Indiana Trip Day 2

Yesterday we went to the Columbus Zoo. It's a very nice zoo. Good sized, nicely shaded (as opposed to, for example, the National Zoo in DC, which I love but it's so hot on sunny days!). The weather couldn't have been better! Sunny but with a gorgeous breeze! Last week I FINALLY set the big girls up with their Webwilds (kind of like webkinz but different . . . from Folkmanis, great concept but they need more on their site to be worth buying any more of them) that they got for their birthday, and A discovered that they have koalas (which is what her animal is) at this zoo, so we had to go see the koala. We also saw penguins, though not the same breed as L's webwild (shh . . . I don't think she noticed LOL). I think my favorite exhibit was the kangroos. It's set up kind of like they often do birds where you can walk right in with them. Right after we walked in a kangaroo jumped right across the path in front of us! So cool!! (oh, the kids liked it too LOL). And then, just before we left we went to a new "animal encounter" area where they have select animals out where people can pet them, and one of the animals they had out when we went over there was a pair of ARMADILLOS!! A was in AWE!! She got to TOUCH an armadillo!! She has declared yesterday "the best day ever!" (until now, her "best day ever" was the day one of the armadillos at the National Zoo was awake & running around his habitat). So all around a lovely day at the zoo. L was a little disappointed, we actually went to the animal encounter area because earlier we'd seen a pair of flamingos out of their exhibit (with handlers, or zookeepers or whatever you call the people at the zoo these days LOL) and the handlers told us that the flamingos were "taking a break" but would be at the animal encounter area later, flamingos are L's favorite bird (because they're pink) so she was anxious to get to touch them, but they weren't out (and I muttered a few words under my breath for zoo employees who say things like "they'll be at animal encounter later today" instead of "sometimes they're at animal encounter, you MIGHT get to see them if you stop by later" GRRR . . . I tried to warn L, but I think in her mind the ZOO PEOPLE had said they'd be there, so they would be) but she handled it pretty well.

After we left the zoo we headed to Indiana, and The Old Spaghetti Factory for supper (yum!!!) unfortunately we didn't realize that there was some motorcycle event going on in downtown Indianapolis this weekend, so roads were blocked off, parking lots were closed, it was a mess. We thought we were very fortunate to find a small lot (that's not really a lot, more of a wide alley) right down the street from the restaurant, but when we went to leave, the car next to us was parked wrong (not angled enough) and too close together, and it was a bigger car, and of course we have a minivan . . .all conspired together to make it so we came within a few centimeters (literally) of not being able to get out. The woman who was parking cars there helped us get out & even so I don't think we would've made it if a man walking by noticed and took pity on us & he also helped, it took FOREVER, and the girls were good as gold!! We asked them (A & L) to please be quiet so we could hear each other and they WERE! More just luck, Little Bit was quietly content that whole time. Of course it meant we got to the hotel VERY late last night, and Little Bit wasn't so happy to ride so far so late, but we made it. And DH took the big girls down to look at the swimming pool (much too late to swim) and they were very excited to find out it has a SLIDE!!