Snowleopard's 2018 Road Trip

Thank you for such a detailed review! Their website is rather lacking, especially in terms of species, so this was very helpful in terms of planning a trip. I have some airline vouchers after a flight last week, and am planning on using them to do a 2-night, 1-day trip to see the zoo, possibly with an additional day/night to see the cheetahs at Simmons.
My one major question, which I'm probably going to be known for: bats. Is it possible to skip them without missing out on anything? I really don't want to miss the rest of the nocturnal area, etc. I was attacked by a bat years ago and while it's no longer a full blown phobia - I can be near bat enclosures, I can talk about them, that sort of thing, which wasn't possible for a while - I'm definitely not in a state where I can *see* them or be around them, especially while on my own.
 
Arizona Docent said:
I could be wrong, but I don't think the Amish would ride in a bus? I also don't think the men would work in a lumber mill if it uses electricity (which I assume it does). Perhaps they were Mennonites?
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I had the same thought. Going by this Can Amish ride in cars? - a group bus ride seems fine. If the issue is technology breaking down family and community bonds, then a communal outing to the zoo is probably doing the opposite.
 
Arizona Docent said:
I could be wrong, but I don't think the Amish would ride in a bus? I also don't think the men would work in a lumber mill if it uses electricity (which I assume it does). Perhaps they were Mennonites?
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CGSwans said:
I had the same thought. Going by this Can Amish ride in cars? - a group bus ride seems fine. If the issue is technology breaking down family and community bonds, then a communal outing to the zoo is probably doing the opposite.
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I know that in Wisconsin at least, Amish people often rent buses (with a driver of course) to go on day trips - often to the zoo.
 
@Milwaukee Man Thanks for the kind words but I am hesitant to post any kind of ranking list of top zoos. I have been pretty vocal on my Top 3 (San Diego, Omaha, Saint Louis) and over the years I've posted various lists that are for the most part still fairly accurate and the usual suspects would all be up there. As for best exhibits, I'll think about it but defining what constitutes an "exhibit" is very difficult. For example, Kansas City opened its 95-acre Africa "exhibit" in the mid-1990s in one shot...so does that count as a single exhibit complex? It technically fits the description. :)

@TinoPup You were attacked by a bat...wow! Other than walking at great speed past their exhibits, you'd be hard-pressed to avoid bats in Kingdoms of the Night as in many ways that is the signature attraction of that brilliant underground exhibit complex.

As for the Amish conversation, that group of 54 was definitely Amish as I straight out asked the lead guy who I was talking to. He's the one that worked in a lumber mill, while many others worked in a furniture store. That bus rental cost $2,200 and since there was a designated driver from the Greyhound company then the Amish were probably fine with it. Who knows...maybe the trip to one of the world's greatest zoos caused a rift in the Amish community! They were from rural Iowa and for those of you that don't know, the city of Omaha in Nebraska is perhaps a 10-minute drive away from the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, where I spent the night...in my minivan of course. :p One of the great joys of driving into Omaha is seeing the enormous Desert Dome from a distance...much like the joy of seeing the huge water tower at Detroit Zoo. It whets the appetite for the viewing of captive animals!
 
My lifetime totals have now been updated and these numbers will almost certainly not change for another full year:

Trinidad & Tobago = 1 zoo (Emperor Valley Zoo in 2008)

Switzerland = 2 zoos (Zurich Zoo and Langenberg Wildlife Park in 2003)

Australia = 19 zoos

Canada = 31 zoos

USA = 368 zoos

TOTAL ALL-TIME: 421 zoos (331 zoos and 90 aquariums)
 
TinoPup said:
Thank you for such a detailed review! Their website is rather lacking, especially in terms of species, so this was very helpful in terms of planning a trip. I have some airline vouchers after a flight last week, and am planning on using them to do a 2-night, 1-day trip to see the zoo, possibly with an additional day/night to see the cheetahs at Simmons.
My one major question, which I'm probably going to be known for: bats. Is it possible to skip them without missing out on anything? I really don't want to miss the rest of the nocturnal area, etc. I was attacked by a bat years ago and while it's no longer a full blown phobia - I can be near bat enclosures, I can talk about them, that sort of thing, which wasn't possible for a while - I'm definitely not in a state where I can *see* them or be around them, especially while on my own.
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Unfortunately the Lied Jungle will also be a problem for you with all the free flying bats that reside there.
 
snowleopard said:
@TinoPup You were attacked by a bat...wow! Other than walking at great speed past their exhibits, you'd be hard-pressed to avoid bats in Kingdoms of the Night as in many ways that is the signature attraction of that brilliant underground exhibit complex.
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mweb08 said:
Unfortunately the Lied Jungle will also be a problem for you with all the free flying bats that reside there.
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Darn, looks like I'm not going to Omaha then :( Unless someone wants to tag along and hold my hand, LOL. Thanks for the replies. Hopefully in a few years I might be at a point where I can handle it (maybe not the free flying ones though)... I know the bat was likely just confused and wasn't intending to hurt me, but unfortunately I can't get the rational part of my brain and the emotional part to match up.
 
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Superb review of the great Omaha (Henry Doorly) Zoo! I think I agree with almost every word. Omaha's "Big 3" exhibit buildings continue to impress. In our 2008 book, America's Best Zoos, we rated these 3 as the #2 (Lied Jungle), #6 (Kingdoms of the Night), and #14 (Desert Dome) zoo exhibits in the USA. This was after I rated Lied Jungle as #1 in my 1994 book, showing that exhibit's durability. And now it sounds like the new African Grasslands may also be among the top-rated exhibits in the nation. A few comments:
1. You didn't review Gorilla Valley much, SnowLeopard, but I agree it was a strange "feel" to it. But still, there are a lot of gorillas to see there.
2. I don't think Omaha's Skyfari ride is all that similar to San Diego's. Omaha's ride is in sky life type seats, while San Diego offers European gondala-style cars. San Diego's is clearly better, but still, I'm happy Omaha offers their Skyfari.
3. I think the closest other zoo is the Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska's state capital city.

SnowLeopard suggested that I might be able to suggest a possible "2nd best" nocturnal exhibit, including in Europe. Actually, I can't (off the top of my head) think of any spectacular nocturnal exhibits in Europe. There are nice noctural wings in Berlin, Prague, Frankfurt, and others. Clearly the second-best nocturnal exhibit was Bronx's World of Darkness, before they closed it.

I too wondered (until SL clarified it) whether these people were truly Amish, or could they be Mennonites. (I have Mennonite relatives, so I know a bit about them.) But even in the 1985 Harrison Ford movie, "Witness", the story begins with an Amish mother and boy taking a trip on an Amtrak train -- obviously a use of modern technology. So it's not totally surprising that this Amish group would ride a Greyhound bus.
 
For those that like statistics, you might be intrigued to know that for my first 4 'Snowleopard Road Trips' I never kept detailed reports of my expenses, but for the past 4 jaunts I've maintained a list of every single expense.

It is interesting to break it down into categories:

Fuel/Gas:

In 2014 I spent $901 U.S. on gas, which averaged $45 per day.

In 2015 I spent $961 U.S. on gas, which averaged $40 per day.

In 2017 I spent $635 U.S. on gas, which averaged $37 per day. (I was only in California)

In 2018 I spent $1,103 U.S. on gas, which averaged $69 per day. Yikes...gas has zoomed up in price over the past year! Who can I blame? Trump?
 
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Food:

In 2014 I spent $369 U.S. on food, which averaged $18 per day.

In 2015 I spent $525 U.S. on food, which averaged $22 per day.

In 2017 I spent $472 U.S. on food, which averaged $28 per day.

In 2018 I spent $395 U.S. on food, which averaged $25 per day.

Remarkably consistent!

I'm extremely frugal when it comes to eating. I'd bring boxes of cereal and eat my breakfast while I drove in the morning. For lunch, other than a few zoo cafes, I'd be eating fast food while driving, and often I'd be sitting in a McDonald's restaurant at night using speedy Wi-Fi and having a cheap meal. I was a glutton for fast food on all of these trips, but those dollar figures not only include meals but all snacks at gas stations as well. If I go to Europe for my next big zoo trip then my food costs will surely DOUBLE...although my gas/fuel allowance will probably plummet.
 
Entrance Fees:

In 2014 I spent $403 U.S. on entrance fees, which averaged $20 per day at 65 zoos.

In 2015 I spent $1,072 U.S. on entrance fees, which averaged $45 per day at 81 zoos.

In 2017 I spent $479 U.S. on entrance fees, which averaged $28 per day at 44 zoos.

In 2018 I spent $441 U.S. on entrance fees, which averaged $28 per day at 50 zoos.

Looking at those statistics, I had 3 road trips that were fairly consistent in terms of visitor attractions, with many free zoos and between $20-28 per day on entrance fees. The one exception was the 2015 trip when I spent a lot of money at expensive zoos that were mainly in Texas. Some places, like SeaWorld San Antonio and others, really boosted those numbers.
 
Parking:

In 2014 I spent $59 U.S. on parking, which averaged $3 per day at 65 zoos.

In 2015 I spent $68 U.S. on parking, which averaged $2.80 per day at 81 zoos.

In 2017 I spent $111 U.S. on parking, which averaged $6.50 per day at 44 zoos.

In 2018 I spent $26 U.S. on parking, which averaged $1.65 per day at 50 zoos.

The most expensive year by far was 2017 when I was in California for two and a half weeks. That state is notoriously bad for parking at many major attractions, in stark contrast to the Michigan/Wisconsin part of the U.S. where I barely ever had to pay for parking. Of course, California is much more popular for tourists and so those fees are almost to be expected these days. Surprisingly, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo might be considered one of the Top 5-10 zoos on the planet by some people and yet parking is free...just like at San Diego Zoo!
 
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snowleopard said:
If I go to Europe for my next big zoo trip then my food costs will surely DOUBLE...although my gas/fuel allowance will probably plummet.
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Don’t you believe it! “Gas” is at least double the US price in most European countries - although it does seem as if cars are a great deal more efficient over here. Depending upon which country you are aiming for, you may have to pay tolls as well: in France in particular these can add up. The distances you will travel will be far lower, though, of course....
 
I've often wondered about zoos choosing whether or not to charge for parking. For example, two major zoos in the Midwest that charge for parking are Saint Louis and Columbus. Saint Louis charges $15 per car, while Columbus charges $10 per car. Saint Louis Zoo is free admission, has free, easily accessible street parking all around it in Forest Park, and there is a light rail station and bus station nearby. Meanwhile, Columbus charges $22 for non-resident admission, has no street parking anywhere close, and there is only bus service from May through August.* So does that mean Columbus is making a bigger profit, or that admission should be even more than $22? And while parking charges might encourage people not to use Saint Louis Zoo's lots and thus keep them from overfilling, the same incentive doesn't really exist for Columbus.

*Interestingly, if you take this bus you can get into Columbus Zoo for only $3! That might only be for residents though, it didn't specify.

Also @snowleopard, gas prices are spiking at the moment, mostly because of temporary production shortages in other countries (including your native Canada). However, Trump's reversal in policy regarding Iran (another major producer) is also a factor, so feel free to throw some of that blame on the White House as well ;)
 
Aha - so you are going to Europe! The cat is out of the bag. I still bet it's going to be Germany (either in part or in total). Maybe Gerrmany and Czech (Prague) for their famous zoo. Too bad you can only go in summer because Europe is cheaper and more enjoyable (less crowds) in the off season. I have been five times in the last decade and never in summer (and never would go in summer). For the person who said his gas cost will be higher in Europe, I think he will probably do what I do and use trains most or all of the time. That is why gas price will be lower.

Paid parking drives me nuts. In Arizona (and neighboring New Mexico) parking is free almost everywhere. ALL of the zoos and aquariums and just about every museum. There are also no toll roads or bridges in either state.

Fast food may save you money, but when you get older you are going to pay for it with your health. As a friend I am telling you that you have to start eating better. Even getting an ice chest and stocking up at a grocery store would be better than fast food drive-thrus.
 
Batto said:
The Grzimek House isn't a "nocturnal wing" - nor is the Nocturama in Antwerp.
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Yes, but the Grzimek House is more than just a nocturnal house....

Off the top of my head, I’d nominate Berlin (Zoo), Antwerp and Pilsen as having the top nocturnal displays in Europe. Fauna, maybe? (It’s a while since I visited). London is a tragic remnant of what it once was.
 
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