Next Stop: Columbus Zoo
Intro
Sometimes we use the democratic process in the family. Yup, sometimes we use it to figure out what people want. We accomplished this by sharing an Apple Notes file with some ideas. We wanted to know what people desired to see on our way back home. The Columbus Zoo was at the top of the list. My kids watched a vet show sometime back at the Columbus zoo and had to see it in person. I think the show is on Disney+. Personally, I prefer The Simpsons. Some people in my family like animals. I have one that loves what I call “the puss and poo” portion of the show. My daughter perks up during the medical portion of the show. When the animals hit the vet clinic, I find a project that needs some love. Whatever the case, my family had a connection to the zoo because of the show.
So, we mapped out the trip. Our goal was to make the eight-hour drive from NJ to Columbus, OH. We made the eight-hour trip to the zoo despite our ten hours of driving alone through PA. Seriously, does that state get longer as you drive it? Or is it just the endless construction that is never finished? Whatever the case, we eventually made it to the west side of the state, and we were greeted by the “Welcome to Ohio” sign.
Pre-Zoo Prep
We got to our hotel. We found some dinner at a take-out place. Columbus, as a city/town, is a really nice place. I think we will go back there and just explore.
Eventually, we slept, and then we woke up. We started the day by buying our passes for the zoo. This process is super easy. You click the link to buy the tickets. It took us a few seconds to find the link, but I found the direct link for you (Scroll down to buy tickets). I guess finding the place where they take your money on the website is not that easy. I would suggest just having a “Buy your Ticket” on the upper right-hand corner of the site.
You can kill a lot of time at this place. In fact, we just read that someone donated a ton of money, I think that is the exact amount too…. A TON. The donation is going to be used for an aquarium. If you visit when that is built, please leave a comment below. I would love to know what the experience was like. It might motivate us to do the trip again.
The Zoo Experience
Entering the zoo is pretty quick. Just note that they did do the bag search. The rubber glove in the secret room was a little awkward, but you do what you have to do, right? Just kidding. You don’t get a free prostate exam; it is not invasive, but they will search your bag. You basically open the bag, and they make sure you don’t have any weapons. I had a camera backpack with all my crap in it. They glanced at it, looked at me, and I was through security. The people are polite, and it is rather non-invasive.
If you want the full animal experience, they have karts in animal costumes you can try. So, you can tell people that you rode on a giraffe, a pand, or a leopard. That might be fun to do. I noticed that mostly it was teenagers driving them around. If I were that age, I am pretty sure it would have started with a go-kart race. It would have devolved into a demolition derby. So, I’m not really in a place to judge.
The exhibits are really large and well-kept. The zoo is arranged by districts. Wild Africa, Australia, Asia, North America, Polar Frontier, Shores and Aquarium (Small, but decent). I am sure I am forgetting some others.
I enjoyed Australia mostly, because I want to go there one day. It has all the benefits of Australia minus the million insects, crocs, and other animals that can kill you, stinging, biting, or just eat you. The Kangaroos just hop around in the exhibit. I wanted to ride in the pocket of the Kangaroo. I thought maybe it was the weight limit, but it was more the Kangaroo doling out a butt-whooping. So, they do not allow you to go for kangaroo rides in the pocket.
Honestly, that exhibit was great. I enjoyed talking to an Aussie gentleman who was volunteering that day. He knew a lot about Roos. One thing I did not know is that the kangaroos are really good at judging the weather. I thought it was going to rain, and he said, “Nah, mate, they’re still out here. If it was gonna rain, they’d be inside.” He knew a lot about the Roos, and it was fun to talk to him. I did not get a chance to box with one like Sylvester, but I also didn’t mistake one for a mouse. Sylvester was not the brightest Looney Tunes character.
Ultimately, Wild Africa was probably my favorite. You are greeted by an archway that tells you are are in the “Heart of Africa.”
After I entered, I was reminded of the book, “Land of Second Chances: The Impossible Rise of Rwanda's Cycling Team,” when I saw the gate.
We are blessed to see the lions clearly! Who does not want to see the lions? I mean, I don’t want to see them in person in the wild, but they are incredible animals. It is like a house cat that sees you as an appetizer. I was very thankful for the wall and the deep chasm. I don’t think I would want to wrestle one of them or have just a chair between the lion and me.
The male lion at the Columbus Zoo decided to make an appearance. There is a deep ditch and thick wire around it. If you find the right place to stand you can make it look like the lion is just feet from you.
I also learned that life is a matter of perspective. The picture below looks like the lion is about to eat the giraffe. The reality is there is a huge chasm between the lions and the giraffes. I looked at that and thought it was funny that sometimes we can think that we are in such danger, only to realize that we really aren’t. The Lion may have wanted some Giraffe, but the zoo made sure the Lion would be disappointed.
Don’t worry! There is a deep barrier between the lion and the giraffe. I just managed to find a spot where you could not see it on the picture.
We did hear the Hyenas in their exhibit as well. They are freaky-looking things, man. I would not want to camp out where I had to listen to them call back and forth. The exhibit had a broken-down Land Rover. I commented that this is why you don’t want to take a Land Rover on a safari. A Toyota would have never left you stranded with the Hyenas.
This is why I would take a Toyota on a safari. This is definitely a sign that something has gone REALLY Wrong! The wife probably told him, “I’m not sure we’ll make it over those rocks…..”
Husband, “Nah, we can make it. Just a bit more right pedal should do the trick…..”
In the Wild Congo, we saw the cheetah up close through the fence. You know how they win races? Well, they Cheetah. Here, you thought it was their land speed? Seriously, they are so different from the lion in person. The Lion has big muscles and appears intimidating through and through. The Lion is about as aerodynamic as a flat-nosed semi. The cheetah is sleek and aerodynamic. You can see that the Cheetah is able to haul some booty after its prey. The Cheetah reminded me of my friend’s Greyhound Dog. Now, the Cheetah can purr, but I wouldn’t let it sit on my lap like the Greyhound.
I thought the Cheetah would be more intimidating in person. They look like Greyhounds, but I am not sure I would want one sitting on my lap.
(This is a very regal looking cheetah! I’m not sure I would want it watching me from this vantage point. This is where fences make for good neighbors)
If you like birds, there are a few aviaries where you can get up close with the birds. There is one aviary where you can feed birds, and they will sit on your arm or hand and eat from their food cup. Just make sure that the back end has a clear path, otherwise your shirt will be painted white. That is cool if you want to look like a zebra, but I would recommend giving them a clear bomb drop on the ground.
(The bird eating out of a dish. This was a fun time in the aviary.)
The lunch options
There is a large cafeteria with a variety of food. You select what you want from the screen, and you wait for your food. It is a clean cafeteria, so it is not like the Rainforest Cafe that used to be popular…. If you remember the 90s…. You know that decade after the good one. 😃 At the Columbus Zoo, you can eat inside or outside. There are plenty of seating options. We opted to stay outside as the day was absolutely beautiful. A little cloud cover, but not raining.
The prices are reasonable. Where we live, going out to eat is at least 50 bucks for two people. So, we do not go out often, but this was our splurge event. So, we took the whole family out to eat rather than packing food. I had a burger because I completely lack imagination. It was good. Our whole family of five ate for just shy of $90. That is 18 bucks per person. The other option is that you could bring food into the zoo. We have done that in the past, and if we were cramped for time, we probably would have done that this time. However, we enjoyed the downtime. The cheap way to do it would be to bring the food and buy some drinks at the cafeteria. You do what you want. Figure each person eating for about 25 bucks.
Conclusion
This is a worthy destination. The zoo is very well kept. The exhibits are large. The food was decent for cafeteria food. We had a good time as a family with some good memories to boot. We drove almost to Peoria, IL, after the zoo. Thankfully, our rental van did not leave us stranded in the heart of Africa. I think being mauled by hyenas would have definitely put a damper on our road trip.
If you are looking for a place to see on a road trip or just to visit, this is definitely a Paulie’s Pick! I’d say load up the car and have a good trip.
(Enjoy the gallery below. These are the other pics.
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