The Dallas Zoo

Last week, we took the girls to The Dallas Zoo.
And, I have to say, all four of us were impressed
(despite Ryleigh's protests below)

It was the first beautifully cool fall day down here,
and I think that set the tone for a really fun outing.
The zoo itself was so easy to navigate,
that we covered so much in just a few short hours there.
My personal favorite has always been the chimpanzees,
and I think the girls loved them also.
We got to see them swing from branches,
race up and down trees,
chase one another,
and then run off out of sight.

The giraffes were also a huge hit.
Mainly because they walked right over to you
and ate lettuce straight out of your hands.
Lexi was a little hesitant at first - can't say I blame her.
But once she realized how gentle they were,
she would have been happy handing them food all day long

Ryleigh was thrilled to see the elephants and imitate their sounds for us.
After that, we saw some beautiful zebras catching a few rays in the afternoon sun

This lovely cheetah was content to have kiddos staring in on her nap.
She lost interest quickly and laid her head right back down on the ground.

We had our own brush with wildlife just after this picture was taken
Lexi dropped the princess wand you see in her hand down into the habitat.
She had literally owned it for one day - it was a party favor from the day prior.
Vic made a judgement call.
The giant tortouise were very slow moving, so the coast seemed clear.
He lowered Lexi head first into the exhibit where she fished out the wand.
Happy to report that we were not attacked by a turtle OR kicked out of the zoo :)

We let our very own monkeys do a bit of climbing

And then we capped off a great day with a family ride on the carousel!
Thanks, Dallas Zoo, - we'll be back