Surprises at the Zoo

We woke up Sunday morning unsure of what to do for the day. The weather in Pittsburgh has been really strange lately, so on any given day we could have snow, rain, sun, tornados... you name it, we have had it these past two weeks. Saturday ended up being a fairly nice day. Some sunshine, mild weather, perfect for a walk. We tossed around the idea of going to a park, but decided to take advantage of this nice weather break and go to the zoo!

We have a zoo pass, this has worked out great for us. I love knowing that I can go whenever I want. It is the perfect place to go for a walk, spend an entire afternoon, or go for a short visit. Plus, it is only 10 mins from our house! Score!

Bundled up we all headed to the zoo. I was excited just to be outside, a nice change from heading to an indoor area to play.

We walked along the path, slowly taking in all of the animals and just enjoying the day. We got to see baby tigers playing with their mom, and were surprised by the peacocks who freely roam around the zoo. A few kids even chased them around!

We made out way to the aquarium, my favorite part. I love the penguins, and love to watch them swim around under the water. They always stand so proudly and seem so social, as if I could stand next to them and be apart of their conversations. I also love the little pool where you can reach in and pet a sting ray.

Something new at the zoo has been the polar bear exhibit. This huge new construction attached to the aquarium that allows you to see the bears through a window on ground level, as well as in a tunnel under the water. We have been going to the zoo for a year, and have only seen the bears in the water once, and it was a short period of time.

Sunday was a different story. Since the zoo was less crowded the under water tunnel wasn't full of screaming kids trying to lure the bear into the water. We stood for a few minutes, discussing how we NEVER see the bear in the water. I was about to take a photo of my husband sitting with Kirsten under the water when suddenly, it happened, the bear jumped into the water! It was amazing to see. There is no sound, so no large splash, just a giant white bear landing in the water.

He swam around for a while, playing with a ball. He even stood on top of the glass that we were under. Kirsten pointed up and squealed at the bear. I was so excited that she got to see this, and sort of understand it. Previous visits I often wondered if she understood that she was seeing animals in real life. She mostly just sits in her stroller or baby carrier and stares. This time, she was super interactive.

After the delightful bear show, we moved down the tunnel to see the sharks. We got a great view of them in the very clear water. They stared at us as they slowly swam by showing their huge teeth. Kirsten loved pounding on the glass, mocking them.

We moved on to the slide and play area. I always say that I cannot wait for her to really appreciate everything the zoo has to offer. We have her a taste of the amazing tree top slides by going down with her. The smile on her face was priceless.

I love the zoo, but especially love it when we can go as a family on a spontaneous visit. A very successful spontaneous visit!