Playing Catch Up! :: Trip To The Lou :: The St. Louis Zoo

In July, Ryan and I flew home for a wedding. While there we visited the St. Louis Zoo with my mom, sister, brother, and our dear friends The Rupperts! The St. Louis Zoo, located just outside the city in Forest Park, is the 3rd largest Zoo in the country. It's ranked as one of the best Zoos in the country. Oh, and did I mention it's FREE?! Even most of the parking is free if you're willing to walk a bit.  

Here are the highlights:

    

The metal sculpture is outside the Zoo, the garden is in it. 

My brother John. Ryan with Anikin. 

Walking on a trail surrounded by waterfalls and luscious greenery. 

Anikin and Kat making their way through a tunnel. The Ruppert Family. :)

This and the Stingray exhibit were my favorites.

Anikin watching the Hyena. 

Elephants! The mama and baby were having a lot of fun in the water. 

The Stingray and Shark exhibit! Very neat! You could pet and feed them.

My mom pet the big shark! :O

Margret learning how to feed the Stingrays.

Margret posing with the penguin. Haha

Ok let me explain the weirdness. So when Ryan and I first met back in '05 we went on a scavenger hunt in Forest Park with a group of people on our Campus Crusade Internship. One of the tasks on the list was to imitate a puffin. So Ryan volunteered and I snapped the picture with my old Cannon SLR film camera. We thought it would be fun to recreate that pic again. Hehe Glad to see my photography skills have improved! :)

Ah, nature, I miss you! Hibiscus flower, crane, butterfly & bee.

Giraffs taking cover in the shade. Anikin all tuckered out.

Although we didn't ride it, I still took a picture of the train that runs through the entire Zoo. 

My brother John with his favorite "animal." Reminds me of the scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Same kind of snake and everything! 

So what do you think?! How does it compare to Zoos you've been to?