Vacation, part II: Portland

I’m so thankful that my husband grew up in Oregon: otherwise, I never would have discovered how cool the northwest is.

Whenever we’re out there visiting family, we have a few things that we ALWAYS try to do, like visiting Portland, going to a Moonstruck Cafe, and hitting a new (to us) winery to see what’s on offer.

This year, we had the chance to go to the Portland Zoo.  Now, I haven’t been to a zoo since I was a kid, partly because I wasn’t sure how my empathetic adult self would feel about seeing animals out of their natural habitat.  I know, I know: zoos aid in preservation and species re-population, and they are wonderful educational resources, but still, not my ideal.

But mostly, I enjoyed the Portland Zoo. (except the elephants: please give them toys so they aren’t so miserably bored!)

Some highlights:

Spotting Lani Taylor.  No, I didn’t ask for an autograph, but it was still SO COOL to see her there.
The otters.  Oh. My. Gosh.  So cute!
The very sleepy bobcat.

But the coolest part?  The African Predators section, where I fell in love with a lioness and watched a cheetah try to eat a small child through the glass.  Click to view slideshow.

What about you?  Favorite zoo memories as a child (or an adult)?  And what do you think about zoos in general?