monkey around at sacramento zoo

"I wish Dad was here to see this!"  I love it when I hear things that tell me my children are enjoying life.  

My husband, and Number 1, spent the day at Comic Con in Sacramento. Having taken Number 2 and Number 3 last year to Comic Con, I knew our time (and money) could be better spent somewhere else. So after we dropped off the boys, we headed to the Sacramento Zoo.  

Sacramento Zoo

The Stats: 

Cost: Gen Admission $11.75, Senior $11, Child (2-11) $7.75, Age 0-1 Free

Hours: See calendar

The last time we were at the zoo was 2009.  And while my children have changed  A LOT, the zoo was very similar.  

The thing I love most about this zoo is the size.  Some may say that because it is small, it's not worth going to. But I love it because it is small.  I enjoy the animals, but I only want to walk around looking at them for so long.  Two hours and we were done.  There are certainly ways make stay longer than that if you went to the animal shows, played on the playground, and ate lunch in the zoo, but both my children and I were done right at two hours. 

We entered the zoo at 10am (opening) because I didn't want to be there when the temperature rose. (Have I ever mentioned it's hot here in the summer...) But the downside to coming early was that most of the animals were not out of their habitats yet.  The lions, chimpanzees, orangutan, tiger, and jaguar were not out.  (We did swing back around before we left and the chimps had come out.)  On the other hand, we tried to see the Red Panda just before leaving and it also was not out because it only comes out early in the morning, or later in the evening.  So basically, we missed a large amount of the animals. Boo.  Oh well. I guess that probably contributed to why we only stayed for 2 hours.  

Do not judge me because my son had a ring pop at 10am...

We did get to see some really great animals.  Giraffes, zebras, reptiles (bleck...we couldn't get out of the reptile house fast enough! We are very not fond of cold blooded animals...) kagaroos, flamingos and more.  Number 2's favorite was the Fennec Fox, Number 3's favorite was the White Handed Gibbon (they put on a great show, swinging around) and my favorite was the beautiful Snow Leopard.  And we all enjoyed the Black & White Ruffled Lemurs.  

Number 3 wanted to stick his head in every picture cut out possible.  And well, why not? Mission accomplished, son. 

Check the schedule to see the animal show.  It was fun to learn more about individual animals.  The tiny hedgehog was my favorite. So cute.

There are some optional items you can choose to pay extra for. This time we chose the carousel.  

Info from saczoo.org:

Additional Experiences
A quarter from each experience is donated to wildlife conservation!

Zoo Train: The electric powered train runs in good weather for $4.00 per person and includes zoo information as you enjoy your ride.
Conservation Carousel: This handcrafted wooden carousel features 32 lifelike animals for $2.50 per person.
Giraffe Encounters: Get up-close-and-personal with the giraffes and feed them a leafy treat for $3.00 per person. Find out more at the Giraffe Encounter webpage. Encounter times vary seasonally.
Serengeti Cyclone: Feel the power of high-speed winds in this fun, immersive experience for $2.00 per person. Located near Kampala Cafe.

In 2009 we rode the train. (Doesn't Q look so excited to be on the train?  Not to mention he barely fit in the car...)

Pro Tips:

• If you get there early in the morning, head right, toward the Red Pandas.  They are only out early in the morning.  Then by the time you make it around to the Felines and Primates, they should all be out.
• Go to the animal show.  There was hardly anyone there!
• There is an option to buy a combo ticket to the zoo and Fairytale Town.  Only do this if your children are 5 or younger.  Fairytale Town is geared toward younger children.  
• There is plenty of parking in the area, but be prepared to walk a little from parking to the zoo.

The zoo was fun!  Overall we had a great time. And because it didn't take all day, we had time to stop at the mall.  A win, win. Zoo time for kids, shopping time for Mom.