Today the nugget & I ventured out to the zoo. Before I go any further let me please explain that we moved to Austin knowing the motto was "Keep Austin Weird". We were not looking for a small town, cookie cutter, Leave it to Beaver neighborhood. We like things funky, fun, a little off the beaten path, and definitely not uptight & stuffy. Now back to my day...I decide to pack up the camera and head to The Capital of Texas Zoo. It is actually located in Cedar Creek, and I think it's safe to say it is in the middle of nowhere. (And I'm not just saying that cause I'm a lame-o when it comes to directions out here.) Don't expect big flashing lights or signs pointing the right direction. Considering my GPS pulled up 3 different locations while I checked the map I'd call it a great success that we made it. Hi-five!!
This is the sign leading to the road you must take.
Keep in mind this shot is from the opposite direction I was driving, so I never saw a thing.
Once you tun on said road this is your view.
I get all giddy when I think there's actually a ZOO out here.
Love this kind of thing!!
No joke!
This is on the front door & no one will be out to help unless you honk.
They made the sign for a reason folks, Honk Your Horn!!
The zoo itself is far from fancy. You obviously drive a dirt road to reach it, you have to honk so the owners can hear you from their trailer in the very back of the zoo, and the front entrance is nothing more than a run down little shack. Being that we look for different adventures, we were thrilled & knew this was going to be good.
There were all sorts of animals at this zoo. Some very traditional "zoo" animals such as a lion, and monkeys & various birds. They also have non-traditional "zoo" animals such as a million Guinea pigs, alligators & groundhogs. (So stinking cute!!) The animals are not in cages, but more like fenced off areas. Don't get me wrong, there were times when I thought to myself, "Seriously? This is all that is separating me from that wild lion?" Slightly terrifying, but fascinating at the same time.
You can get way closer to the animals that many zoos allow, and they sell cups of food at the entrance that you can feed to several animals. The trails to each exhibit are simply a dirt trail in the middle of a woodsy area. Probably not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs, but not a bad walk. There were several peacocks roaming the grounds, and I couldn't get over their beautiful colors.
Now, perhaps the best (or worst, depending on who you ask) part is that every now and then you'd see an animal walking down the same trails as you. Of course the birds had free roam, but then all of the sudden we spotted a goat crawling under his fence to get out. No big deal, the nugget thought it was super cute & luckily she still had food left so she was happy to give her a little snack. Then out of nowhere another goat starts trotting towards us.
Don't be fooled by his peaceful demeanor. He pranced right past me (pretty darn fast) and jumped on my daughter. I wasn't worried so much that he jumped on her, but all I could picture was him knocking her over and tackling her for her food cup. She almost peed her pants & started to run, but I quickly yelled, "Run & he'll chase you!" (Waaay funnier in my head than she thought it was.) He just wanted food, so if we threw food away from ourselves he'd go scavenger and leave us alone. Persistent & aggressive little sucker.
The Guinea pigs were a crowd pleaser for the nugget. Now she wants one of her very own. Not happening!
This mama had a tiny little baby latched on to her chest. Oh she was so cute & caring towards that little thing, but she was not a fan of the paparazzi. Mama would come over to the fence, like 2 feet in front of me, and sit up and just hug & love on her baby. She'd pat her back and cuddle her like the best of them! But the instant I raised my camera up she'd take off. "NO PICTURES!!" I don't blame her. She was just trying to be a good mama & I totally respect that, but I couldn't help but want to get a shot of the little love bug. Adorable!
Last but not least, there were a couple of zebra out in a field. We had tried to see them up close while we were exploring the zoo, but they stayed towards the bottom of the field near the shade. Once we left the zoo we walked over to the outside fence and snuck up for some zebra viewing. They were extremely cautious of us, and at first they ran circle, but they warmed up to us and walked over to the fence for a hello. Hands down my FAVORITE part of the day.
And if you're lucky you might get a cute little guy like this one trying to follow you to your car. He's totally on the wrong side of the fence, but once we told him to get back in his home he trotted over & dug through a hole to get back with his pals. It wasn't until I was over half way home that I realized I just missed my opportunity to make my husband a goat owner...one of his new goals in his new home of Texas!!
