And they all asked for you... at the Audubon Zoo!

"The monkeys asked, the tigers asked, they all inquired about you..."

I seriously didn't think that I'd have this long of a hiatus (believe it or not, I actually thought that I'd have some time to blog while having company - but no.  I didn't.  I'm owning it, though).  So, over the next week, I'll be chasing my own tail and making an attempt to catch up.

So...  B. and I headed out to the Audubon Zoo on Thursday.  I wanted to go on a weekday - and go early - so that we could really enjoy our visit.  Chicken Little had reported that the sky was falling, but as far as I was concerned, it was just overcast and we decided to go anyhow.  I mean, isn't that what umbrellas are for???

Best.  Decision.  Ever.

We had the entire place to ourselves.  It didn't rain.  It didn't sprinkle.  The sky didn't fall.  Only a few tourists (and some with those huge fucking baby strollers - I simply do NOT understand why some people feel the need to have a baby buggy the size of damned Smart Car, but I digress) - some with children - some couples, and a handful of locals.  There were entire areas where there were no people at all, and since it was so quiet, most of the animals were out and about.  For those of you who do decide to visit our electric city, my suggestion is that you try and plan your big* attraction visits during the week (if your schedule permits it).  The weekends are totally cray-cray!!

Some shots from our visit:

^^  Entering the Zoo 

 ^^  Flamingos are the first to greet visitors!!

^^  It's Gene the Elephant (left) and his Lady friend...

 ^^  Another shot of Gene...  he salutes when his keeper asks him to!!

 ^^  Heading over to see the gorillas, chimps, and orangutans... just to name a few...

 ^^  One of the bigger giraffes...

^^  Mama giraffe and her little one...

^^  Aaarrggghhhhhh...  gator got my foot!!  (Total cheese shot)

We also decided to have lunch while we were there, and considering how expensive food can be at some of these attractions, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the prices were pretty decent.  We ate at the Zoofari Cafe, where I had a very fresh, well-prepared, good-sized "side" salad ($5.00), a grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich ($5.00), and a refillable drink ($2.00) for lunch.  Please note that the Cafe is the only "restaurant" on-site with healthier foods.  The other eateries had more of your typical kid food - nachos, pizza, chicken nuggets, and ice cream (there is one stand where you can get only Haagen-Daz ice cream and treats - we avoided that one).  Soft drink/Gatorade machines are also placed all over the park, but it's my suggestion that you bring your own water/drinks with you - as it was $3.00 for ONE 20-ounce drink.  There are also water fountains, so you can refill your water bottles while touring the zoo.

All-in-all, we spent about 5 hours there, had lunch, and saw all the attractions.  We got in right at 11:00 AM and left right as the zoo was closing (at 4:00 PM - so plan accordingly!!).  There is plenty of free parking - and if you're game AFTER your zoo excursion, you can leave your car in the parking lot and catch the bus (less than $1.00 per person) to tour the boutiques on Magazine Street.  

It was a great visit and I'd recommend this zoo to anyone who enjoys a real hands-on, close-encounter animal experience.  

x0x0

*Big attractions - to include the Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Insectarium, New Orleans Museum of Art, Swamp Tours, Plantation Tours, Voodoo Tours, Haunted New Orleans Tours, and Swamp Tours (just to name a few).  You are more than welcome to send questions to:  thepoint(dot)nola(at)googlemail(dot)com.