WDWDN Travel Reviews

We saw parts of Manhattan that we certainly would not have had the opportunity to see without the Gray Line Tour Bus.  The Uptown tour on our double-decker bus took us past Lincoln Center, Harlem, Central Park, Times Square, and so much more.  The Downtown tour took up through the Financial District, SOHO, Little Italy, Chinatown, Canal Street, and more.

There was so much to see, and we did not want to miss a thing.  The drivers were extraordinary as they maneuvered through the busy streets.  Both tour guides were knowledgeable about every aspect of the city.  The tours really were hop-on/hop-off adventures as advertised.  No one would be disappointed after either of these two tours.

Hello everyone, I’m here today to share my review for the St. Louis Zoo. I’m originally from central Virginia so when my family and I moved out here to St. Louis County, MO it was something new for all of us. One good thing about moving to a new city and state means new and exciting things to do! Sure if you’ve lived in one spot for a while or your whole life going to an area attraction isn’t all the special anymore, like I’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown so many times I know it like the back of my hand yes it’s still awesome but you’ve been there done that. Anyways back to present day here in St. Louis. Recently I had some family come from VA to visit and we went down to the zoo, I’ve been living here for 2 years now and hadn’t gotten to the zoo yet so it was a good opportunity  to visit.

It was a rainy cloudy day but it wasn’t a very heavy rain so we opted to still go (but with umbrellas and ponchos in hand!) We arrived early just after they opened so the parking lot and zoo was almost empty, and since it was raining it was a very quiet day there. The St. Louis zoo is spread out in Forest Park so it has a very roomy park like feel to it. They also have several exhibits from the 1904 world’s fair that was held in Forest Park, the Flight Cage and some of the other houses on property are from the fair so it’s a bit of a history lesson but with the fun of animals.

The zoo is divided into five animal zones: the River’s Edge, which includes elephants, cheetahs, and hyenas; The Wild, which includes penguins, bears, and great apes; Discovery Zone, which includes a petting zoo; Red Rocks, which features lions, tigers, and other big cats; and the oldest part of the zoo, Historic Hill, which features the 1904 Flight Cage, a herpetarium, and primate house. A sixth zoo zone, known as Lakeside Crossing, features several dining and retail options.

It was very cool seeing the new Sea Lion Sound exhibit they’ve recently added. Sea Lion Sound has above ground viewing areas and a tunnel underneath the water that you can watch the Sea Lions and Seals swim right over head, it was awesome! I’ve heard on weekends though you can expect quite a wait to enter the tunnel.

The Penguin house is really neat and very very cold! It makes you feel as if your right in the arctic with them.  It finally stopped raining and a bunch of the animals finally made their way out from under their shelters to soak up some of the sunshine that had finally started to appear.

We spent a whole day at the St. Louis Zoo and even ate lunch there at the Painted Giraffe cafe, the food wasn’t expensive as you would expect and it was very good. I would love to go back sometime and see their holiday lights event and their Halloween event they have.

Till next time!!

One trip to the San Diego Zoo will have you chanting, “Pandas and cheetahs and koalas, oh my!” Of course lions and tigers and bears also reside in the zoo so you won’t be disappointed. San Diego Zoo is an absolute must do if you are traveling in Southern California. This world renowned zoo is amazing! This size of the zoo is unbelievable. We only visited one day, but if you or your children love animals, you could easily spend multiple days exploring and learning about hundreds of birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, insects, and even animals that are now extinct. We chose to just meander around using the map as a guide. We should have started with a bus ride. The Guided Bus Tour is a 35-minute tour on a double-decker bus covering about 70% of the San Diego Zoo. This would have been a great way to get an idea of the layout of the park. We truly had no idea of the size so we walked and walked and walked. We could have hopped on an Express Bus to travel from one area to another. Again, we walked. Clearly you need to pack some comfortable shoes when you visit the zoo. By walking, however, we were able to take time for the little details. The absolute most amazing sight involved a dog and a cat. Doesn’t sound too exciting until you consider the cat was a cheetah. These Animal Ambassadors are unlikely pairs.

You may find a cheetah and a golden retriever on exhibit together. You may see a cheetah with an Anatolian Shepherd. We had the unique experience to see the dog and cheetah outside of the exhibit…walking right past us! As we entered a path we were told to step back. Soon after, a cheetah walked past us on a leash-actually on two leashes. It was so cool! Where else are you going to see a dog and a cheetah walk right past you? Later that day our favorite animals were elephants, polar bears, koalas, pandas, and the tiny spider monkeys. There are so many unique animals to see that you lose track of time just observing a single exhibit. Like I said you could go back day after day after day. With special tours and behind the scenes programs, camps for children, and even facilities for weddings and social events, the San Diego Zoo has it all. You can even revisit the animals at home with live cams and videos on the zoo website. San Diego Zoo is like no other zoo that I have ever been to. A visit will be an adventure you won’t soon forget.

If you ever get the chance to go to Southern California, there is one excursion for your must do list: Whale Watching. It is an experience that will utterly amaze you because no trip is ever the same. You never know what you might see out on the open ocean.

Newport Landing Whale Watching was just a short drive south of Anaheim, CA and Disneyland. The beach parking lot was about a 10 minute walk from the check in office on the dock. There are quaint shops and restaurants in the area to explore before or after your ocean excursion. There are whale excursions seven days a week all year long. Depending on the time of year, you may see the California Gray Whales annual migration, Blue Whales, Finback Whales, Humpback Whales, or Mink Whales. You may also see large pods of dolphins including Common, Bottlenose, Pacific Whitesided, or Rissos dolphins.

On our particular trip we saw a mother Finback Whale that was 70-80 feet long and her calf. They were so close to the boat that when the larger one blew out her blowhole, she sprayed those of us in the front of the boat. The captain joked that we were all “baptized” by the whale. We saw them feeding with their enormous mouths. We watched them for a long time as they came right next to the boat to check us out. The captain narrated with some information as we watched and photographed these amazing animals.

On the way back to the dock we spotted a pod of about 20 Common Dolphins. They were incredible as they darted around the boat. WOW they are fast!! It was a great way to end the outing. The Newport Landing Whale Watching website includes prices and times, a whale count information for school and company trips, whale and dolphin information, directions, and contact information. It was really one of the coolest things we did on our trip to California.

I will be recommending it to everyone I talk to about my trip. One word of caution though, there were a few guests who got seasick on the excursion so make sure you are prepared for that if you happen to get some rough waters on the ocean. Luckily, my family and I thought the ride was awesome and would take the trip daily if we could. Too bad we live smack dab in the middle of Illinois. Next time we go to Southern California, Newport Landing Whale Watching will still be a “must do” for us.