All Creatures Great and Small

Friday, July 2—Day 5

Today we all had a bit of a sleep in so we would have the energy to be on our feet all day at the National Zoo. We eat a fantastic buffet breakfast here at the hotel and then head off to catch the Metro to the zoo. The girls learn how to read a Metro map and purchase tickets. It's fun to teach them another life skill. We stop at a Lebanese deli and buy sandwiches to eat for lunch at the zoo. In addition to the sandwiches we have plantain chips from our welcome basket of fruit, drinks, and treats delivered by Uncle Paul yesterday!

We arrive at the zoo and buy a map to find our way around. The zoo is beautiful and shady with wide brick paths. Because the zoo is part of the Smithsonian, there is no entrance fee. I have to say that this zoo is one of the best expenditures of our federal taxes that I've ever seen. We see people from every walk of life at the zoo and all of them are enjoying the experience.

We head down the Asian Trail to see the pandas that Olivia has been talking about for so long. When we find the pandas they are enjoying a nice mid-morning nap, but Olivia is thrilled just to watch them turn over now and then. The pandas are larger that we thought they would be.

Another highlight at the zoo is the Bird House. We see birds from all over the world in gorgeous habitats. The information room is staffed by a knowledgeable and patient woman who is happy to answer all our questions and pulls out many eggs and feathers for us to look at and touch.

The day is warm, but not too humid. We are thankful for the shade and for the cool misting stations.

We walk all the way to the far end of the zoo to see the Amazonia House and are rewarded with the opportunity to view amphibians that we had never heard of up close and personal. The study room in the lower part of the exhibit has many displays of amphibians that are extremely rare and unusual. We spend almost an hour looking at the salamanders, frogs, and other rare creatures.

After leaving the Amazonia House we get frozen lemonade to refresh us then head for the Great Cats exhibit and see stunning tigers and majestic lions. Leaving the Great Cats exhibit we see zebras and make a detour to see the cheetah.

We leave the zoo just before it closes at 6:00 p.m., walking with sore feet and sapped energy. Just before going to the Metro we decide to have dinner in order to reduce the amount of walking necessary to get back to the hotel. After dinner we catch the Metro and the get a taxi from the last stop to our hotel.

Marshal and the girls head to the pool to swim, while I repack the suitcases for our departure to Charlottesville then get a shower. We're all just happy to have our shoes off!

Tomorrow we get to see Uncle Paul and visit Monticello—the adventure continues!