Sunday at the Zoo

We decided that Sunday might be the best day for our family to visit the zoo with Bella.  We had gift certificates that expired in less than a month, so we headed out for a day of fun, or an attempt at fun.  It didn't start out so great, as it was sunny and in the sun Bella refuses to keep her head up.  So the first few exhibits were not witnessed by Bella, no matter how much we tried to pull up her head.  But we finally had luck in the monkey house, which was thankfully inside.  Bella immediately put her head up, and while she paid more attention to all the kids around her, she did notice the very noisy chimp.

Next stop was out to the elephants, and again Bella would  not look up.  So we decided to turn back around and try the carousel.

Bella enjoyed it, although I think that was because she got to lay down with her head upside down, more so than being on the ride.

Then it was time for ice cream, which was the highlight of our trip.  Maybe next time we should just go to the custard shop for a family outing!  This was the first time I had seen Bella eat a lot of ice cream, and by a lot, I just mean 10 spoonfuls or so.  Meanwhile Jesse and I polished off some large waffle cones.
And lastly we rode the train.

Bella enjoyed the ride, and would get big smiles when we went through the dark tunnels, a nice break from the bright sun.

All in all in was a okay time, although it might be best to try again on a cloudy day, as maybe then Bella would actually get to see the animals.  I was a little surprised at how expensive the zoo was.  It would have been a big disappointment for us if we actually had to spend our own money on the excursion.  I imagine that some of the larger families that were there, enjoying all the rides and food, probably dropped a $100 or more.