Rest,
relaxation, and rejuvenation are words to live by. These things can be
accomplished by engaging in fun activities. It’s National Zoo and Aquarium
Month; visit your local zoo and aquarium or travel to a city you’ve never been
to.
Do you have
a fond memory of visiting a zoo or aquarium? As a young child, my brother and I
traveled with our grandparents every year. One year it was a trip to Arizona
for a convention that my grandmother attended. While there, we visited the
Phoenix Zoo. I was around nine years old.
The best
part of the zoo visit was riding the open car train. It was on tracks, but more
like a covered car with open sides, that could hold about 25 people. The tour
guide described the sights as we moved from one to the next going at the speed
of a sloth. I took pictures with my very own camera that held Kodak film.
One click,
two clicks. I took pictures of a long-horned rhino, a giraffe eating lunch, and
the face of the person across from me, who moved into my camera view. As I moved
to take one more picture, my arm bumped something, and my camera flew out of the
open side of our tram car.
I yelled to
my grandfather, “Daddy Bob, my camera fell out.” The train kept moving. My
grandfather jumped off the train from an open side, ran a few feet to retrieve my
camera, then jogged to catch up. He grabbed a side of the train and hopped back
aboard with my memories tucked in the pocked of his suit coat.
A visit to
the Phoenix Zoo from over 40 years ago is still etched in my memory, the animals
as well as almost losing my camera.
After having
children, the zoo has been one of our favorite places to visit. Last summer as
we were thinking of things to do during COVID, my son said, “Let’s go to the
zoo. We haven’t been in years.”
During that
summer, our excitement took us to the Toledo Zoo and he Detroit Zoo. Next on
our list is a visit to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA and one day, the San
Diego Zoo.
What’s a
favorite zoo or aquarium that you’ve visited? Where will your travels take you
this summer? Remember to build in time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.
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