To be honest, camping has never really been that appealing to me. The thought of sleeping in hot tents, fishing for your own food and potentially getting mauled by grizzly bears doesn’t seem like the best way to spend my vacation. But when I heard that I would be camping out with my family in the San Diego Zoo, I was actually very excited because I love animals (as long they don’t think I’m food). Oddly enough, I’d rather sleep within half a mile of tigers, lions and cheetahs rather than have the slim chance of encountering a wild bear. Not to mention there was free food throughout the entire experience, and that’s always a plus.
So we started off the morning with only a couple of minutes to spare to catch the train to San Diego. I was reminded of that scene in “Home Alone” when they’re late for their plane, and my family must have looked just as silly. As soon as we got off of our train and arrived in San Diego, we hopped on our small, air-conditioned bus where we picked from an impressive selection of gourmet sandwiches. I had munched on a pesto, mozzarella and turkey sandwich before we arrived at the theater to screen “The Wild Life”, which was the official reason for this whole trip. “The Wild Life” is one of the most family-friendly films I’ve seen in recent weeks and is definitely worth watching if your family is having trouble deciding what they want to see.
As soon as we exited the theater, we hopped back on our shuttle and took a short drive to our next stop: the San Diego Zoo. I knew we were there before pulling into the parking lot because of all of the Pokestops I saw while playing Pokemon Go (I’m still addicted). After we hopped off the shuttle and sorted our camping supplies, we were sat down in a small theater where zookeepers answered our aching questions about “The Wild Life”. We want to know about all the animals that star in the movie, such as the parrot and echidna. Soon after that we boarded our private tour bus and explored the artificial habitats of a bunch of fascinating animals such as tigers, elephants and kangaroos. Finally, it was time to set up camp. Conveniently enough, the tents were all set up for us, so all we had to do was roll out our sleeping bags. A word of advice from my Eagle Scout father and I: the lighter you pack the better, and you’d be surprised to see how long you can make it with nothing but a sleeping bag and backpack.
Going on a bus Tour around the #sandiego #Zoo #thewildlife
After we had set up our bedding, we joined the others for dinner which included macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, burgers and a bouquet of cupcakes. Soon after dinner it was time for activities. The family and I ate s’mores by a campfire, and some brave individuals (myself being one of them) had a s’more with a meal worm as our garnish. The meal worm tasted like a weightless hot cheeto in case you were curious. After worm eating and campfires, it was time to make crafts out of used chip bags. I know you guys love the crafts on our site, but let me tell ya, we have skilled individuals handle those, and one of those skilled individuals I am not.
After a scavenger hunt throughout the night and one last tour as the animals slept, it was time for us to rest our bodies in our cozy tents. By morning we gathered our things and finished our trip with a complete breakfast before we sat down for one last presentation. The zookeepers introduced us to some of the predators they have on their grounds. At first they greeted the crowd and me to a pack of tamed wolves along with a humongous, white and fluffy dog. Things escalated quickly as they brought out a cheetah. I knew he was the real deal because two zookeepers held a leash for him, and it was the most thrilling part of the entire experience. I’m sure some of you would feel a particular rush if you sat down five feet away from a cheetah.
Finally, it was time to venture home. We took a bathroom break and gathered our things before hopping back on our shuttle to the train station. My family and I boarded our train and went back to where we came, the city of angels. During the four hour ride, I regathered images and thoughts of the fascinating journey I had at the San Diego Zoo as I looked across the blue Pacific coast. As soon as we got off of the train, we knew it was time to share our experience with you all.
Until Next Time
JJ King
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