Houston Zoo

Well we finally made it to the Houston Zoo today and it was lots of fun. P really had a good time running around and looking at all the animals and S was a little angel sleeping a good chunk of time in the stroller. Even when she was awake she didn't mind hanging out even though it was quite warm.

If you've never been before it really is pretty cool and I'm not really a zoo person. We left around 9am from Pearland and arrived about 20 min later so the drive is really short and there wasn't much traffic, not even when we entered the zoo parking lot. I do recommend arriving early so you can get a spot in the zoo lot, which is free, otherwise you'll be walking a long way for paid parking.

We only stayed for about 2.5 hours leaving soon after lunch and a quick stop in the gift shop for a toy for P. I think that was the perfect amount of time for a toddler and a baby, although we didn't see the whole zoo. But that wasn't the point, it was for P to enjoy herself and to see something new.

I think the best part is the children's zoo which includes a playground, a splash pad and petting zoo. If you've walked for a while and want a few minutes to catch your breath, the playground is perfect so your little one can keep going. Then when you need something different you can walk next door to the petting zoo to see some goats. And I was very impressed to see they had a hand washing station right outside the exit to the petting zoo for when you were done and needed to clean up. They even had step stools for the little ones. The carousel looked fun but we skipped it this time since it required another ticket purchase to ride and I'm not a fan anyway.

When it was time for lunch, a quick stop at the Macaw Cafe near the entrance and the gift shop is where we headed. Surprisingly the food was pretty good for zoo food. We got chicken and fries for P and we each had a hamburger. They had highchairs too and a few tables indoors with the a/c and plenty of other tables outside in the shade.

Although all the bathrooms were quite small they were still just large enough for me to maneuver the 29" wide double stroller around and they all had changing tables. They weren't the cleanest though so I'd recommend something like we have, a padded portable changing pad you can spread out. Then you only have to clean the outside of it at the end of the day but you know your kid is on a clean surface each time. I wish they had a few more bathrooms throughout the zoo but when we needed one it wasn't too far of a walk.

One cool little thing I noticed on our way out was a vending machine full of baby related items. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. There were pacifiers and diaper rash cream and other things that you can buy just in case you lose yours or just forgot something at home.

I certainly won't be coming during the summer but for the fall through the spring I think we're going to purchase a membership and spend lots of time during cooler weather. So overall it was a successful trip with the exception of our exit. You always know when P has had lots of fun by the temper tantrum she throws when it's time to leave. Today was a category 5 so she LOVED it!