Simon and I are buddies today while Diana is out doing yarn stuff in Toledo. The rain ended before we got up this morning, so I figured it was a good time to go to the zoo, since I didn't get a chance earlier this week.
Given my love-hate relationship with Cleveland, you probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that I very much love the zoo. I grew up just a few blocks away from it. While I only went to it a few times each year, it was pretty consistent from the time I was born. Heck, I even had a field trip from my school where we walked there, in grade five. (Side note: It's sad that there is no trace of that school, Milford Elementary, anywhere on the Internet.)
Naturally, I like going there with Simon. While parts of it have changed dramatically since I was a kid, like the huge new elephant habitat or the Australian section, some of it has barely changed at all, like the crappy bear and sea lion habitats. And of course, there was the old Fulton Rd. bridge that had been crumbling since before I was born, with a refreshment stand tucked under the massive structure. That finally came down in 2007, and a new one opened in 2010.
We bought a zoo membership shortly after we moved back, and were planning on buying one for the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. I think it's a good value, but I also think it's great to support these kinds of institutions in any city.
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