Adventuring // Biking in Long Beach

 

^ this girl. also, can I take that bike home with me? thanks. ^

^ Queen Mary ^

^ because what else do you do when you encounter a fish bike rack? ^

 

^ Beach Volleyball World Series! I didn't get the chance to watch since we had to get the bikes back to the shop, but it was so cool seeing where the championships are held all the time. Geeking out! ^

My thanks to Steph's family for taking me with them to go biking in Long Beach on a Friday morning! They are some of the sweetest, most welcoming people you will ever meet. Adore.

My thoughts on Santa Monica and Long Beach's bike paths, here.

--

Wheel Fun Rentals
419 Shoreline Village Drive
Long Beach, CA 90802

Foodie Adventuring // C&O Trattoria in Venice Beach

Post-biking adventure lunch with friends.

---

Who: Sarah, Matt, Gabby, Sabrina, & I

Where: C&O Trattoria near Venice Fishing Pier

When: Saturday at 11:30 AM

The Restaurant: A rather unassuming place, C&O Trattoria. One of the many restaurants and shops along the half street leading up to the Venice Beach Fishing Pier, C&O doesn't have flashy artwork outside or anything that really sets it apart aesthetically from the other storefronts nearby. However, it does have a reputation that precedes it; Sarah, Matt, and Gabby all had eaten here before and highly recommended it as our brunch spot post-biking.

I'm not sure if there is indoor seating, but the entire exterior length of the restaurant has small tables for two along the sidewalk. If you want to hide your sparkly self from the sun, there are giant umbrellas to shade you; for those cold-blooded types, there are also heat lamps for cooler oceanfront evenings.

The inner terrace is reserved for those with more than two people in their party. We originally had eight, so we were given one of larger tables near the entrance. It was pretty quiet during lunchtime, so when three of our friends had to head back to Westwood, we didn't have to switch tables. {Note: It says on their menu that there is a minimum $10 charge per person? We weren't sure if that truly meant everyone had to order more than $10 worth of food (that means no splitting an order), so the three girls left before we ordered just in case. Be forewarned}.

I loved the various murals they had painted along the inside of the terrace. There are about four/five different scenes that look like inviting entrances into the Italian countryside. Combine that with the burbling of the small fountain in the middle of all the tables and the strings of white lights overhead... it's pretty amazing.
 
The Food: Sarah, Matt, and Gabby came for the Killer Garlic Rolls. Just putting that out there. And I'll admit, those little knots of dough are pretty darn delicious. Very flavorful without being over-powering, crispy on the outside but chewy inside, served piping hot. A little too addicting if anything. You should try them.

Since we arrived during that overlap between breakfast and lunch hours, we got to look over both the full menu and the one-page breakfast menu. So. Many. Choices. We felt a bit bad for our waitress because we took so long to order {and went through three small plates of garlic rolls while making up our minds}. She was very chill though; when she accidentally hit Gabby's hair while walking past, she joked, "Oops. Sorry for smacking you in the bun."

Sarah ended up being the only one who ordered from the regular menu. She got the Penne Spinachi {ricotta cheese, pecorino romano (I have no idea what that is), and a hint of nutmeg in a spinach cream sauce}, while the rest of us decided to get breakfast dishes. Matt tried the special of the day, Apple Walnut Crepes {with fresh fruit and mascarpone on top, Italian sausage and eggs on the side}. Sabrina had the Al Fumo Omelette {smoked mozzarella cheese, fresh roma tomatoes, roasted eggplant, and fresh basil} and Gabby had something similar {I can't remember which omelette she ordered}.

I stood by my rule of always ordering something I can't make at home and took a chance on the Lobster and Shrimp Frittata {slipper lobster and shrimp, fresh asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted portobello mushrooms, topped with romano cheese}. Perfection. That is all I have to say. I kept thinking that the slices of sun-dried tomato were red bell pepper, but then I'd remember that they weren't bell peppers and all was right in the world again. (:

The Conversation: Everything, really. We jumped topics so often, I can honestly say that I have no clue what we chattered about for the almost an hour and a half we sat there. Sarah's job at Northern Lights, I think came up, as well as places we had been and ones we wanted to visit.

Conclusion: Highly recommend. This is one of those places I would definitely bring my parents to if they're in town and feel confident that they'll like it, too. The staff is so friendly and the food is downright amazingness. Be aware that the parking situation isn't so hot, but we happened to luck out and find spaces one storefront down. It is metered parking, but they take smaller change than quarters if you're not staying long.

--

C&O Trattoria near Venice Pier

31 Washington Blvd.

Marina del Rey, California 90292

Adventuring // Santa Monica and Long Beach Bike Paths

Making a 2013 Summer List looks like it's been a good idea. I mean, lists in general are amazing, but this one has really helped remind me of the things I want to accomplish-- and since they're all fun and decently-easy to accomplish, it's been great slowly crossing them off the list.

I was an overachiever with the "bike from Santa Monica to wherever that concrete bike path leads" since not only did I do that today, but I also went biking with Steph and part of her family in Long Beach before the San Diego Safari Park trip. For someone who hasn't gotten on a bike since early high school {and even then it was iffy}, not bad, not bad.

I get the feeling that I was not born to bike. I like the freedom it affords, the fact that you can go places you couldn't in a car, the environmentally friendly aspect of this means of transportation, the exercise, and the distance you can travel without expending a large amount of effort, but... I don't like going downhill {cause I feel super out-of-control}, biking around unpredictable people/cars {cause they might cut in front of you}, or sharp turns {cause my chances of falling over get a lot higher}. So. Trade off.

Oh hey. You can see the giant V-shaped bruise on my shin. It's a lovely deep shade of purple in person.

How Santa Monica's bike path compares to the one in Long Beach:

+ Santa Monica feels a bit more intermediate, whereas Long Beach is very much a beginner bike path. If you haven't gotten on a bike in ages, a ride in Long Beach will reacquaint you with feeling like a crash course.

+ Santa Monica has a few pretty sharp turns on the way to Venice Beach. I'm not sure how the girls on the tandem bike in our group navigated those... Consider me impressed. Long Beach is basically a straight shot from one end to the other, with a few gentle curves along the way.

+ If you're going biking on the beach for the leisure factor, Long Beach is your place. Few people, wide paths, open beaches, friendly pedestrians and fellow bikers. You can hear the wind in your ears and if you're with friends, you can have a conversation without yelling. It's quiet and calming.

+ If you're going biking to people-watch, sight-see, or to test your obstacle-avoidance skills, Santa Monica is more for you. People EVERYWHERE, crazy mix of amateur and too-competitive-for-their-own-good bikers, narrow paths, yappy dogs, giant surfboards, small children...

There's so much to look at when you bike this path, but you can't take your eyes off the road lest you hit someone/something. My heart was in my throat the entire time. And by the time we got back to the bike shop, my thumbs were sore from gripping the handlebars so tightly. I'm not sure stressed, tense, and shell-shocked are emotions you want to have after a bike ride along the beach.

+ I am, I will more than willingly admit, a very cautious biker. However. If you give me a long straightaway with very few people along it, I will see how fast I can go and/or race you. And love every second of it. Long Beach is perfect for us closet speedsters. Santa Monica... not so much.

+ I did love seeing {via my peripheral vision since I couldn't actually look away from the path} how the atmosphere changes when you take the Santa Monica route. We started across from the aquarium which is completely tourist-filled and commercial, then it becomes more surfer and body-builder territory {complete with kids in wetsuits and surfboards on bikes}. That slowly morphs into gorgeous beach houses with off-the-wall architecture {which is one of the things I love about Venice} and suburban joggers, and the last area is the Venice Beach people imagine {street vendors, crazy artwork, hobo/boho chic}.

+ Renting bikes in Long Beach ($12) was a bit more expensive than in Santa Monica ($7), mostly because there is so much more competition in the latter location. Also, the bikes in Long Beach are newer and in better condition, so it all evens out.

Conclusion: I personally prefer biking in Long Beach, but really, either is good exercise and quite fun if you go with friends. *grins* You feel very Southern-Cali when you're biking along the beach, sunshine beaming down on you, wind whistling by, surfers in the distance. It makes your heart happy and is oddly freeing, considering you're constrained by the two wheels you're balancing on. You should try it.

--

Sea Mist Bike Rentals
1619 Ocean Front Walk
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Wheel Fun Rentals
419 Shoreline Village Drive
Long Beach, CA. 90802
{find our Long Beach biking adventure here}

Adventuring // Urban Light & Levitated Mass at LACMA

This wasn't my first time visiting LACMA during my lunch break, but this was my first time going by myself and solely for the purpose of taking pictures. Photo adventure!

 

Since the lamps aren't actually on during the day, there are fewer people wandering the rows of Urban Light. Which is why Sam, Rainbow, and I have made the middle of the art piece our unofficial lunch spot when we're all in the office. We get asked a lot if we can take pictures for other people. And to move over...

 

This was my first time walking past the lampposts and into the official LACMA area. As soon as you walk under that awning, the temperature drops ten/fifteen degrees.

 

As a self-proclaimed lover of blue and green, it's funny how much I like bright red, too. It's a trend I've noticed in my closet ever since I started college. It's a very bold color, like... "I don't care what you think of me, I do my own thing." Can't say I wear it very often, but when I do, there's definitely a confidence boost. *laughs* Weird how colors and clothing can do that do a person.

Those stairs are not for people who are afraid of heights... I kind of love them.

This is the covering on top of the escalator, but wouldn't it be awesome if it really WAS a giant slide? Such a kid at heart.

 

If we ever eat lunch here, I'll let you know. Not sure those itsy-bitsy, short tables are really made for putting food on, though. *O.o* They seem disproportionately small.

By the way. That's officially one of the coolest elevators I've ever seen. I think it just goes to the parking lot, but ohmygoodness, it's awesome.

 

Oh look. I happened upon Levitated Mass unintentionally; I was just walking, taking pictures of things, and "ohlook. a giant open space with a giant rock in the middle."

Confession: that one taller palm tree drives me nuts.

 

I remember reading about the transportation of this chunk of stone from Riverside to Los Angeles a while ago {specifically, three internships ago...}. So to see it in person was kind of cool. Plus, the lover of minimalistic, clean lines in me really enjoyed the wide expanse of empty space and lack of trash/leaves/gum/etc on the two-way concrete ramp. If only my apartment were this neat all the time... {Not that we have trash/leaves/gum/etc in our apartment, but you know what I mean}.

Hello, anonymous stranger hipster couple. Thanks for posing/modeling how large the rock is.

I still need to come back (1) at night for the requisite lamppost pictures and (2) when I have time to make paying the $15 admission into the museum worthwhile.

Next lunch break stop: the "Granny" museum next to my bus stop. No really. The Craft and Folk Art Museum actually has a giant sign in the front window that says "Granny Squared." Not lying.

Foodie Adventuring // Yuko Kitchen Cafe

After hearing several people in the office rave about Yuko Kitchen Cafe, Sam and I decided to try it Friday, especially since the girl had a craving for sushi. We checked their menu online before we left, then walked the four blocks to this hidden, off-the-beaten-path restaurant.

Seriously, it's one of those places where you have to know that it's there, else you'll miss it.

 

I loved the mural on the outside wall of the restaurant. Not entirely sure what it is, but the colors are bright and the shapes pretty! We got there around 12:30 PM and the place was packed. Even though there was a lot of seating, all the tables outside were full of chattering people and the inside was just as busy.

 

While I saved the two of us a table outside, Sam waited in line {about ten people deep? Like I said, it was lunch rush hour} to place our orders. The waitstaff is really sweet here. I asked the guy what he recommended and he was really great about explaining the menu and giving recs. Sam said she had the same experience with the girl inside near the register.

Sidenote: that IKEA dandelion lamp. *happy sigh*

They have the cutest bright blue cups for their self-serve lemon water. When Sam first returned to our table with the water, I was definitely concerned that there were things floating in it, until she explained that it was lemon water. Felt better after that.

The atmosphere, even outside, is one of quiet chaos. In a good way. Sam and I were able to hear and understand each other perfectly fine, even though there was a constant hum of background noise-- giant trucks and lots of cars driving by, other conversations being held around us, music playing from the speakers above our heads. You feel like you're a part of the rest of the world, but still with your own space. I liked it.

 

Sam ordered the Garlic Shrimp Rice Bowl {garlic butter shrimp over rice and green salad with zucchini and cherry tomatoes}, even though she ended up picking out all the larger bits of garlic and putting them aside. Also, be forewarned that the shrimp come with tails, so look before you eat.

If you feel your salad is missing something, you can do what Sam did and ask for salad dressing on the side. It didn't quite taste like any "asian salad dressing" I'd ever had before and it looked like it had tobiko in it, but apparently it was delicious? So. There's that.

I got the Spicy Salmon Bowl-lito {spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, and lettuce, wrapped in seaweed and rice}, which oddly enough, didn't actually have any salmon in it... *shrugs*

According to my FB feed, the latest foodie craze in San Francisco is the "sushirrito" which is... well, this. Who knew I was up to date with my popular food trends when I ordered my lunch? It was pretty good, if a little messy. And you had to concentrate a bit to taste the spicy tuna since the avocado was so amazing. I didn't use the sauce, but I did taste it out of curiosity after finishing my lunch. It was a type of flavored mayonnaise? I'm glad my food didn't need it because I'm not a fan of mayo. Ew.

Overall, we'd definitely go back. Their menu has lots of options and they all looked appetizing, their waitstaff is really nice, and the atmosphere is great. Plus, it's a far enough walk from work that you feel like you're getting exercise. *grins* Which might be negated by the fact that Yuko is on the same block as Milk Jar Cookies and we swung by after to pick up giant gourmet cookies...

Foodie Adventuring // Bruxie in Brea Downtown

 

Last Friday, Steph, Charity, and I went out to Bruxie for dinner in Downtown Brea. It was one of the places that Steph said we had to go to if I ever visited her in La Mirada. And since I was in town, staying at her place for the weekend...

 

We left for Brea after Charity got home from work and changed, around 7:30 PM. *grins* You know you've got awesome friends when they know that you want to get there before the sun sets in order to take pictures.

 

Brea Downtown is a happening place. There were people everywhere when we arrived, although thankfully no line at Bruxie's. Charity knew she wanted the Pastrami, but Steph and I stood at the register and stared at the menu board for a while, trying to make a decision. The girl behind the counter didn't seem to mind too much since there were no other customers waiting behind us. Eventually, Steph went with the ever-popular Chicken, and I took a chance with Lox.

 

Being the foodies that we are, we split our waffles into thirds and traded all around. This IS why we have friends, right? 

Hot Pastrami Bruxie: Boar’s Head Pastrami with Gruyere, Cider Slaw, Spicy Brown Mustard & Half Sour Pickles. This is definitely one of those waffles that is a little messy and falls apart when you try to eat it. While the pastrami itself was good, with just the right amount of salty {although Steph said it was a little too salty, so be forewarned}, I think I liked the waffle part of this one better by itself. The gruyere, coleslaw, mustard combo on crispy waffle was amazing.

 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffle: Chili Honey and Cider Slaw. This one. We get why it's their best seller now. This one was my favorite by far. Just try it.

Smoked Salmon Lox & Dill Cream Cheese: Michele Cordon Bleu Cold Smoked Salmon with Herb Cream Cheese, Cucumbers & Chives. A quirkier California take on a New Yorker's stereotypical breakfast. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my dinner... just that it was eaten at the incorrect time of day. Not going to lie, I probably should have ordered something that was a little more... substantial. I love lox, but I liked Steph's order more.

 

Strawberry Creme Brulee: Classic Vanilla Créme with Burnt Raw Sugar & Seasonal Fresh Fruit. Steph's little sister AND her mom recommended the Creme Brulee waffle as something I just had to try at Bruxie. I think we made the mistake of ordering it at the same time as our actual dinner waffles though, because by the time we got around to dessert, the waffle itself was a bit soggy. Which kind of decreases its awesomeness. It was good, yes, but maybe we'll have to return to try it when it's not cold and wet...

---

I wanted to include a photo or two of my lovely dining companions except... well, the entire block had a blackout as soon as we got our food. It was kind of funny actually because everyone on the block froze when the lights went out and didn't start moving again until the lights came back on halfway. When the lights went out again, for good this time, everyone was like, Ohhhkay. I guess we're calling it a night, and started clearing out of the area.

Since we had just gotten our food and the sun was still out {though setting fast}, we decided to stick around and eat while people-watching. Observations:

+ Those poor people who came streaming out of the movie theaters. We thought about how it must have been pitch black in there, but then we realized that everyone has smartphones now and can just turn on the flashlight app. So. Yay, technology?

+ People began rushing back to the parking structure once they'd made up their mind to leave. With the sun disappearing behind the horizon and no lights to brighten up the parking structure, we got the feeling that everyone wanted to find their cars before they couldn't see anymore. We were very glad we'd parked in another lot on the other side of the mall since our area still had lights.

+ We overheard a waiter tell the people behind us, I'm so sorry, but your waffle... is stuck in the iron. Would you be willing to wait for the electricity to turn back on or would you like a gift card? The three of us were probably more amused than we should have been over the probably-burnt-to-a-crisp waffle that was stuck in the waffle iron. Anyways.

I had fun catching up with these two girlies over dinner. I get the feeling that Steph and I might go back some other time to wander the rest of the Brea Downtown area, since we couldn't do that Friday {no lights} and maybe try something different at Bruxie while we're there. Either that, or we can try to make our own waffle sandwiches next time... Hmm...

Adventuring // San Diego Safari Park

 

This. We bought the tickets to the San Diego Safari Park in early May. We've been looking forward to this since before school ended.

 

Steph was kind enough to drive up to Westwood Thursday night and pick me up for the weekend. I got to spend Friday with her and her family: biking around Long Beach in the morning, going grocery-shopping with her and her mom in the afternoon, and dinner at Bruxie's with her and Charity in the evening. The entire clan is so sweet and welcoming; thanks, Steph's family, you're amazing!

 

After a nonsensical speaker phone call Friday night, in which Steph copy-pasted from her phone to her computer {think about it... think about it...}, we decided that she and I had to leave the house by 7:30 AM to get to the zoo around opening time. So. Early.

On the upside, we ended up making great time and got to the entrance about half an hour earlier than expected. The above is Steph's face when we texted the guys and found out they were still eating breakfast, twenty minutes away. Fine. Then we'll just go in without you.

She's eating a Guava Roll from Porto's if you were curious. Excellent breakfast of champions.

 

Reason #8942 Why This Girl is The Bestest: In the car ride to the Safari Park, I happened to mention that I hung out with a few other friends four days in a row earlier in the summer. Whoa. That's a lot. Yeah, but Steph, during the school year, I saw you basically every day for giant chunks of the day... Oh. That's true... I guess you can have other friends. But I'm the bestest, right? But, of course, dear.

She knows she's loved.

 

At the Animal Ambassador stage towards the entrance of the park, this guy was discussing armadillos and letting people see them up close. He posed for pictures with the armadillo, but I think this candid one is better than the one we posed for... Rawwwwr, Imma eatchu, human! It looks like it's launching itself at Steph's head. Heh.

Too much excitement. Sleepy armadillo. It's actually pretty adorable.

This girl. Master at mimicry. You should see her at the Huntington Gardens with bonsai trees.

 

Meerkats! I don't think they were super awake either. All the animals seem to still be sleepy at nine in the morning. This was the only meerkat people-watching when we walked by... and he lay down a second after this picture and took a nap in the sunshine.

 

You might need to click on this series of pictures to really get a good look at this pelican's elaborate morning routine. Steph said he was doing yoga. After spending the night sitting on a rock, I would guess your legs would be pretty asleep.

 

 

Hey look. The guys showed up around 10 AM, an hour after Steph and I got there, with Stephen's little brother in tow. He's the one not looking at the camera-- his picture-dodging skills are well-honed. Kid after my own heart.

Five seconds after we all met up, Steph realized that her ticket had gotten lost somewhere between the entrance turnstiles and where we were standing. So off she and I went to see if we could get a replacement ticket since it's needed to ride the tram. Didn't even stop to meet Timothy or explain where we were disappearing to... the guys apparently just shrugged, went to watch the meerkats, and eventually made their way to this rhino where they people-watched. Unfazed.

 

Guest services were able to reprint Steph's ticket, but we teased her about it the rest of the day. What are best friends for, if not to give you a hard time?

Also. Can I have a treehouse like that? 'Kay, thanks.

 

This is a Red River Hog. I'm not sure what the original purpose for that hanging thing is, but he was using it as a scratching post. He'd nose it so it rolled across one side of his back, then it'd circle around and roll across the other side. Smart piggie.

  

So. Fat. For some reason, Steph, Tommy, and Stephen just HAD to find the fattest animal in each exhibit and exclaim over it. This is the largest goat in the petting area. They're so fascinated with it. It was rather huge.

 

Every village playground needs a friendly longhorn/ox/buffalo art piece.

 

Elephant love! There was a baby elephant, too, that was super cute.

You should know that there is a lot of walking involved with wandering the Safari Park. We saw an awful lot of small children and pregnant women who didn't look too happy. Part of it could've been the heat, but the amount of walking probably didn't help either. So... just be forewarned.

Tommy had killed his ankle earlier in the week on the first day of Regen, and we had joked that we could get him a wheelchair and Steph could push it {which is dangerous. Cause it's Steph}. By the end of the day, not fully joking anymore. Recurring themes of this zoo trip? Steph's lost ticket, ALL the pudgy animals, and long-term borrowing someone's stroller/wheelchair.

 

Unlike those around me, I wouldn't say this warthog is ugly. Cause it's not really. What I will say is that it needed a major haircut. Not sure how one would go about accomplishing that, though, since I don't think it would take kindly to "Hello, Mr Warthog, if you could just stand still for a moment while I shave the hair on your back..."

 

You know how Ron Weasley freaks out in the second Harry Potter movie and says, "Why spiders? Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies'?" Yeah, Steph wouldn't be too delighted about that option either. There was a section of the Safari Park that was full of flowers and very attractive to butterflies. I'm pretty sure Steph ran through that entire section.

Our first time on the tram, the giraffes started running across the field and once the giraffes start running, everybody starts running. Since giraffes are so tall, they can see a lot farther than everybody else and are therefore used as nature's warning system to the other animals.

Notice everyone on alert here.

Giraffes are awkward when they run.

THEY HAD A BABY RHINO. He's about six months, six hundred pounds. And so cute.

 

We specifically planned our trip so that it occurred after the lemur exhibit opened. Zoboomafoo? Yeah, we're fans.

However, we were a bit disappointed. We had to sanitize our hands before entering and were required to wash our hands again after leaving the exhibit even though we touched nothing... Which might have been totally fine and worth it if the three lemurs in the exhibit had even been awake. Nope. They were sprawled out, fast asleep, when we walked through. Sigh.

 

This is everyone walking up to Condor Ridge. The view is pretty amazing up there. And one of the birds had its wings spread out for ages, just sunning itself. My goodness, their wingspan is massive.

 

Coming back down from there, we came across this lovely deer, just hanging out, eating greenery, no fences. It was very people-friendly, in that it didn't really care when a crowd started to gather and people started getting closer and closer to take pictures. One woman was within touching distance of its head, and it just kept munching. Impressive, I guess?

By this point, we were all pretty tired of walking around, but not entirely ready to leave yet. So we decided to see if we could ride the tram again, even though the attendants had already marked our tickets the first time around. Turns out, you can!

The other four knocked out pretty fast, basically as soon as the tram started moving, and stayed that way until we had to get off. I took more pictures, but this time with Stephen's DSLR, so I can't show you those. Once we got off the tram, we were pretty done, so we headed out to the car to go to dinner and then back to Westwood.

 

This is the best and only group picture we got all day. I have a lemur on my head. It's pretty great.

--

Notes/Tips on San Diego Safari Park:

+ Parking is ten dollars per car. Getting a close parking spot isn't hard, but there's a tram for those who did park farther out if you don't want to walk from your car to the entrance. Which seems strange to me, since you're going to have to walk around inside anyways. What difference is that extra five minutes?

+ DON'T LOSE YOUR TICKET. You need it to ride the tram inside. Unless you didn't want to ride the tram anyways. In which case, go ahead, lose your ticket.

+ Don't wear impractical shoes/clothing/things that will give you a funny tanline. Because it does get hot during the day and you're doing a lot of walking in areas with very little shade. You will live for the spots where mist is spraying over you. {I was going to say misters, but that sounded really strange... What IS the proper term for those things?}

+ Bring water or something else to drink. If not into the park with you, then at least have it in your car. Steph and I brought food and stuff to drink, so we all got our hands stamped for park reentry, went out to the car, and ate lunch outside the entrance in the shade. Tommy took a nap while we tried to see how many leaves and twigs we could place on him or in his pockets before he woke up.

+ Bring quarters and shiny pennies! Because there are smooshed {smushed?} penny machines all over the park. I was excited.

+ Go with people who don't mind wandering. The park is pretty spread out with lots of different trails that could potentially take you to the same area, so explore! That's why you went to the zoo, right?

+ I have no pictures of the okapi, but they're amazing. Tommy and I wanted to take one home. And for forty dollars, you kind of can. There is a giant plushie of an okapi in the gift shop. Very soft.

+ It's apparently flamingo egg season because there was a zookeeper who was waiting for the flamingos to stand up so she could use her binoculars to see if (1) there was an egg under them and (2) if there was an egg, what's the ID number on the bird. That's something they probably didn't tell her about in the job description.

+ The right side of the tram is the one that's perpetually in the sun, so if you were looking to sit in the shade during your ride, that's not the place. Also, if you have a larger group, see if you can sit in the section that's connected to the driver. There are a couple of rows that face backwards in that section so you can all sit together.

+ The cheetah show is okay. If you're not a fan of crowds, this isn't for you, because it feels like everyone in the park gathers into that small area to watch the cheetah run at 3:30 PM. We saw a few people standing at the top of the elevator platform near the lemurs... They not only had an aerial view of the entire run, but they had shade and misters {seriously. What's the technical term?}. I'm not sure if they could hear the commentary, but they did have a decent view.

+ There are thorny bushes along a bunch of the pathways in the park. Don't push/hip-check your friends off the trail. That's not nice. No matter how tempted you are.

Love these kids. Say it every time, but that's because it's true. I have a bunch of pictures of them I didn't include here, but just know that we're a goofy bunch when we get together. I'm thankful for them and hopefully our next adventure happens soon! A month and a half of not seeing them is not okay when we're used to seeing each other every day...