| rev:text
| - Lions, tigers and bears .... sleep when it's sunny and warm, so if you are planning a trip to the zoo, and want to see animals playing around, find a day that's a little overcast or cooler. Plus, walking up that serpentine-like boardwalk to see the primate exhibit in 80-degree weather is no fun! And, if you want to see the zoo for free, visit on a Monday. Unfortunately, this only applies to those residing in Cuyahoga County, but if it applies, a great deal. Otherwise, admission is $10 (I think it goes down a few bucks during off-peak times of the year) and includes admission into the Rainforest, which is pretty cool! If you have kids, a family membership would be the way to go (check their site for membership details - http://www.clevelandzoosociety.org/join.aspx).
ZOO LAYOUT: The layout of the zoo is nice and spread out, so crowding isn't too bad. On busy days, when strollers are plentiful, the extra wide walkways are great for those sans children - can slip right past the tour groups or big families. Definitely grab a map, though. I've visited the zoo a few times a year for the past few years and I still get turned around - can never find that darn petting zoo, and only notice it as we're driving home!
FOOD: Unlike other places (ballpark, movie theater), the zoo doesn't mind if you bring your own food. They have several pavilions throughout the park where you can bring coolers and have a picnic. If you're planning an all-day visit, I might recommend this as the zoo food isn't anything to write home about. Fries taste like they've been sitting around all day and I'm pretty sure slightly salted cardboard might taste better. Typical inflated prices on drinks, too, so bring your own bottled water. Of course, can't go wrong with a scoop of Cherry Garcia at Ben & Jerry's - look for the pavilion outside the butterfly exhibit. Kudos for the zoo's eco-efforts - recycling bins were around every corner.
EXHIBITS: Having been to Australia, I think they did a nice job with the Australian Adventure. With the laid-back train ride circling that exhibit, they really captured the laid-back culture of Down Under. Make sure to check out the lorikeets. For a buck, you can feed them nectar (these birds are so talkative and full of personality - you won't be disappointed). Don't let that boardwalk to the primate building hold you back - those monkeys are just waiting for us to stand on the other side of the glass so they can show off and mock us. The aquatics exhibit shares this building, and if you're visiting on a busy day (or hot day - just escaping to the air-conditioned areas), that space can get pretty tight. Still, worth a look, although I thought the aquatics exhibit at the Pittsburgh zoo was a little better. Northern Trek - don't miss the wolves. Again, it can get pretty crowded in that lodge, and you might need to be patient, but they have a pretty cool exhibit where you're basically watching them in their natural habitat - they may (or may not) roam by the window. If you're lucky, you might also see a bald eagle! African Savanna is cool, too - zebras, giraffes, elephants and giant rhinos. And, if you manage to find that petting zoo (it's at the back end of Australian Adventure), check it out! They have wash stations and Purell, so get in there and hang with the goats.
RAINFOREST: I don't recommend passing up the Rainforest. You're greeted by a mammoth waterfall and start your journey walking through several paths of fragrant, tropical foliage. If you're up for the challenge, take the spiral staircase built into a giant tree to the second level. Before heading upstairs, make sure to check out the cool tropical storm exhibit. Every 10 minutes or so, thunder, lightening and rain draw crowds and the porcupine (that's the only animal I've seen in that area) sorta scurries around. Other Rainforest highlights are the bats, a crocodile and a fishing cat. Plus, as a bonus, you essentially leave the place with a free facial steam!!
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)