America's Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums

amur leopard said:
Would someone who has actually visited these facilities or planned a trip like this do it similarly or have I got it all wrong in terms of time, scale and price?
Click to expand...
I think a problem you'll run into is the amount of time it'll take to travel with trains. Doing a rough calculation, including some of the "possible" destinations, around 8 days would be spent on trains. Of course, another problem with planning such a broad trip is that you'll be rushing around so much that you won't have enough time to spend in each place. Cities like New York, Chicago, Washington DC and LA demand at least 3-4 days to experience properly, and that's not even mentioning other great cities like San Diego, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Denver.

For what I believe is your first major trip to the US, I'd recommend a shorter, more focused trip (for example, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC over 8-10 days). A trip like this has the benefit of being cheaper, much easier, allows you to see each place properly and doesn't mean you spend 8 days on trains:p.
 
TZDugong said:
I think a problem you'll run into is the amount of time it'll take to travel with trains. Doing a rough calculation, including some of the "possible" destinations, around 8 days would be spent on trains. Of course, another problem with planning such a broad trip is that you'll be rushing around so much that you won't have enough time to spend in each place. Cities like New York, Chicago, Washington DC and LA demand at least 3-4 days to experience properly, and that's not even mentioning other great cities like San Diego, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Denver.

For what I believe is your first major trip to the US, I'd recommend a shorter, more focused trip (for example, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC over 8-10 days). A trip like this has the benefit of being cheaper, much easier, allows you to see each place properly and doesn't mean you spend 8 days on trains:p.
Click to expand...

That is a good idea. However, I'm not sure when I would be able to see zoos like Omaha or aquaria like Georgia in that kind of trip. I got a very similar number to you in train times.

EDIT: Georgia and Atlanta could be added into a kind of Florida trip, though not sure when Omaha could be slipped in. In that case it'll be New York etc. first given I wouldn't need a car at all, then California and then maybe a trip down to Florida afterwards :)
Thanks for the idea. That's my new goal :D
 
South Florida also has what I believe is our country's first regularly scheduled bullet train. It now only runs between Palm Beach and Miami, but will soon be extended north to Orlando.
 
Arizona Docent said:
South Florida also has what I believe is our country's first regularly scheduled bullet train. It now only runs between Palm Beach and Miami, but will soon be extended north to Orlando.
Click to expand...

That could really come in useful, thanks for the info! Amtrak is a bit more variable and strange in that area. I guess, having slept on it, it'll have to be 4 separate trips. One to NYC, Philly and Washington maybe, one to California, one to Florida area and one to Chicago and the surrounding area. Thanks for the idea @TZDugong, I think I'll be able to get Columbus in as well as Omaha thanks to that, though still no St Louis :(
 
amur leopard said:
That could really come in useful, thanks for the info! Amtrak is a bit more variable and strange in that area. I guess, having slept on it, it'll have to be 4 separate trips. One to NYC, Philly and Washington maybe, one to California, one to Florida area and one to Chicago and the surrounding area. Thanks for the idea @TZDugong, I think I'll be able to get Columbus in as well as Omaha thanks to that, though still no St Louis :(
Click to expand...

Bus down from Chicago to St. Louis.

~Thylo
 
amur leopard said:
That could really come in useful, thanks for the info! Amtrak is a bit more variable and strange in that area. I guess, having slept on it, it'll have to be 4 separate trips. One to NYC, Philly and Washington maybe, one to California, one to Florida area and one to Chicago and the surrounding area. Thanks for the idea @TZDugong, I think I'll be able to get Columbus in as well as Omaha thanks to that, though still no St Louis :(
Click to expand...
Looking at some of these train times, I’m reminded of why very few people use trains in North America. Amtrak doesn’t run through Columbus, so it’s a 21 hour trip to get there by public transport from Chicago (it’s 5 hours by car). Instead of visiting Columbus I’d recommend visiting Detroit, which is only 5 hours on Amtrak and is imo a better zoo than Columbus anyway. Cincinnati is around 8 hours but again it’s a lot easier to reach and a more interesting zoo than Columbus.

Perhaps this should be split into its own thread?
 
TZDugong said:
Looking at some of these train times, I’m reminded of why very few people use trains in North America. Amtrak doesn’t run through Columbus, so it’s a 21 hour trip to get there by public transport from Chicago (it’s 5 hours by car). Instead of visiting Columbus I’d recommend visiting Detroit, which is only 5 hours on Amtrak and is imo a better zoo than Columbus anyway. Cincinnati is around 8 hours but again it’s a lot easier to reach and a more interesting zoo than Columbus.

Perhaps this should be split into its own thread?
Click to expand...

If he's heading to Detroit he'd be foolish not to visit Toledo as well! When I was planning to visit these collections this summer (those plans almost certainly dead in the water now...), I was going to start in Columbus, heading to Toledo, Detroit, then head to Chicago, and finally end in St. Louis. Of course, I never got to the point of actually checking the bus services to see if this is possible. It could be another Wichita-Omaha situation where there just inexplicably aren't any public transportation options here.

~Thylo
 
TZDugong said:
Perhaps this should be split into its own thread?
Click to expand...

Sorry would it be possible for a moderator to do this? Thanks :)

Thanks Thylo for that idea. I for some reason through Chicago was a world away from St Louis. I've just had a look and it is possible to take Amtrak from Chicago to St Louis and then St Louis to Kansas City, and then take a bus from Kansas City to Omaha. It is also possible to take Amtrak to Detroit from Chicago, then Greyhounds from Detroit to Columbus, Columbus to Cincinnati and Cincinnati to St Louis.

EDIT: Toledo is also possible via Greyhound :)
 
Last edited:
Yes I agree this should be a new thread and the way to get that done is to click "report" at the bottom of the first post where this new topic started. I did that a couple days ago but they have not taken action on it yet. I would suggest others do the same and then maybe it will get done. As a former moderator myself, I may be able to shed some light as to why it takes a few days. Most decisions like this are discussed among several moderators before they take action, to make sure no one person makes a decision too hastily. Since they are not necessarily on the site every day it can take several days for action to be taken. However I must reiterate that the way to initiate the process is to click the blue "report" button at the bottom of a post.
 
I finished reading the book yesterday. It is thoroughly enjoyable and I cannot imagine any ZooChat member not wanting it, especially any American member. I really like the intro to each chapter giving a brief history of the facility. The chapters are short enough not to be overwhelming but detailed enough to give an accurate feel of the place. I only found a couple inaccuracies and given the volume of the book that is a good record (though one is quite glaring). The end of each chapter gives a list of rarities and a partial list of the zoo's conservation initiatives, which I love.

Reading through the full listings it is interesting to note the commonalities among the various zoo histories. Excluding the twenty aquariums, the majority of the eighty zoos have a similar story: started with a few donated animals in a city park, work done in the 1930's by Works Progress Administration, a period of decline in the 1970's and early 80's, followed by a renewal brought about by threat of closure. It is truly amazing how many American zoos have parallel histories.

Photographically, I like that each chapter heading includes a shot of the entrance. I also like the inside cover page that is a collage of twenty-one entrance photos (three across and seven down). I can't comment on the front cover photo because it is mine and my opinion would be biased, though I can tell you there was a debate about using a collage (which ended up on the inside cover) and a single animal photo (which ended up on the cover). The interior photos are mostly exhibit shots with a few animal shots - a good mix. I would have liked to see more full page photos, though I realize that adds cost and space to an already large volume. If my count is correct there are five full page photos and ideally I would like to have seen at least ten. I also think the full page shots should have been outstanding, knock-out photos, which not all of them are (one is a picture of Sea World trainers working with belugas, which is not how I would have used one of my five feature images). These are minor quibbles, though, for what is I think an unprecedented book on American zoos and aquariums and a real treasure.
 
Just a quick word to say that the IZES website is temporarily down and because its a hosting problem(yawn),it may be a few days before it is back. If,in the meantime, anyone would like to order our book then you can email us at raresoulvinyl@btconnect.com and we will organise payment and despatch. Thank you. Also the latest Zoo Grapevine and International Zoo News(Spring) has been delivered to us and dispatch to members is underway as i write.
 
TinoPup said:
A zoo featured elsewhere in this posted a link to the ZAA's spring journal, which features several reviews of the book: Dropbox - 2020 Vol 14 Issue 1 - ZAA Spring 2020 Journal.pdf - Simplify your life
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting the link and I was aware that the book was going to be reviewed by 3 different people in the latest ZAA journal, but I'm quite ecstatic by how well it was received. Richard Hahn states that "it dives in to one of the best rides ever", the legendary Ken Kawata says that the book is "jam-packed with vast knowledge" and Ray Pawley ends with "this book represents a heightened standard as a pleasing and informative source of information with superb illustrations that will not soon be matched, if ever".

Wow...thank you to those 3 book reviewers! (none of whom I've ever met)

Tim and I are indebted to their kindness. I'm personally thrilled to see the book do so well, with all proceeds donated to a pair of conservation projects (Amphibian Ark and Saola Working Group). I've not made any money on the book, but I'm more than happy to continue to promote it on ZooChat.
 
The IZES website still will not allow me to buy the book :p every time I attempt to place the order it clears my billing and shipping info. and tells me I need to fill it in before the order can be processed. Not been charged for anything so the order definitely hasn't gone through.

~Thylo
 
I thought that you owned it already @ThylacineAlive , especially as you've got some photos in there. :) Sorry that you are having problems with the IZES website, but it is totally out of my hands from my vantage point in B.C., Canada.

My co-author @Tim Brown has his email address (raresoulvinyl@btconnect.com) on this thread and you can order a book through him, plus due to European demand the Schuling Publishing House recently began to sell copies of America's Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums. There are many Germans who collect hundreds, if not thousands, of zoo books, but that is no surprise in a country with major zoos in all directions.

America´s Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums
 
snowleopard said:
I thought that you owned it already @ThylacineAlive , especially as you've got some photos in there. :) Sorry that you are having problems with the IZES website, but it is totally out of my hands from my vantage point in B.C., Canada.

My co-author @Tim Brown has his email address (raresoulvinyl@btconnect.com) on this thread and you can order a book through him, plus due to European demand the Schuling Publishing House recently began to sell copies of America's Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums. There are many Germans who collect hundreds, if not thousands, of zoo books, but that is no surprise in a country with major zoos in all directions.

America´s Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums
Click to expand...

I tried buying it months ago but I had similar issues and then it fell into the 'to do' list and other things got in the way. It's been purchased now, though.

~Thylo
 
snowleopard said:
I thought that you owned it already @ThylacineAlive , especially as you've got some photos in there. :) Sorry that you are having problems with the IZES website, but it is totally out of my hands from my vantage point in B.C., Canada.

My co-author @Tim Brown has his email address (raresoulvinyl@btconnect.com) on this thread and you can order a book through him, plus due to European demand the Schuling Publishing House recently began to sell copies of America's Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums. There are many Germans who collect hundreds, if not thousands, of zoo books, but that is no surprise in a country with major zoos in all directions.

America´s Top 100 Zoos & Aquariums
Click to expand...
ThylacineAlive said:
I tried buying it months ago but I had similar issues and then it fell into the 'to do' list and other things got in the way. It's been purchased now, though.

~Thylo
Click to expand...

So despite my already paying the $45.00 fee Schuling Publishing was charging for the book, I have just received a PayPal request from them asking for more money for shipping... Is this real? It seems a little unprofessional to advertise a price, charge a little extra for overseas shipping, and then hours after the final purchase was made contact the buyer requesting even more money for shipping...

~Thylo
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top