Africa

I would love to go on a photo safari to Africa. Besides having Victoria Falls and Mt. Kilimanjaro on my bucket list, I would love to see how the animals really live in the bush. When we go to the zoos here, animals are clean and well fed. I really doubt the animals look so healthy and clean in the bush. So, I would like to go. And if I save my money, I can go.....someday.....

So, the next best thing is to see the animals here in the US of A, and not the ones at the zoos, although I do want to go to the San Diego Zoo, which I have planned to see in the very near future.

I am thinking of animals where they roam free. And I have found spots. There is an animal park outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, which is awesome (more on that at a later day this week); there is Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, which is beyond words (more on that at a later day also); and there is Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

I have seen the advertisements for Busch Gardens for years, but never went. Boy, was I missing out. I am so enamored with the park that the next time I go, I am going to get an annual pass and then for one year I can go as many times as I want. The current prices are $79 for a single visit, and $168 for a year. If I go more than twice a year, it will pay for itself. And I will go.

When you first enter the park, the crocodiles at the left are your first encounter with animals. Note, there are no cages. These animals have exactly what they need (water, sun, and food), so they are not a threat. Unless if you go inside the fence! But, who would do such a stupid act.

You could walk around all day without paying for extra side trips, but they advertised a safari. Well, I had to go on a safari. We boarded an open-air truck and went for a short ride.

We saw antelopes (right) just running around. What I imagine I would see on an African safari, but these animals don't have to worry about prey. They are Americanized.....

And Lions. Hard to see, but the lion with the mane is sitting down, watching us humans ooh and ah over his beauty.

One of the highlights was getting up close and personal with the giraffes. Here, the guide is letting the giraffe eat the lettuce from his shoulder. We all had a chance to feed the lettuce by hand. It was so much fun! and we could feel the giraffe's fur. Soft.







But there was more to do besides the safari. There was music played at different venues, and there was an obstacle course for those who like to climb and fall.

Here the boys are feeding wallabies and kangaroos. Wallabies are smaller than kangaroos.

And my all time favorites are penguins. I could post 100 pictures of penguins, but I won't bore you with all the different poses I took. Here are a couple of my favorites

What an attitude!

There is something about animals, any kind of animal, that makes my heart go soft. I do not own a dog or a cat, but I do like animals. They all have a distinct personality like humans. Shoot, we are an animal. We just have a brain. But, I bet some of those animals have brains, too, they just can not communicate with us. Or maybe, we can't communicate with them!

Love the park, and the boys said they liked Busch Gardens better than Universal and Disney. Now, that is something to be said....

Until tomorrow...have a great day.