Houston Zoo

Before coming to Houston I had looked up stuff to do, but never got to really look into what each attraction had to offer. I just looked up what sounded like fun, and what we could do for free.

Our first full day in Houston we went to the Houston Zoo. It is located in the huge Herman Park. We were able to get into the zoo for free since they allow military members, and up to 4 dependents, in for free. Parking was free too! We went on a day that a million other schools went too, or at least it seemed like a million other schools. There were 20 or more school buses there. And though it was extremely congested at the entrance of the zoo, once inside there was plenty of space to move around. We saw elephants:

Cheetahs, which Yahaira was super excited about since that is her favorite animal. It was neat for her to be able to see one in real life, especially after she did a lap book all about cheetahs:

We saw lots of monkeys. This guy was the most colorful of them, and his but was just as colorful as his face!

The zoo has plenty of beautifully shaded areas. Look at the size of these old oak trees! They are awesome climbing trees...makes me wish I had those around my house to climb.

There are  statues of animals scattered throughout the zoo, and of course kids love to climb on them. The statues are located in the corresponding live animal's area.

I did not realize there was a carousel there. The kids enjoyed it, but at $2.50 a pop, we let them ride only once each.

The zoo also had an awesome splash pad. It is located in the back of the zoo, in the children's zoo, past the carousel. It is free to play in. It has changing rooms located in the area, and there are places to sit, some in the shade others in the sun. Swim wear is not required, but swim diapers are for babies and toddlers. Since we did not know about this little gem, we did not bring swimsuits or towels into the zoo. I happened to have a few towels, and one of Yahaira's suitcases in the van still, so they were able to splash and play to their hearts content and then change into dry clothes.

Another added bonus is that you are allowed to take your own food into the zoo. We brought along a few snacks to keep the kids happy until we left for lunch. You can also get your hand stamped on the way out to allow for re entry later on in the day, just keep your ticket stub too!

We rented a wagon since we forgot our stroller at the hostel. It was reasonably priced, $11 for the day, and you got $1 back if you returned it at least an hour before closing.