San Diego is definitely full of family fun and adventure for all ages. A very popular destination within San Diego is the San Diego Zoo. Located only a few minutes from downtown San Diego and easily accessible via our hotel shuttle (most hotels have shuttles to the zoo), it was a convenient stop on the MamaBuzz Road Trip, not to mention a blast for the guys while I was busy at Blogher ’11. Dan is starting to work with me some, so he was excited to take the boys and just enjoy spending some time with them.When you visit the zoo, there are several areas you’ll want to visit, including the following:

• Discovery Outpost
• Lost Forest
• Panda Canyon
• Polar Rim
• Asian Passage
• Elephant Odyssey
• Urban Jungle
• Africa Rocks
• Outback

When visitors first enter the park, their pics will be taken with one of 2 different animal statues. The pics are a paid option, which we opted out of. However, Dan was allowed to take pics with our own camera.

Dan and the boys skipped over Panda Canyon, as there was a huge line, but they were able to visit several other areas, even riding Skyfari and taking the Bus Tour. The Bus Tour is a must because it shows a LOT of the park, goes around the entire park, and gives visitors a layout. It’s 35 minutes long but well worth the time, also telling the history of the park. Dan’s bus driver grew up in the zoo as a kid and actually had a show on Animal Planet in the past. He was hilarious and knew so much history, that he made the tour truly come alive. The Skyfari is a great way to hop from side to side of the park. Visitors will catch great views of the zoo as they take a relaxing ride, getting off their feet for a few minutes (there’s a lot of walking at the zoo….a good thing, though).My boys have always been fascinated with snakes and bugs, so it was no surprise that their favorite parts of the zoo were the Reptiles and the Bugs….including a Burmese Python and a huge spider! Meerkats were available, posing for the cutest pictures ever! They’d stand up on top of the post, searching for predators. They’re so cute, kinda makes me want to watch Meerkat Manor. Dan’s favorite animals were the otters, watching them swim through the water and play with each other, twisting, turning, gliding through the water. There were two amphitheaters, featuring animal shows, but none were running during our visit.

If you want to eat while at the zoo, we’d probably advise packing snacks, just to cut down on costs. The cost of an average meal is about $7, though there are a variety of places and stands to eat. Dan and the boys actually ate at Poppy’s Patio, where they ate kid’s meals, including cheeseburgers, apples, animal crackers, Pirate Booty (cheese puffs), and chocolate milk. There were healthy choices, plus the food came in a reusable carry bag (an awesome green concept because the boys can use those bags over and over now). There were water fountains galore, making it easy to refill bottles. There were also places to buy beverages, including alcohol. You can definitely buy souvenirs, as there are plenty of retail shops, as well.

The guys found plenty of photo opps and had a great time. You can purchase 1-Day Tickets for $40 (adult) and $30 (child). Be sure to plan your visit before you go, so you’ll have time for everything your family wants to see.

Dan’s impression of the zoo? It was very clean, animals were well taken care of, seemingly very happy….zoo workers were very helpful, helping visitors with any questions asked….there was tons of info about the animals….etc. He and the boys really enjoyed their experience, and I can’t thank the San Diego Zoo enough for sponsoring our visit.

Just one more note….I’ve heard so many awesome things about the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, I’m anxious to visit next time we’re in San Diego!

(Disclosure: We received 2 tickets to the San Diego Zoo, free of charge, as a part of the MamaBuzz Road Trip. All views/opinions remain solely our own.)