Let’s Look for Mudhens at the Toledo Zoo
This week a tragedy hit our home. Okay, so it was a MINOR tragedy and maybe “tragedy” is being used too loosely. Our son’s girlfriend, Savanna, was moving something in the basement and her commemorative shot glass from Tony Packo’s restaurant shattered. So what can do two travel junkies do to help? Why, we use this as an excuse to go on a road trip, of course! Come along and let’s look for Mudhens at the Toledo Zoo.
The Logistics
Okay, we know that you don’t HAVE to go to the zoo to get a new shot glass from Tony Packo’s but they are BOTH in Toledo. And in case you didn’t know it, we are certified “zoo-thusiasts”, so it seemed like a thing we should do. Since Toledo is less than an hour and a half from our home in Michigan, prepping for the trip was pretty easy:
- Get gasoline
- Get McDonald’s
- Drive south.
The Arrival
The weather was just perfect to spy some active animals – cool but not cold and a little overcast. Tickets are normally $31 a person and parking is $11. With our crew, it would have cost us $137 to get in but two things worked in our favor.
- Veteran’s get in for free! (Thank you, Stephen, for your service.)
- Since we are members of Detroit Zoo, our purchased tickets were discounted 50%!
Our actual total to get in the door? $54! Man, I love a good deal!!
Up First – It’s for the Birds
This is one of three bald eagles that were injured and brought to the zoo to live out their lives. We read on a sign by their enclosure that their wings can span 8 feet! We could also observe them on this fancy “bird bench”. I wonder if we need one of those for the house.
The Aviary
With the weather being a bit cool, we were more than happy to spend time in the nearly tropical aviary.
The Aquarium
With a shark tank, a sea turtle and more than 3,000 other critters on display, this aquarium could be its OWN thing. But let’s not tell anyone!
The House of Slitherin’
Hands down, the Reptile house is ALWAYS my favorite part of the zoo. But usually, these scaly beasts are crammed in an old, slightly odorous space, that is jammed with children and strollers. But this space was as nice as a lodge and we were almost the only people there.
Monkeying Around
We hit the jackpot when it comes to apes and monkeys. I don’t know if it was the cooler weather or just coming early in the day, but we had so much fun monkeying around with these guys.
Other Fun Friends
We had so many great, close encounters walking around. Believe it or not, I cut down the number of pictures I WANTED to share.
Mamas and Babies
And Finally…Tony Packo’s
After three miles of walking, we were ready for some lunch. So finally, we made it over to Tony Packo’s – you know, the whole reason we got to go on this fun adventure. Not only do that have world famous hot dogs, the walls are covered in autographed hot dog buns and memorabilia from the television show, M*A*S*H*. Our booth was right under Bill Clinton’s buns.
So…was it a Successful Trip?
Let’s look at the stats:
- Hours on the road: > 3
- Cost for admission: > half
- Cute animals observed: > 3,000
- Cute animals photographed: >100
- Hot dogs consumed: >4
- Shot glasses purchased: 1
- Mudhens found: 0
Even though we didn’t find any Mudhens, we consider this a successful trip especially when you factor in that we got to spend the day with our kids.
We want to thank all of you for joining us on our trip to the Toledo Zoo. If you too are a Zoo-thusiast, check out our collection. If you haven’t already, consider joining our pack and for a real time peek of what we’re up to, you can always follow us on Instagram at The__Travel__Oracle.
