NOTE: see the bottom of Sunday's Site posts for homes for sale in the area
You know it's the end of summer when daycare programs shut down for a few days for 'back-to-school cleaning'…especially noticeable in our family because that means daycare isn't available for our grandchildren…a perfect time for a trip to the zoo!
The Twin Cities is lucky to have two great zoos…the smaller and more intimate 'free' Como Zoo in St. Paul and the expansive Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Both are great fun, but since the Como Zoo is very close to the Minnesota State Fair, which opened the day we went, we didn't want to face the crowds and the Minnesota Zoo was the winner.
We arrived early when it was still pretty quiet, but it filled quickly…with what appeared to be many taking advantage of family memberships. I purchased a grandparent membership good for a year…it is open year round and will more than pay for itself in just two visits!
We had two young tour guides reading the map for us as we navigated this 500-acre natural setting with nearly 3,000 animals in over 500 species. Its vision was born more than 40 years ago with the radical concept of open exhibits in natural habitat settings with glass partitions or other security barriers instead of steel bars traditional in zoos at that time.
The focus of the Minnesota Zoo has been on education programs and animals that that are considered threatened or endangered since it opened in 1978. Over 331,000 people participate in its education programs each year, and the zoo participates in 23 Species Survival Plan programs. It is a world leader in tiger conservation, currently working with two national nature reserves in China to develop a long-term plan to restore habitat and prey species, with the goal of eventually returning them to the wild.
On this visit we rode the monorail, saw the bird show, visited the bears and cats, stopped at the aquarium and played on the playground…still leaving plenty more to see on our next visit. A good time was had by all!
Click here to see homes currently for sale in the area around the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, about 10 minutes south of the Mall of America. Please be patient while the link searches for the most current listings…click on the map to zoom in until you see icons on the dots, then pass your cursor over them for property information, click for property details.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email – HomesMSP.com
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