Today we stepped out of our comfort zone a bit, and tried out the zoo. We were a bit worried about social distancing, and wearing masks, but we ended up having a great time! The zoo is doing an amazing job handling things right now, it was impressive! FYI, parking is free, but entry isn’t cheap! We purchased an annual membership, which cost roughly $50 more than a one day visit would cost our family. This way, we can make multiple trips. My girls love the zoo!
In order to visit the zoo, everyone needs a timed ticket. At the entrance to the zoo, there are two lines, one for on the hour tickets and one for tickets on the half hour. We got the earliest tickets, 9:30 am. There are marks on the ground to ensure those waiting in line stay socially distant. Staff are on hand to direct each family to the correct ticket booth to gain entry. Only every other ticket booth is open to create more social distance. This entry is a masks-required area. Once inside the zoo, bathrooms and other close / indoor areas are mask-required zones. There are a ton of hand washing stations available too.
At this time the tram is not running, so everyone walks up the steep hill and then through the woods. It is a bit of a walk, but doable. We had the two younger kiddos in the stroller as Pebble hasn’t been around people much lately and they can scare her. Families did a decent job spreading out on the walk in and around the exhibits. Our first stop was an old favorite, the penguins!
We then headed toward the African area of the park. The boardwalk is initially two ways, but past the flamingoes it becomes a one way walk. This way, people are funneled in one big circle. It def helps keep the traffic down because the boardwalk isn’t the widest!
We took a brief look at the tortoise, before moving on to the zebras, rhino and ostriches. Rainbow couldn’t wait to see the zebras!
Due to our early arrival at the zoo, many of the animals were out and about. We got a great look at the cheetahs, porcupine and the lions. Pebble looked at the lions and said, “roar!”
Since our last visit, the area near the elephants / lions / giraffes has been redone, and it has a great flow! People could really spread out a bit here, too. Stormy was excited about seeing the giraffes, and there were 3 out and about. The elephants were also close to the fence. When we asked Pebble what an elephant sounds like, she said, “stomp, stomp!”
After the elephants, we saw the Okapi and then headed for the primates. The girls were thrilled to watch the monkey running through the tunnel over their heads!
At the ape house, you can go in, it is the only indoor exhibit open. You can also bypass it if you choose. There is a volunteer outside reminding people to mask up if you go in. We decided to go in and it was definitely worth it! There were two baby chimps and they are adorable!
After we finished our African journey, we checked out the Maryland experience. It was here that we saw how much work had been done to make the zoo safer during this pandemic. The bird nests that kids can climb in had been roped off, and the lily pads that kids can jump on in the aviary are closed. The bat cave is also closed as is the tree slide, and the turtles that spin are gone. We got a great look at the otters, and the girls jumped on the moving bridges.
In the farmyard, the goat petting area is closed as is the slide. Throughout the zoo, we saw signs everywhere saying to stay off the rocks and to stay socially distanced. We checked out the bears and then headed to the car. It was lunchtime, and Stormy wanted to eat lunch near the carousel, but more people were arriving, so we decided to do a car picnic. It was a fun time! Hubby and I wore our masks most of the time to be safe, and girls had theirs on and off. If you go, go early, bring masks and sanitizer. Also be patient. We waited at certain areas for people to move on in order to safely view the animals. Weekdays may also be a better option, less people. Happy trails!
