a perfect day to go to the zoo.

Being the rapscallion that I am, I felt compelled to call Jennifer at work and describe the weather as "Perfect. Simply, Perfect". She, (not surprisingly), told me she hated me. (That's a little game we have between us. I remind her how great my life is. She reminds me how jealous she is of me. It's all in good fun.)

The leaves are now turning in southeastern Wisconsin, and with a sky as blue as can be, the scenery was exhilarating.

The zoo was really busy today, despite being a Thursday. If I had a dollar for every stroller I saw, well, let's just say I would have a whole bunch of dollars. And there were lots of dads at the zoo today as well. That was nice to see.

After cruising through our usual circuit: gorillas, flamingos, monkey island, the playground equipment, etc... Jack and I came upon a large group of peacocks. (In this picture, you can only see one peacock, but trust me, there were many more just inches away).

I don't know how many peacocks actually live at the zoo, but it seems that around every corner you can see both males and females. It bothers me to see kids chase after the peacocks. I wish their parents would teach them to respect the animals a little more.

As a special treat, we got to see the giraffes being fed from the observation deck. This ramp, as well as the privilege of feeding the giraffes, are relatively new features. This new giraffe habitat is a drastic improvement over the old one.












Here, Jack contemplates his strategy for convincing mommy to let him have a giraffe at home.













Regrettably, I got Jack excited about riding the zoo train. Unfortunately, I found out from a hand-written note on the train station window that the train wasn't running today due to "forestry problems". I'm not sure what that meant, but I had to find a distraction fast.

Fortunately, the carousel is right next to the train station, and Jack enjoyed his very first carousel ride. I was a bit nervous at first because I thought Jack might get freaked out once the carousel starting moving. To ease him into his maiden voyage, I had Jack ride a stationary giraffe. The next time we go to the zoo, I'll let him break one of the horses or exotic animals.

With all of Jack's running around during our 3-hour visit, he was dozing within minutes of getting back into the car. Cool air, lots of exercise, and a nice, long afternoon nap from your toddler makes for a pretty good day.