Zoo Day

During the conference in San Diego, we all had a particularly lucky day. Bryan and his cohorts got permission to go out in the field on Camp Pendleton (which is a restricted military area) to look for herps. Meanwhile, the kids and I (and some other conference ladies with their kids) got to go behind-the-scenes at the San Diego Zoo! The director of the Reptile House was our tour guide. We got to go inside the pens of some of the critters and go in restricted areas where the public isn't allowed. It was a terrific, special day. The only photos I took were on my iPhone. I figured I had enough to haul around and didn't want to add a large camera.....

Dylan and Ava got to spend some time together.....

One of our favorite stops was at the Komodo Dragon, named Sonny, who would follow his caretaker around the pen like a pet. He was on loan at the zoo from Hawaii. Sonny responded like someone's dog; no joke. It was amazing! He was also the biggest dragon I've ever seen!

One of my other favorites in the critter world..... the Galapagos Tortoises!

We got to go inside the pen, which felt a little strange with the rest of the general public watching us like they were observing wild creatures.... haha
We got to pet a tortoise as we walked by. Once in a lifetime opportunity there. Going to the Galapagos Island is on my bucket list.

Ava, right before she pet the tortoise.....

Of course this was the closest she came to riding one  ;)

This is our group, being lead into the facility not open for public and accessing reptiles of all kinds ~ including this super-rare two-headed Kingsnake! 

Kingsnakes are known for eating other snakes, therefore this snake spends much of the day using the mouth of one head to try to consume the other head. It's crazy.

The Reptile House Zoo director's daughter, Hanna, was a great help with Willow. She enjoyed holding her. Thankfully Willow was having a good day, just like us :)

We tried to see as much of the zoo as we could that day. It's huge, so rather impossible to see it in one day. I remember that from the last time I was here.
A few of us jumped in for a group photo......

After the Camp Pendelton field trip, Bryan and the rest of the group joined us at the Zoo.....

We continued to have a grand, behind-the-scenes tour of the Reptile House.....

Random picture of Bryan and some fatty hanging out at the zoo....... Ha!

We topped off the evening with a special, delicious dinner at the San Diego Zoo for conference members only. What an amazing day! It felt weird to leave the zoo that evening as it had been closed for hours. The sounds of nocturnal wild animals serenaded us as we walked up the trails and out the exit. What an opportunity!
Simply amazing!