Snowleopard's 2011 Road Trip

DAY 29: Tuesday, August 9th

Today involved another previously unannounced stop, this time a repeat trip to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose. A couple of days ago we swung by Bakersfield and toured California Living Museum, and this time around my daughter had a total blast back at Happy Hollow as we don’t want to go back home and thus we added on a couple of days. I reviewed the zoo much earlier in the road trip (Review #5) so I won’t repeat a lengthy recap and anyway I did not see a single captive animal today. Shocking!

The day consisted of breakfast at a Denny’s Restaurant and then naturally we always arrive at zoos and aquariums as soon as they open so we were at Happy Hollow at 10:00 and we stayed for 3 hours. The carousel there is free and it is perhaps the only place that I’ve ever heard of with a free carousel ride, and so my daughter Kylie spent some time on it before walking over to the playground. As I’ve said before this is the second best zoo playground that I’ve ever seen, bested only by the huge Jungle Gym at Nashville Zoo. After an hour of going up and down 40-foot slides, which Kylie is not really supposed to be doing as she is still so young, our fearless wild child went on a few kiddie rides, we watched a 20-minute puppet show, and then after a quick lunch of burgers we left the zoo.

If you had asked me which attractions we would have repeated on this trip then San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld would have been no-brainers but I never imagined that I’d be back in San Jose for Happy Hollow and that I would not even tour the small zoo collection that resides there. Tomorrow will be Sacramento Zoo, which will be #24 and most likely the last attraction of the trip, although I’ll post updates until the bitter end. Once we finish our visit at that 14-acre establishment we’ll have a 14-hour drive back to Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. That drive will be done over 3 days and we’ll be doing some shopping at Target stores along the way as everything you can possibly imagine is cheaper in the United States in comparison to Canada. Also, we can’t have massive, day-long drives now that we have small children as those little buggers don’t last as long in confined spaces as adults.

Odds n’ Ends:

Here is a list of the 6 American states where I’ve seen 5 or more zoos and aquariums:

California = 21 (too numerous to list here)

Texas = 9 (Dallas, Fort Worth, Cameron Park, Caldwell, Houston, Gladys Porter, El Paso, San Antonio & Dallas World Aquarium)

Arizona = 5 (Phoenix, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Reid Park, Wildlife World & Sea Life Aquarium)

Ohio = 5 (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo & Akron)

Tennessee = 5 (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Tennessee Aquarium)

Washington = 5 (Woodland Park, Point Defiance, Northwest Trek, Cougar Mountain & Seattle Aquarium)
 
DAY 30: Wednesday, August 10th

Zoo/Aquarium Review # 24: Sacramento Zoo

Sacramento Zoo’s website:

The Sacramento Zoo - Home

Zoo Map:

http://www.saczoo.org/admin/view.image?id=815

Sacramento Zoo is an AZA-accredited facility that is based in the capital city of California. It opened in 1927, is situated on 14 acres, and has around 500 animals. My family spent 2.5 hours at the zoo but we back-tracked twice (more on that later), ate lunch and dawdled along with two little kids. Anyone alone would be able to probably see everything in an hour and a half. The positives from our visit was that it was yet another sunny California day, the lions were wrestling and chasing each other around their enclosure, the Lar gibbons were hooting up a storm, and seeing 3 active red pandas made the day even more enjoyable. The downside is that the level of exhibitry at the facility is extremely poor, and nothing will make my “best” category.

How is it possible that Fresno and Sacramento are the 5th and 6th largest cities in California, in the top 35 largest cities in the United States in terms of population (both have around 500,000 people) and yet those two cities have subpar zoos? At least Fresno has a bold future ahead of it, but other than an overhauled river otter exhibit there isn’t much on the horizon for Sacramento.

Touring this zoo was something of a milestone for me as it was my 100th different zoo/aquarium in the United States. Interestingly enough almost every single one of those zoos and aquariums are AZA-accredited as I usually tend to avoid any non-accredited facility and I’ve only seen a few of them.

Lifetime Total of Zoos/Aquariums:

United States – 100
Australia – 18
Canada – 15
Switzerland – 2
Trinidad & Tobago – 1
TOTAL = 136 different zoos/aquariums

THE BEST:

Nothing cracks this category.

THE AVERAGE:

Red Panda Forest – A nicely shaded pathway leads through a grove of bamboo shoots, past an azure-winged magpie aviary, and to a small but well-designed red panda exhibit. The leafy walkway exits beneath Asian prayer flags and past a beautiful koi tank. This area is quite pleasant and probably the best that the zoo has to offer in terms of animal habitats.

Reptile House – There are quite a few unusual species in the 37 exhibits within this building, although there is potential for many more terrariums as there were a number of empty, blacked-out enclosures that could easily boost that number. Amongst the 41 species are many constricting snakes and surprisingly very few venomous animals. Species list: Bengal monitor, emperor flat rock lizard, Chinese crocodile lizard, collared lizard, rainbow sand lizard, spiny-tailed lizard, green crested basilisk, prehensile-tailed skink, gila monster, club-tailed iguana, Honduran club-tailed iguana, standing’s day gecko, Bibron’s gecko, Puerto Rican boa, red-tailed boa constrictor, rainbow boa, rubber boa, ball python, green tree python, carpet python, giant garter snake, Taylor’s cantil, northern Pacific rattlesnake, sidewinder rattlesnake, gopher snake, flat-tailed tortoise, African pancake tortoise, western pond turtle, aquatic caecilian, axolotl, California tiger salamander, California newt, marine toad, Colorado river toad, fire bellied toad, legless lizard, West African dwarf crocodile, White’s tree frog, green tree frog, northern red-legged frog and poison dart frogs (assorted species in 2 exhibits).

There are 34 exhibits that range in size from tiny tanks to average-sized terrariums that are found at many zoos. However, there are 3 large exhibits with these species: red-tailed boa constrictor; West African dwarf crocodile in a much too small enclosure; and carpet python/green tree python/White’s tree frog.

Hoofstock Paddocks – The new reticulated/Masai giraffe barn is a solid block that appears to still have a fresh glow about it, and the 1,100 square foot observation deck must be the widest raised viewing area that I’ve ever seen for giraffes and is absolutely terrific. The yard itself is of average quality, and nearby enclosures for Grevy’s zebra/ostrich, red river hog/bongo (nice mix!) and yellow-backed duiker/sitatunga (it recently housed addax) are all average at best. Curiously enough the zoo has placed massive piles of rocks in the first section of all of the hoofstock yards, so that the animals cannot come close to the visitors and the size of the exhibits is seriously compromised. Why make a beautiful grassy enclosure look like a gravel pit with hundreds of stones?

Australian Outback – There are red kangaroos, Bennett’s wallabies and emus in a large enclosure that is as basic as it gets.

Big Cat Row – This area is close to falling into my “worst” category and I’m fairly certain that the 5 main grottos were all built in the 1960’s and only been renovated since then. A snow leopard exhibit is the best of all as it is lushly planted, natural-looking and with its high rocky outcrops quite effective but still too small. The lions have a small grotto, the Sumatran tigers have a well-planted yard with bamboo groves both inside and outside the enclosure, but again it is far too small for tigers. A giant anteater exhibit has glass and electric wire cutting into the available space for the constantly pacing animal, the spotted hyena grotto is dreadful and the Rare Feline Center has a jaguar, a margay and two tamanduas in lush exhibits that are adequate but difficult to gaze into due to the penetrating sunshine. North American river otters are currently off-exhibit due to an ongoing expansion of their pool.

Primate Exhibits – This is another section that barely escapes being plunked down into my “worst” category. The Sumatran orangutan exhibit opened in 1984 and is adequate although it consists of 4 large fake trees covered with hammocks and ropes in a center of a grassy grotto. Black-and-white ruffed lemurs and Coquerel’s sifakas fare better in mesh enclosures that were built in 2004and are packed with climbing opportunities; a golden-bellied mangabey has a 1950’s-era metal cage; while a white-faced saki monkey/two-toed sloth enclosure is barely adequate. Mongoose lemurs have a wire-fronted cage that is very dark, while at least 4 ring-tailed lemurs have a brutally stark cage that is simply too small for its occupants. The Lar gibbons have a cement floor/steel poles and a few ropes in an awful cage that is a far cry from the lush tropical islands for gibbons found in zoos in Santa Barbara and Nashville. An African crested porcupine is also found here in a metal box, and I’m sure that it is replacing a deceased primate as its quills stick out like a sore thumb and I’ve never seen a porcupine in an enclosure with lots of hanging ropes.

THE WORST:

Chimpanzee Exhibit – This enclosure appears to have once been an aviary but I believe that it was purposefully built for the apes in the 1980’s. I know of fellow zoogoers who have declared that this exhibit is adequate but to have 6 chimpanzees (with a couple of them missing chunks of hair and looking decidedly worse-for-wear) in a fully-enclosed area (via a steel/wire roof), with no grass whatsoever but instead a thin layer of sand, a few shrubs and a handful of climbing opportunities is just sad. I’ve seen wonderfully lush chimp habitats in Dallas, North Carolina and Los Angeles, not to mention the brilliant 3-acre slice of woodland in Kansas City, and Sacramento is behind the times with their outdated cage.

Opening Times For Exhibits – I’ve already raged about how my wife and I cannot stand it when certain parts of the zoo are not open at the same time as the zoo’s opening time (like gift shops and restaurants) but today drove me bonkers! Naturally we arrived at the zoo before they opened and we were the second family in line amongst a total of about 25 people when the zoo gates swung ajar at exactly 9:00.

We entered and turned to the left where the main section of the zoo is and the first thing that we encounter along the pathway is the Conservation Carousel. Of course my daughter loves carousel rides and yet it does not open until 9:30 but explaining that to a toddler is an exasperating experience. The very next exhibit features yellow-backed duikers and sitatungas but they are not out because there is a keeper inside sweeping out the enclosure. At 9:25 we arrive at the chimpanzees and again the animals are not out and there is a keeper inside putting out treats and organizing the exhibit for the day. Are there so many budget cuts at zoos that staff cannot start a half-hour early so that once the visiting hordes pour into the zoo the animals can actually be on exhibit?

After the carousel ride, antelope exhibit and chimpanzee enclosure we are upset as if we want to see those things then we’ll definitely have to double back later on. Then we arrive at the giraffe paddock at 9:35 only to once again find a keeper in the exhibit sweeping up poop. An older man in front of us yells at the woman to allow the giraffes out as that is the main reason why he came to the zoo, but she tells him that she just started at 9:00 (when the zoo opened!) and that she cannot let out the giraffes until she is finished cleaning up their dung. Thankfully we still spot two giraffes in a tiny yard surrounded by chain-link fence at the side of their new barn, and later in the morning we doubled back and saw a duiker and all of the chimps. But at 10:15 the same female keeper was still cleaning up the giraffe yard and so an hour and fifteen minutes into the zoo’s public hours the giraffes were still not released into their yard. Why would the zoo taint a visitor’s experience, or run the risk of becoming unpopular with people who are paying good money to actually see popular animals? People who wish to beat the heat and skip the crowds are penalized because they are stuck viewing humans in khaki shorts cleaning up poop.

Bird Aviaries – There is a large thick-billed parrot aviary near the entrance that is nice and then black metal cages spread throughout the zoo with these species: Great hornbill (two exhibits), Buton hornbill, Abyssinian ground hornbill, kookaburra, tawny frogmouth, African grey parrot, white-faced owl, Lady Ross’s turaco, keel-billed toucan and plain-colored Amazon parrot. The best bird exhibit is a very scenic lagoon for Caribbean flamingos near the entrance of the zoo.

OVERALL:

Sacramento Zoo is a one-time visit for me and it is a pity that it happened to be my 100th zoo/aquarium in the United States. If I had a billion dollars and a bulldozer I’d take out all of the black metal bird aviaries, the wire and cement primate cages, the big cat grottoes, the hoofstock gravel pits, and by then there wouldn’t be much left to demolish. The zoo needs a drastic overhaul, and even small changes such as sending its ring-tailed lemurs to a better zoo and hanging an “Empty” sign on their wire cage would be an improvement. It would be better to not maintain ring-tailed lemurs whatsoever than perpetuate the stereotype that is still prevalent in many people’s minds that zoos are steel-filled prisons. Folks in Sacramento can see white-handed gibbons swing on steel beams in a chain-link fenced metal box with a pair of potted plants for foliage. The plants are laughable! How is that meaningful in any way, shape or form? What conservation value is presented? What is being put forth to the paying public is that it is okay to keep apes in metal boxes with nothing but cement floors, and those apes can brachiate across their entire universe in about 5 seconds or less. What a dud zoo.
 
Wow, the Sacramento Zoo must have gone downhill a lot since my last visit 3 years ago. When I was there I thought it was a pretty little zoo, though clearly not a contender to make our America's Best Zoos book. About a decade ago, when I was there, they had just opened the Lake Victoria waterfowl lake, just inside the entrance. The lake was filled with a large flock of African flamingos and a couple other species of African waterfowl. Honestly, the lake was beautiful, reminding me of the African lakes I've seen in travel videos. While I know the SnowLeopard family are not bird-lovers, but I would think this lake would make his "The Best" category -- or at least it would've back then.

The thing to remember about Sacramento is that, while it truly is one of America's largest cities today, it's been a very fast-growing city. A mere 20 years, it was a small city of maybe 150,000, so thus it would not have had the population base to support a major zoo. Even today, while it is large enough, from a tourist basis Sacramento is dominated by the San Francisco Bay area, only an hour away.
 
DAY 31: August 11th

Today was a driving day as after the Sacramento Zoo visit yesterday we drove to Yreka in northern California and spent the night there. Then this morning we left California and made our way all the way through the state of Oregon and I am typing this from Kelso in southern Washington. Friday will be the 32nd and final day of the road trip and we have a 4-hour drive ahead of us before the bulging mini-van will be emptied and the 4 of us will be safe and sound back home.

I’ll post at least one more daily entry tomorrow, but I wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to read my reviews and for the many comments that I’ve received not only on this thread but on other road trip threads in the past. With the 30 zoo/aquarium summer in 2008, the 4 zoo trip through Florida in December of 2008, the 39 zoo/aquarium summer of 2010 and now the 24 zoo/aquarium summer of 2011 I’ve posted exactly 97 reviews on ZooChat! Glancing back at some of my early writing on the first big trip in 2008 I feel as if it is unpolished and nowhere near as detailed as the extensive, lengthy reviews that I’ve been including on this road trip. I’ve been encouraged to write the species listings for many aviaries, reptile houses and small mammal buildings and those lists will become even more intriguing as the years roll by and the collections within zoos change.

I always find it interesting as to who reads my reviews, as on this trip alone I’ve heard from some anonymous individuals such as: a man who has worked as a designer on many zoo exhibits in the past few years, and he gave me some insider information as to what went right and wrong on a new habitat that I critiqued; a reptile enthusiast who also provided me with some insider information regarding the species holding numbers of the top 20 AZA facilities in the United States; someone who claims to be a mammal curator told me a lot of useful facts about one of the southern California zoos that I enjoyed; and there have been a couple of folks who I’d never heard from before and they told me that they’ve been following my road trip threads for all 97 reviews. Then there are the many friends that I’ve met online, and 8 in person, who form part of the ZooChat community and have been corresponding with me for the past few years.

I think the fact that I’m a high school teacher from Canada who does not work within the zoo industry perhaps eases the fears of some folks here who tell me information that I’m probably not supposed to know. I keep it all to myself except for telling my wife some facts but for the most part she nods politely and then continues to chuckle at my lifelong zoo obsession. Also, I feel as if my reviews are authentic and honest and I don’t hold back my feelings when I grin with delight at seeing an awesome exhibit and also sigh with disappointment when I view a horrible habitat. I can be a tough critic and sometimes people get defensive about their neighborhood zoos, but I’ve been to 136 different zoos and aquariums and I feel as if I’ve earned the right to be forthright with my opinions. The one facility that had zoo lovers howling with rage was when I gave Toronto Zoo a decidedly-lukewarm review back in 2008. Someone even sent me a private message asking me if I was truly a Canadian, and now we exchange friendly emails twice a year so anything can happen!

One of my faults as a zoo critic is that I’ve always put an emphasis on the aesthetics of a particular animal enclosure. I believe that it is sad to have a zoo with a wonderful collection, such as San Antonio, contained in a series of subpar, outdated exhibits. What is the point of that? Zoo Atlanta did the right thing when before that city held the Summer Olympics in 1996 the zoo sent its bears away and demolished all of the bear grottoes rather than let the public come by the thousands to see small bear pits. Bravo! I’d rather a zoo not have bears at all then showcase them in small grottoes and perpetuate the myth that all zoos are crappy prisons. There are many that disagree with me over statements such as those, but seeing animals in lush environments causes people to care about their world, the conservation message of the zoo, and also allows zoos to be mini gardens, sanctuaries or places that feature positive images rather than negative.

I also believe that zoos have to be constantly changing, whether that is via new exhibits or through the use of technology, or even incorporating modern ideas (environmentalism, climate change and quarters for conservation machines) into the grounds. A place such as Milwaukee County Zoo, which used to be a groundbreaking institution and is a park that I have been merciless towards, has some great qualities but has now gone a full 20 years without opening a major exhibit. There have been refurbishments along the way, a new entrance and visitor amenities, but recently adding much-needed space for the bonobo enclosure does not cut it in the ever-changing world of zoos. If an establishment looks almost the same as it did 20 years ago then there is a serious issue with exhibitry, and Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, is another example. That zoo has an outstanding collection of rarities (although not as many as they once had) but the park’s exhibits are so static that I can see 1970’s mothballs around every corner. There are some exhibits that can stand the test of time for many decades, but there are entire American zoos that seem suspended and begrudgingly are finally evolving into the 21st century.

Am I too tough a critic? Possibly.:) I feel as if I’ve softened now that I have two very young kids who will grow up visiting zoos and aquariums every year. My daughter Kylie is 2 years old in September and she has already toured around 70 different zoos and aquariums! I feel that with kids I can appreciate the smaller things such as great children’s zoos, the occasional train ride, a toddler-friendly playground, volunteers with animals that can be petted and touched, and the miniscule zoos that don’t take many hours to see. I now pay attention to the general cleanliness of a zoo, how stroller-friendly it is, the size of the gift shop, having enough high-chairs in the restaurant, etc. Sometimes small things can taint a visit and before I had kids I would never have cared about such minor irritants. Then there comes a day when a zoo only has stairs into the main entrance to their café and I have to wheel the stroller to the side of the building, or there are only 2 highchairs and they are in use, or the small bathroom barely accommodates a 6-foot man changing a diaper. I question how an individual in a wheelchair navigates the pathways of many zoos, and having to always take the long way up to view animals must be difficult for someone in that predicament. Are enough zoos creating space for people in wheelchairs?

Zoos cater to families and probably 90% of the visitors are families, and so I applaud establishments that take the time to develop innovative ideas for youngsters. Creating observation holes for little kids to peer through (Sacramento’s flamingo lagoon), building terrific new waterparks (Phoenix), spending $10 million on an indoor nature exchange/play area (Woodland Park), having a soft rubbery surface in the playground (Happy Hollow) or even something as simple as a honey bee adventure area (North Carolina). Even the most nondescript zoos that I treat poorly in my reviews have something to offer: I saw my one and only baby red panda at Zoo Boise; black howler monkeys put on a tremendous show of roaring at Santa Ana Zoo; one of the very best children’s zoos can be found at San Antonio; rare Hanuman langurs can be seen at Chattanooga; a 2008 rainforest building is a terrific addition to Mesker Park; and the list could go on and on. The best zoos are breathtaking and worth visiting every few years, while the so-called lesser zoos still have their moments even within bleak reviews from obsessed zoo critics such as myself.
 
I've really enjoyed reading this thread from Australia, and have learnt alot from your observations.

snowleopard said:
Zoos cater to families and probably 90% of the visitors are families,
Click to expand...

Indeed and probably more to the point the biggest demographic are couples with pre-school children, a demographic that you now belong to. Zoochatters, however, are a minute demographic amongst zoo visitors. You have ranked zoos as a zoochatter. I'm wondering just how much you would amend your rankings if you were now to look at them as a dad with pre-schoolers. What would be your number one zoo for your new demographic?
 
This question isn't really related to the thread, but we have heard about the heat when travelling though the middle of summer. I've only once visited San Diego and that was in the middle of summer, too, so I can well understand how that is less than desirable. So a question for those who inhabit that corner of the world. If one were to plan a road trip to California/Nevada/Arizona, what would be the best month to travel? How does February stack up?
 
MRJ said:
This question isn't really related to the thread, but we have heard about the heat when travelling though the middle of summer. I've only once visited San Diego and that was in the middle of summer, too, so I can well understand how that is less than desirable. So a question for those who inhabit that corner of the world. If one were to plan a road trip to California/Nevada/Arizona, what would be the best month to travel? How does February stack up?
Click to expand...

For California, you can't beat September:
The weather is beautiful and most vacationers are back at school/work.

For Arizona, February--April can be wonderful too--especially if timed to coincide with the spring wildflower bloom.
 
Blackduiker

reduakari said:
For California, you can't beat September:
The weather is beautiful and most vacationers are back at school/work.

For Arizona, February--April can be wonderful too--especially if timed to coincide with the spring wildflower bloom.
Click to expand...

Though here in Southern California, September can actually be the hottest month of the year. San Diego, Los Angeles, The Living Desert may have sizzling heat in September. I recommend November, and other than some rain, anytime during the "winter" months through April or May.
 
While summer is hot in the southwest, there are a few positive reasons for zoo visits then. The biggest is night zoo, something I absolutely love. San Diego Zoo is open daily until 9pm, Reid Park Zoo is open Friday nights until 8pm, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is open Saturday nights until 10pm, Phoenix Zoo is open one Saturday a month until 9:30pm, Rio Grande Zoo (New Mexico) is open Wednesdays until 8pm.

The downside to southern California is that the zoos are packed every day and hotel prices go up. The upside to Arizona is that zoos are empty and hotel prices go down. If you are looking for ideal weather, though, Arizona is great November through April. Of course there is a chance you will hit a cold and rainy spell in mid winter, but there is an equal chance it will be sunny and 70F.
 
snowleopard said:
Am I too tough a critic? Possibly.:) I feel as if I’ve softened now that I have two very young kids who will grow up visiting zoos and aquariums every year. My daughter Kylie is 2 years old in September and she has already toured around 70 different zoos and aquariums! I feel that with kids I can appreciate the smaller things such as great children’s zoos, the occasional train ride, a toddler-friendly playground, volunteers with animals that can be petted and touched, and the miniscule zoos that don’t take many hours to see. I now pay attention to the general cleanliness of a zoo, how stroller-friendly it is, the size of the gift shop, having enough high-chairs in the restaurant, etc. Sometimes small things can taint a visit and before I had kids I would never have cared about such minor irritants. Then there comes a day when a zoo only has stairs into the main entrance to their café and I have to wheel the stroller to the side of the building, or there are only 2 highchairs and they are in use, or the small bathroom barely accommodates a 6-foot man changing a diaper. I question how an individual in a wheelchair navigates the pathways of many zoos, and having to always take the long way up to view animals must be difficult for someone in that predicament. Are enough zoos creating space for people in wheelchairs?

Zoos cater to families and probably 90% of the visitors are families, and so I applaud establishments that take the time to develop innovative ideas for youngsters. Creating observation holes for little kids to peer through (Sacramento’s flamingo lagoon), building terrific new waterparks (Phoenix), spending $10 million on an indoor nature exchange/play area (Woodland Park), having a soft rubbery surface in the playground (Happy Hollow) or even something as simple as a honey bee adventure area (North Carolina). Even the most nondescript zoos that I treat poorly in my reviews have something to offer: I saw my one and only baby red panda at Zoo Boise; black howler monkeys put on a tremendous show of roaring at Santa Ana Zoo; one of the very best children’s zoos can be found at San Antonio; rare Hanuman langurs can be seen at Chattanooga; a 2008 rainforest building is a terrific addition to Mesker Park; and the list could go on and on. The best zoos are breathtaking and worth visiting every few years, while the so-called lesser zoos still have their moments even within bleak reviews from obsessed zoo critics such as myself.
Click to expand...

This statement was very inspiring, snowleopard. It made me look at how zoos go about tending to guests' needs as well as animals'. Especially younger guests, such as toddlers or even younger like your children.

Are you fond of waterparks and/or rides in zoos? Does it take away from the experience a zoo-goer without children may be looking for? And if you didn't have children, say, would you find those amusing nonetheless?

Inaccessibility to some exhibits is also a problem. If you have amazing exhibits, guests of all kinds should be able to see them. San Diego's rough terrains are problematic, but it is still a top zoo in world rankings because of other reasons. Do all exhibits need to have easy-access? While these questions may seem random, I'm just trying to utilize different viewpoints for ideas on what I can do differently in my simple, yet still-developing "exhibit" designs. If you feel that inaccessibility can cause irritation in some guests, should a zoo open an exhibit that completely avoids that problem? While landscaping could be expensive, is it worth the money if it means happier guests?

Once again, sorry if any of these questions are unclear. :o If you don't understand or want me to elaborate, feel free to ask. :D
 
DAY 32: Friday, August 12th

@Blackduiker: CALM (California Living Museum) was the only one out of the 24 different zoos and aquariums that we visited where we actually had to stop and ask someone for directions. We own a GPS and we used it every day on the trip, but CALM's address only matches the park that it is in and there is still a two-mile drive down a winding road to reach the zoo. Also, you are right about the visitor amenities as there is nothing to eat and it really is an out-of-the-way establishment.

@Arizona Docent: AZA accreditation is a wonderful thing but the process is not strict enough and the recommendations and guidelines are not stringent enough. At least there are rules that will hopefully be enforced soon about the 3 elephant policy on a minimum amount of acreage, but a nation such as Sweden is miles ahead of the United States in terms of minimum enclosure size for big cats, hoofstock and a variety of other animals. I’ve now visited exactly 100 zoos and aquariums just in the United States and they’ve practically all been AZA-accredited, but my reviews for some of those institutions have definitely been less than favorable. Can you imagine what I would think about many other AZA-accredited places or the zoos that are not accredited whatsoever? Some folks say that it is not necessary to be accredited to be a good zoo, but how many non-accredited facilities are even worth discussing?

@MRJ: There are a few Aussies following this thread, and I’ve been to 18 zoos and aquariums in your stunning nation, including 14 in 2007 while I was on my honeymoon. My reviews from 2008 and even some from 2010 would omit the children’s zoos as in 2008 we were childless and would often nip in and out or completely skip a kiddie section. Now of course that is the first place in the zoo where my family wants to go and it is vital to me that a facility has an above average children’s area as my daughter can understandably get a little bored wandering past large hoofstock paddocks when she can be bouncing up and down in a playground.

Now my reviews incorporate children’s facilities and I’ve mentioned before how some zoos are poorly laid out for kids. Oregon Zoo is an example as there is a small farm area and a train but zero children’s zoo, zero waterpark and zero playground, which even makes it tough for me as if I go off alone to see some random antelope enclosures that my wife is not interested in then there is nowhere for her to comfortably sit and watch the kids while I indulge myself with common eland or Speke’s gazelles. A zoo like San Antonio was severely chastised in my 2010 review as many of the exhibits are terrible, but the children’s area is fantastic and one of the 10 best I’ve ever seen as it is built specifically for toddlers. There are many ZooChatters that used to be like me and skip the kiddie zones, but now that I’ve got two kids then those areas are of greater magnitude in so many ways that I cannot begin to stress how important it is for a zoo to have at least one small area with a slide and a swing, or a petting zone, or an indoor discovery center, or at least something that is geared towards kids as 90% of the adult visitors at the zoo are there with their kids.

@AnaheimZoo: My wife and I have never been “rides people”, we don’t enjoy rollercoasters and we used to never go on any kind of ride. However, now that we have kids we go on carousels all the time, the occasional zoo train, and talking to zoo employees that are involved with management I understand how much revenue a simple thing such as a train or stingray feeding can raise for the zoo. As our kids get older it will be extremely interesting as to whether they become huge fans of rides, but we are not the kind of family to spend days at places like Disneyland or Legoland.

I do feel that zoos need to make some of their pathways more accessible to visitors. At SeaWorld there are literally 500-1,000 strollers inside the park on any given day, so why not have larger stroller-parking sections or have elevated walkways within exhibit buildings so that strollers can be allowed and still not interfere with others? I actually support the notion of strollers being banned in many aquariums, as we always allow our daughter to walk and we have our baby boy in a carrier so we’ve never taken a stroller to an aquarium. Some families bring them in and they are foolish as it is nothing but a battle wherever you go in the tiny pathways. As far as people in wheelchairs are concerned they consistently have to take the long route up and down to see an exhibit, many gift shops and restaurants in zoos do not have automatic doors, and some zoo exits are tough to exit through. Why aren’t more zoos conscious of such facts? Why not spend the money to have automatic doors so that some struggling individual in a wheelchair does not have to attempt to hold a door open with one hand and then somehow get themselves through a tight space into a café?
 
snowleopard said:
...and talking to zoo employees that are involved with management I understand how much revenue a simple thing such as a train or stingray feeding can raise for the zoo.
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Yes. Our zoo started train rides a few years ago and it is extremely popular with small children and a great money generator. The funny thing is, it is not even a real train (no tracks) and it does not even go inside the zoo! It is an electric cart designed to look like a trian, has rubber wheels, and goes around a pond in the park outside the zoo. Yet kids (and their parents) love it.
 
re: zoos catering to families with small children. Certainly a given. However, it does make for an interesting comparison to visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum here in Tucson. They are the one zoo I know of that goes against the grain (and quite successfully). By calling themselves a museum instead of a zoo and incorporating additional features such as geology displays and having an upscale restaurant and gift shop (gems, etc), they cater mostly to adults and out-of-town tourists. Perhaps the only zoo in the country with a higher percentage of non-local visitors. And yet they are probably the number one tourist attraction in southern Arizona and rated by peers in the industry as one of the country's leading zoos.

Just food for thought, but it would be interesting if other zoos tried experimenting with this model to expand their demographics.
 
Arizona Docent said:
re: zoos catering to families with small children. Certainly a given. However, it does make for an interesting comparison to visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum here in Tucson. They are the one zoo I know of that goes against the grain (and quite successfully).... Just food for thought, but it would be interesting if other zoos tried experimenting with this model to expand their demographics.
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AZ Docent, I think there are specific reasons why ASDM's "model" works there in Tucson, and I don't think they work in many other places. Arizona is famous for being a place filled with retirees. In fact my own grandparents are buried there. Because of its climate, even retirees who don't live there love to visit. The area's charms -- desert heat, cactus scenery, and a lack of California craziness -- are great for older folks, but are mostly lost on the younger generation. Thus, I strongly feel that if a zoo desires success, they had better put a strong focus on its children visitors, as a recent AZA survey showed that 3/4 of all AZA visitors are either children, or adults accompanying them. So it's quite wise to put your focus on 75% of your visitors.
 
POST-SCRIPT:

The Snowleopard family has been back at home for a week now and we have unloaded a vast quantity of material from our grateful minivan. I think that I even heard a sigh of relief after we had hauled everything upstairs to our apartment and the van was left empty for the first time in ages. Another classic road trip comes to an end, and after the 6-week Australian honeymoon in 2007(when we toured all over Oz and also stopped in at 14 different zoos and aquariums), the 8-week summer 2008 trip, the 7-week summer 2010 trip and now the 4-week summer 2011 trip it is time to think about one more mega-trip for 2012. As we are both teachers we will consistently have July and August off work each year, and thus why not spend all of our money on travelling? I only wish that we could afford to venture across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, where we could then rent a vehicle and tour 30-40 great European zoos in a single summer. Alas, the cost is beyond our means so we’ll have to settle to touring what many consider to be the greatest zoo nation: the United States of America.

As long as life is not interrupted unexpectedly then next summer will be our 5th large-scale vacation within 6 years, with only 2009 being omitted as my wife Debbie was heavily pregnant with our first child at the time. Next year we would like to embark on an approximately 7-8 week journey, and we might mix things up a little so that the trip is not a zoo or an aquarium every single day. For me I memorize them all from studying the maps incessantly, taking hundreds of photos and writing extensive reviews, but for Debbie all of the small zoos have blurred together into one large captive facility.:) In the past we’ve been to national parks such as Joshua Tree, Yellowstone, Zion, Arches, Grand Canyon, and attractions such as Empire State Building, Central Park, State of Liberty, Gateway Arch, the Alamo, Washington D.C. Monuments, CN Tower, World of Coca-Cola and other places. We love our trips but I need to mix it up a bit for Debbie, or else she’ll get more “movie days” where she is given a reprieve from zoos and kids in order to lounge in an air-conditioned theater for a few hours.

In 2012 our road trip will still be fairly inexpensive as we don’t splurge on either motels or food and both our son and daughter will be under 3 years of age and thus practically everywhere they will still be free before we’ll eventually have to pay for them at all attractions in the future. Also, both kids will be finished with baby bottles, which will save my wife an hour a day of cleaning and disinfecting; they should both be sleeping through the night as on this past road trip we were woken up a minimum of 2-3 times every single night; and both kids will be walking and there are a multitude of other reasons why the trip will feature less work for us. We each loved our California/Arizona month-long holiday and Debbie and I still get along beautifully, but it was exhausting at times due to having such small children who appear to be like energizer bunnies with all of their vigor.

After 2012 I wonder if we will still embark on such massive summer journeys as it seems that everything in life costs more each and every year. Our kids will then be charged entrance fees after 2012; they will be bigger and want to eat full meals instead of sharing what we order; gas prices will probably be through the roof as usual; and thank goodness for our Woodland Park Zoo membership as the reciprocity agreement allows us to get into most zoos either free or half-price. Aquariums are exempt and are always twice the cost, but the deal with zoos is fantastic.

Lastly, after 2012 Debbie and I will want to have a 3rd kid and that means more money will be drained out of our bank account. Children are amazing and those that don’t have kids are missing out on another spectrum of life, but they are also expensive in many ways. Besides having another child we’d like to purchase a large 4-bedroom house, which will set us back around $500,000 in our area, and there is no way that we can afford that with teacher salaries and all the money that we spend on travelling. I’ve also looked into attaining my Master’s Degree and that is a two-year program that will drain our finances even though in the long run it will mean that I’ll be paid more to instruct the future generation. Another kid, a big house, another university degree (my 3rd) could all be happening in 2013, so next year should be a road trip for sure!

So if 2012 is potentially the last great kick of the can in terms of a Snowleopard family road trip, where do we head off to next July? What zoos in America are left for us to see? In the past year we’ve spent a considerable amount of time in states such as California, Arizona, Texas and others in the west/central area and so we really need to put some miles on our minivan and head across the continent to the eastern seaboard, and then wind our way south to Florida. That state is incredibly far away from where we live near Vancouver, Canada, but it is the one single state where there are the most number of zoos and aquariums that we have not seen. Other than a short trip in December of 2008 (Miami, Jacksonville, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and White Oak) we have not seen any of the other great attractions in Florida. Our trip to White Oak was amazing as we went into an enclosure and spent a long time petting a cheetah, we spent time touching a white rhino as well as a Sumatran rhino, but this time around White Oak and Disney would be skipped. I’d love to go back to Miami and Jacksonville as they are both excellent zoos, and there are many others worth seeing as well. We’ll visit Busch Gardens and Lowry Park, perhaps SeaWorld Orlando and St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (every species of crocodilian), and a variety of smaller zoos and aquariums.

A possible 2012 itinerary, assuming that we are all healthy and raring to go and the kids can sit for a few hours on daily drives…would be to head east across Canada, duck under the Great Lakes region via Minnesota, head eastwards to at least Washington D.C. or Boston, and then wind down south along the coastline (through North and South Carolina and ticking off the 5 AZA-accredited aquariums in those 2 states) before spending perhaps two weeks in Florida. Then we would head north and slowly inch our way home, ticking off attractions across the Midwest along the way. What do you all think? I could add on loads of little zoos that we’ve never seen before, tick off all of the large Florida attractions missing from my all-time list, and re-visit some places that we enjoyed the first time around and haven’t seen since 2008: Omaha, Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, Memphis, Detroit,Minnesota, etc, etc, etc. This trip will take me 10 months of off-and-on planning to finalize, but if we go for 7-8 weeks (around 60 days) then I can visualize at least 40 different zoos and aquariums in about 30 American states. I’ve already typed out a tentative itinerary but it might alter considerably as time goes by so I won’t post anything until 2012.

I’m already excited for our next holiday, and it is only 10 months away! I can spend months planning it by studying many smaller zoos, choosing which mega-zoos to see again, add many eastern aquariums to the list, and finally see the Florida attractions that I’m missing out on. The one zoo that I probably am most looking forward to would be one of the last on the trip, as I visited Denver in 2006 but with the addition of the 10-acre Asian Tropics complex next year I’m hoping that the zoo will have another exhibit area that is as exciting as Predator Ridge, Primate Panorama (30 species), Northern Shores and Tropical Discovery. There are plenty of smaller zoos that I’m intrigued to see as well, such as Brevard and Palm Beach in Florida, John Ball and Potter Park (I have the history book) in Michigan, Virginia Zoo and many smaller aquariums that I’ve never been to before. Stay tuned for more updates in 2012…
 
snowleopard said:
Stay tuned for more updates in 2012…
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Sounds absolutely fantastic! :D I'll be counting down the days, too, anticipating zoo reviews and update posts!
Thank you very much, snowleopard, for your very descriptive reviews and for answering my questions, I'm glad that you've been able to go out on these magnificent road trips to bring us more unfortunate ZooChatters who have not been where you have new zoo experiences. With your reviews, I feel like I've been there at least 2 or 3 times already! :p
Yes, why not go for your degree!? That way, you have more money for even bigger road trips!
I can see it now... Snowleopard's 2012 Road Trip... filled with even more brilliant reviews and feel-good family bonding, possibly with a third baby on board! ;) Hope you had fun this summer, hope you'll enjoy the months ahead, and I wish you well in whatever else you, your wife and kids do together this year.
Your friend,
AnaheimZoo
 
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