Santa Barbara Zoo

I grabbed all the kids first thing in the morning and headed up to the Santa Barbara Zoo.  One of my favorite places!  On the beach in one of the most beautiful areas, only $17 admission per adult and $10 per kid.  I believe there’s over 500 species sitting in 30 acres and has a couple elephants, giraffes, lions, gorillas, monkeys, reptiles, crocodiles, leopards, and a bunch of birds.  It has large grassy park areas to bring a picnic and it’s also nestled along side a lagoon/bird sanctuary and really makes for a beautiful day.  We were expecting rain today so we didn’t anticipate staying for the day, but just wanted to get outside and spend time with the family.  We only lasted two hours until the heavy rains came, so we will venture out in the next couple of weeks to revisit and use our ‘pre-paid train tickets’.  There’s a little train that takes you around the entire zoo and the little ones thoroughly enjoy.  Other activities include a giraffe feeding, various talks, and a climbing wall, among other things.  It’s a great way to spend the day and relax, then hit the town for some great food and activities.  Anyway, due to the impending weather, didn’t really have time to get many shots, but I did capture this gorilla.  Quite a beautiful animal!