Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Wildlights 2010 – Food Drive

It’s been a while since we have enjoyed the Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo for various reasons – cost, distance, and crowds.  Well, this year we piled into the car and supported the Columbus Zoo’s partnership with Columbus Parent Magazine food drive for Mid Ohio Food Bank.  What an awesome way to support the community and provide something needed while getting to enjoy an evening mesmerized by the beautiful lights. 

We arrived early enough to avoid the traffic on Sawmill Rd – which actually prevented my in-laws from getting there last year, to find a reasonable parking space, and to enjoy the lights and exhibits before the zoo was packed.  Sure we arrived before dark, but that gave us the opportunity to visit several of the indoor animal exhibits and make our way to the middle of the zoo.  So, when the crowd had arrived and we were ready to leave, we could enjoy the lights as we made our way – weaving in and out of congestion - to the front gate. 

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When we arrived there were lights lit but not all of them were on until 5:00 p.m. when Wildlights officially start.  These new LED lights were bright, vibrant, and beautiful to look at. 

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Our first stop was the polar bear exhibit, but you would have thought you were looking at brown bears. 

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I was amazed at the height of these various bears. 

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Mackenzie found her favorite.

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After visiting the polar bears in North America, we headed over to Asia Quest so we could see the new snake – Hannah, the late Fluffy’s daughter. 

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She definitely is not as big as her mother, she still had plenty of room in her enclosure.

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Then we headed to see the tigers because Odie so wanted to see the lions and tigers.  We did get to see the tigers up close because they were snuggled together in a corner at the glass.  Odie was excited to see them.

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This was as close as we could get to the lions.  They had the lions blocked/closed off – I guess they don’t like the cold.

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Then we made our way to Shores to see the aquarium and the manatees. 

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It was really cool because the manatees and other aquatic animals in their tank swam really close to the glass and Odie got so excited to see them, too.

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The lights were beautiful and the light show at the pond was nice too.  I am so glad we made time to go.

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