Yesterday (Oct. 9, 2022), I spent the day with my youngest son and his family at the National Zoo. It is the first time in nearly 25 years that I have visited. I find zoos to be both intriguing and disappointing at the same time. I love the educational value of seeing exotic animals first-hand, but as is often the case, many exhibits are lacking. In this case, a lot of construction prevented some better viewing opportunities, and the number of animals simply not visible was very high. As someone who wanted to take quality photos, the barriers at many of the exhibits made this difficult — but I get it. The crowds were larger than I would have liked but not overwhelming, but the lack of discipline among American children was frustrating — pushy, rude, and loud. Enough of the negative.
Beautiful Autumn Day
We were very fortunate to get a clear, beautiful autumn day with temperatures in the mid-60s. This made walking around a pleasant experience. The Amazonia facility was quite warm (imagine that), but all in all a tremendous day for walking. The hills of the zoo make it a little challenging, but we completed 3.6 miles with very few seated breaks.
The Family
This day was all about spending time with my family, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The Animals
I went ahead and put together an album on Flickr. While access was a little restricted, I was able to get a few good photos (IMO).
