The Zoo

With all the illnesses we've had going around lately, combined with Joel's work schedule and cold winter weather (okay not as cold as it is for some of y'all I admit) we haven't "done" much lately in terms of weekend activities. So today we decided to take the kids to the Riverbanks Zoo, in Columbia, SC. This is a 95 mile drive south of here. The forecast for Columbia for today was mostly sunny and in the upper 60s, so we bit the bullet and made the hour and a half drive each way. The kids are not really used to long car rides since we don't stray too far from home these days. But they both did pretty well. Becca snacked the whole way down and slept the whole way back, and Ben was hyper and antsy on the way down (as one might expect) and for the most part quiet on the ride back since he was pretty tired. He whined for the last ten minutes or so but that was it.

The zoo itself was fun - lots of animals to see, as well as a carousel, play area and some other kiddie activities. It was chilly when we got there but warmed up quickly. Becca was very interested in looking at all the animals; Ben was always thinking ahead to the next animal he wanted to see instead of enjoying the one he was currently looking at. The only meltdown of the day happened in the reptile house; Ben got scared of the crocodiles and Joel had to pick him up and carry him (kicking and screaming) past them so we could continue through to the other exhibits. Becca looked a little bit concerned when she saw the elephants; otherwise she was very interested in and unfazed by all of the animals we saw.

Below you will find a slew of pictures. Enjoy.