Family Vacation: San Antonio Zoo
13June 22, 2012 by CassieCravings
As a little girl, one of my favorite family activities was going to the zoo. I wanted to see every animal and study every information plaque at each exhibit (This was probably the first clue that I would one day be a teacher.).
As a mom, I am just as in love with the zoo. It is thrilling to watch Eli’s expression and listen to his delight in seeing each animal. We “ooh” and “ahh” over God’s creation, and we learn about the world around us.
San Antonio Zoo
Recently our family vacation took us to San Antonio Zoo. It was the middle of a June Texas day. We were hot, sticky and exhausted. And we made some great family memories.
Experiencing the zoo with a toddler can be quite the adventure. Eli wants to walk (though we took the stroller for back up) and he wants to be able to explore. At two, much of his learning experiences come from touch and observation. San Antonio Zoo was built for such a learning experience.
There are several larger than life sculptures of animals including a baby elephant and a giant tortoise shell.
Giant Tortoise Shell = Best. Tunnel. Ever.
lily pad path tailored just for young children
Once the adventures had successfully retired Eli to his stroller, we took a moment to sit in the shade, watch the ducks, and enjoy snow cones.
Eli’s “snow cone”. It just shaved ice….but he doesn’t have to know. 😉
Snack time was moved into the hippo exhibit. Nothing says summer fun like a snow cone with a hippo!
San Anotonio Zoo had some recent additions to their family. There were several new babies, including a warthog and some adorable little ducklings.
baby ducks shading from the summer sun
the little bitty super precious baby warthog
One of my favorite things about San Antonio Zoo is how beautifully laid out and landscaped it is. Each exhibit gives a peak into the natural habitat of the animals.
just because they are lovely
Eli and his daddy checking it all out
I would say that the tiger is my favorite….but I tend to say “favorite” with every animal. So, he is certainly one of my favorites.
After every exhibit had been explored, the family headed to a must-do at the San Antonio Zoo: the train ride. Eli adored being able to ride a real “choo choo trwain”. The conductor told tales of historic San Antonio while we rode a track around the zoo and a couple of local museums.
the wonderful Uncle Jonathan
The first stop of our family vacation was a great success! San Antonio Zoo is a beautiful family outing that is busting with learning opportunities for both kids and adults. It is certainly one of my favorite stops in San Antonio.
Don’t miss: the beautiful historic hotel and our tour of the River Walk will be posted soon.
mamacravings 
What a wonderful trip! And amazing photos!
Thank you so much! We had a blast! 🙂
Lovely post and enjoyed this a lot considering we also went to the zoo today :). Thanks for sharing!
I hope y’all had fun at the zoo today! 🙂
Thank you so much!
I love zoos! I got to visit the San Diego Zoo when we were there but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see all of the animals! Looks like Eli had lots of fun. Is there a petting zoo also? I’m sure he would love that!
My mom’s favorite zoo is the San Diego Zoo. I have never been, but would love to.
There isn’t a petting zoo at San Antonio Zoo. We have one at our local zoo, and he absolutely adores it! Eli loves animals. 🙂
Looks like fun!! We have a small zoo about an hour from our house. It is the perfect size for little ones like mine – 5 and 2. We can make our way around the whole zoo in about half a day. It is a favorite spot to head for us!
Our local zoo (about 30-45 minutes away) is one of favorites as well. We even had a season pass to it last year. It was well worth it! We certainly got our money’s worth out of it.
It’s a great place to wear the little ones out 😉
I LOVE the zoo. I have been to the one in Granby, Quebec, Toronto, Ontario, as well as Parc Safari in Hemmingford, Quebec (numerous times). The highlight of my trip to New York City was going to the Bronx Zoo. It looks like you guys had a great day. Love the photo of the Zebra.
Oh wow!! You’ve been to several! I would like to see how zoo differ from region to region. I’ve wondered if they are pretty much the same or not.
Thank you! 🙂
I recently heard a story on the radio that they are talking about sending all the animals in Canadian zoos back to their natural habitats; and only having animals native to Canada in our “Animal Preserves.”
As an animal lover I am torn. I want to be able to easily observe these animals; but clearly it isn’t ideal to keep desert, savannah, tropical, etc animals in our northern climate. The only way we can keep them comfortable during the colder months is to keep them indoors; and that begs the question is it cruel to lock them away for the better part of the year?
I just got back from the San Diego Zoo. I spend a little time at the Zoo on each national holiday.
Oh wow! That sounds like a lot of fun!
San Diego zoo is my mom’s favorite. 🙂