Today we went as a family to Chester Zoo. Yesterday we purchased a year’s membership, and chose today for our first visit of the year. There will be several more. The kids love it, and once you are a paid member the visits are free, apart from food and gift shop visits after. (And even they are discounted!) It’s great value if you love animals.
We left Greater Manchester in pouring rain, and drove for a solid 15 miles before there was any lifting. Around 20 miles from Chester, the rain stopped quite suddenly, and we were looking at blue skies decorated with some delightful clouds.
The zoo was packed. I mean absolutely beehive busy with people. We arrived reasonably early and were parked at the back end of zone C, on the grass with a long walk to the main entrance. Luckily, we brought our legs with us. (I also brought a backpack full of rainy weather gear and a big fat camera. Not as big and fat as some other photographers.)(This isn’t a mine’s bigger than yours kind of thing.)
Inside, we passed through the gates quite quickly and were treated to a fantastic day. Today, the animals were all out and co-operating with us. Elephants, lions, giraffes, donkeys, camels, vultures, and most animals were out and about enjoying the day and waiting for food, I suspect. The sloth posed for one of his usual action pictures, like a sack of fur sleeping at an improbable angle on a rope high above us. The enclosures all look spacious and clean, and there was no pacing and prowling that sometimes happens in smaller places. The animals all appeared happy and well fed, and the zoo has strong links to conservation organizations around the world. Staff are informative and always happy to talk to visitors.
Dwayne, who is 3 years old and fascinated with all kinds of creature, was calling a halt at every single display, cage, video, sound, animal, poster, bird or bug. He loved it. We managed to see about a third of the zoo by the time those legs we brought with us began to run out of energy. Seeing the penguins get their food gave us an idea, so we recharged a little at June’s food court, with some of the tastiest burgers ever. After eating, the kiddles wanted to head outside to play in one of the big playgrounds. Andrea challenged herself to climb the biggest slide on the ladders and conquered her fear. She is getting plucky!
After a brief play, we carried on our adventure round the world with chimpanzees, otters, the aquarium, and a whirlwind tour of Madagascar. The final stop was in the gift shop, where Dwayne and Andrea pillaged the store and left us to pay. (They were actually quite kind to us, and we came home without having to talk to the police or the bank.) Until next time, we leave with memories of a brilliant day out. See you again soon!
