The Tubbs Tribune: Santa Barbara Zoo

Santa Barbara Zoo is just over an hours drive south of us. It's an easy drive, straight down on the 101. It is a smaller zoo with your typical animals and pretty landscaping and habitats. I think it could be laid out better. I'm a linear person which means I like having one path that leads to everything there is to see.

Also there were only two bathrooms at opposite ends of the zoo. While looking at birds Backpack announces his need to pee. Combined with his infancy in potty training and the trek to the nearest bathroom, it is needless to say that we didn't make it. It was a noble effort and a brownie point for a well prepared mom with extra clothes.

Anyway...

They are apart of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). We've had a membership with them for 3 years now. Minot's Zoo and Dayton's children museum are also apart of this association.

The kids were very fascinated with the Rhinoceros Hornbill. It looks like it has two beaks. Click here for more information. Neat fact: the male has red eyes, the female has white eyes.

The kids thought that the turtles were being friendly, but we know this as "nature taking its course":

Monkey watching AND I think there was some lemurs in the background:

Penguins!!

Elephants...just for record you know Travis wasn't with us because these are bad pictures :-)

While the kids were engrossed with smelly penguins I took this pictures of the city. Just imagine your down somethings throat looking out (see the hanging uvula) and you see Santa Barbara!

I guess that uvula is elephant food, see the trunk? I was wondering what it was :-)

Cheese....hey look at me...sigh...

Giraffes! We didn't see the baby one. I guess the baby came as a surprise. The caretakers came to see them one morning and surprise there was a baby! Guess what honey, those weren't just cramps!