School just ended on the 16th and I'm super excited for summer vacation. I've got a whole lot planned for July and then some at the end of August. Mostly, I'll just be relaxing in between--catching up on missed rest--and hopefully starting college applications.
Usually, I go to DC at least once a year to see the cherry blossoms. However, this year, I think they blossomed earlier while it was still too cold. There are many attractions, like museums, the National Mall, and the Capitol. This year, I decided to visit the National Zoo, which I had not been to in a few years.
We first walked through the Kids' Farm, a petting zoo, a popular place for me when I was younger. I snapped some pictures, but didn't stay long.
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| Favorite closeup |
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| Some alpacas |
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| Three goats chillin' on their playground |
The Zoo was a lot different than I remembered. The most stunning part of my visit was standing so close to a Roseate Spoonbill that I could pet it. I saw these pink creatures at the Amazonia. It was their feeding time, but I couldn't visibly see what they were eating.
A lot of ancient looking animals lived in the large tanks. However, I was more excited for the amphibians and fish in the smaller tanks. They were the strange and colorful ones, the ones giving the Amazon its fame.
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| What a pointy snout! |
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| Chubby golden poison dart frog |
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| Love the colors! |
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| Strange swimming apparatus |
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| Almost camouflaged |
We traveled upstairs to the outdoor version of the exhibit. The lush flora and calls of free birds and symphony of chirping insects gave me a real-life Amazonian experience. This is where I captured a Roseate Spoonbill more clearly and in its natural habitat.
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| 'majestic music playing in the background' |
After leaving the rain forest, I observed a variety of amphibians in their natural habitat.
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| I love poison dart frogs. |
We just strolled up the path looking at each exhibit along the way.
Next was the seal and its tricks. It would swim laps and flip onto to its back when it neared us.
These busy beavers were a new addition to the zoo. They were working hard on their dam.
These elephants were humongous compared to their caretaker!
Then came the most famous part of the zoo: the pandas! At first, they were all playing outside, so it was difficult to see them clearly, but then one came in to sleep.
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| He looks like a giant stuffed animal :3 |
The Bird House had many birds that I've never seen in person before.
I'm so lucky to have the experience of seeing peacocks in real-life--male and female. The male one was strutting his beautiful feathers for his human admirers. While I was snapping some pictures, he got into a squawking fight with a nearby macaw and scared some people.
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| the feathers on his head are cute |
Here are the birds that live outdoors.
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| so many flamingos |
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| It's feeding time! |
Next up was the Small Mammal House. This is where all the adorable animals live.
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| Look at those eyes! |
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| Just some more golden lion tamarins for good measure. |
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| Squirrel! |
And our final stop was the Reptile Discovery Center. Unfortunately, the Invertebrate Exhibit was permanently closed (actually in 2014). It featured aquatic and terrestrial species without backbones, and was my favorite place to visit.
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| Eep! Don't eat me! |
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| Why so grumpy? |
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| Where's the frog? |
I was so tired by the end of my exploration of all these different exhibitions and houses. However, I managed to still visit my favorite museum, the National Museum of National History. I didn't take any pictures because I had so many from previous trips. I focused on reading their highlighted section about the ocean and enjoying the Gemstones exhibit.
