Bronx Zoo

Two weeks ago, my new employer had an employee summer outing to the Bronx Zoo. In a case of perfect timing, my sister Maria ...





was visiting from Wisconsin and agreed to pick up our niece, Sara...




and bring her up to NYC for a visit. We had a great time eating out at Tournesol, a great French bistro in Long Island City...




going to see "Mary Poppins" on Broadway (I highly recommend it!), and spending a day at the Bronx Zoo.


At the Zoo, we had an entire picnic pavilion reserved for Conference Board employees and their families, and the lunch was great. (Sara and I especially enjoyed the ice cream sandwiches.)


I was also thrilled to see that the picnic pavilion overlooked the pond where the flamingoes live. (As some of you know, flamingoes are my absolute favorite animal -- so graceful, and so outrageously colored, especially when they open their wings.)

To get to the picnic area, we rode a cable car from one side of the zoo to the other -- very cool views of the zoo exhibits below us, as well as the Bronx spread out around us.

The Bronx Zoo is one of the finest in the world and has taken a leading role in wildlife conservation. The animal exhibits were fabulous -- no cages and small pens, instead very realistic and spacious habitats. The Wolf monkeys were among my favorites, especially the little baby scampering about and annoying the adult monkeys.

The Rwanda/gorilla exhibit was also very cool. Luckily, we were there at snack time, and got to watch them grabbing for and chowing down on carrots, yams, and celery.

The baby gorillas were also pretty cute.

In the giraffe exhibit, it was pretty funny when one of the adult giraffes started chasing an ostrich around the compound.

The size difference between the adult and baby giraffes was also quite striking.

Apart from the flamingoes, my favorite part of the day was riding the Bug Carousel!

I can't wait to go back!