Tyler, TX

Peter had a site visit in Tyler, TX on Monday so we decided to tag along and go to the zoo. It was quite cold but we had a good time.

Is that not one of the oddest looking birds you have ever seen.

I thought these birds were beautiful! Their color is so brilliant. (Scarlet Ibis)

The zoo had 5 rhinos and we found them all indoors. As you can tell by the boys' faces, it was really stinky but it was warm because it was indoors!

Joey seemed most excited about the giraffes. They are amazing!

There was an area called the East Africa exhibit and that is where the elephants, zebraz, ostriches, and lions could be seen. All of the animals were in the same open field like area but the lions were seperated by a large ravine. We can't have it be a completely natural habitat, that might be a bit much for the kids especially considering this is what the tables for eating overlooked. It was fun to watch the animals while we ate.

We went into this building a coupld of times, it was really warm. Arabella loved to watch the penguins. There was a really large aquarium with a ton of fish and trees with birds next to the penguins habitat. There was no glass or metal mesh so the birds were right there flying around. It was fun to watch.

Snack time: Jon is eating a "gramilla bar." That is how he says it.

Joey: spread cheese on all of the crackers and made a big sandwich with his cheese and cracker snack. Silly boy.

Arabella: Ooooo, raisins!

One of the best longhorns I have seen since living in this state of Texas.

My favorite part of hte zoo was the white tigers. There were two. One was white with black stripes and was laying on the ground the whole time. But this one was pacing around and sat staring at my kids like this for several minutes. It was all white with pale tan stripes you could barely see except on its tail.

Arabella really liked petting the tiny goats.

The kids did not seem to care that it was freezing they just wanted to play in the sand for a few minutes.

Thes were the sinks outside of the petting zoo. Pretty cool, huh?!

On the way home, we stopped at a Russell-Stover store and bought some chocolate. Arabella had a strawberry cream treat that she mushed all over her hand and then her face and hair. It was quite impressive. We also stopped at some outlets on our way home and I found some new jeans that I was in need of for a good price and I fit in a smaller size than I thought, happy day! Peter's favorite part of the trip was the BBQ that the site visit person recommended to him. It was a bit pricey but really good! Probably the best baked beans I have ever had! Thanks for letting us tag along Dad!