As soon as we began planning our trip to San Diego with our daughter’s family, we knew the San Diego Zoo was one must-visit stop. Jenny and Josh have taken little June to their hometown zoo, the Oregon Zoo, several times in the past three years, and she enjoys every visit. Josh purchased two-day passes online, allowing us to visit on any day of our choosing during our week in San Diego, and we could visit both the Zoo and the Safari Park, located in Escondido, about 35 miles north of San Diego. The more we thought about it, though, we decided June would better enjoy two more leisurely days at the Zoo rather than a long drive and a generally greater remove from the animals at the Safari Park.

Our 15-minute drive to the Zoo on Monday morning proved easy, and we were able to park close to the entrance and its enormous leaping lion sculpture in the huge, nearly empty parking lot.

 We arrived just as the zoo opened its gates to the public with a flourish: several large, colorful parrots were released to fly across the large plaza just beyond the turnstiles. With the early hour and school back in session, we found lines short and pathways uncrowded throughout the park, allowing us close-up viewing of many of the inhabitants. We also discovered that many of the animals are fed early in the morning and are more active in the cooler air, so we got to observe a lot of activity. Koalas munched their eucalyptus leaves, giraffes fed from baskets of vegetation placed high on towering poles,   and a giant anteater poked his long snout into a specially designed feeding box.

On that first day we stayed on foot, opting out of the hop-on, hop-off Kangaroo Bus, but we did ride the thrilling Alaska Airlines-sponsored Skyfari West gondolas,   taking us quickly from one side of the park to another. It allowed us a bird’s-eye view of some of the exhibits and helped us avoid some backtracking and tired feet. (We also had a stroller for June so that she didn’t have to walk or be carried the entire time.)

So many of the exhibits allowed us to be very close to the animals even while the habitats were quite large and natural, such as that the baboons roamed. We encountered a lumbering grizzly with his enormous feet and claws   and a beautiful, mysterious jaguar.   On our second morning later in the week, we decided to start the day with a quick tour on the double-decker bus (riding up top, of course), and it afforded some great views we wouldn’t otherwise have enjoyed, including this shot of one of the polar bears resting in the shade. That day we also witnessed an elephant pedicure — something you don’t see every day!

Everywhere we found helpful docents and staff who were eager to share interesting information about the animals we saw. Last summer my husband and I toured the Zoo with friends, but this visit with a toddler in tow made me more aware of the many family-friendly features thoughtfully woven into its many acres. Life-size bronze sculptures of many animals rest near the exhibits, inviting children to touch and climb, which they eagerly do. There are also climbing play structures, interactive exhibits and even a new splash pad (perfect for hot days, so families should come prepared with a change of clothes or swimsuits). Restrooms are plentiful, clean and offer diaper-changing stations and quiet nursing nooks. Exhibits allowed viewing from all levels; June was enthralled by the enormous, floor-to-ceiling tanks where she watched sharks swimming within feet of her nose and the walk-through aviaries where colorful birds flitted about on branches just above her head. There are plenty of dining options, from snack bars for a take-away drink or bite to sit-down restaurants, and all offer kid-friendly, healthy options. I probably don’t need to warn you about the prices, though; if you have several munchkins with healthy appetites, you may want to bring some snacks or a picnic from home to avoid sticker shock.

I couldn’t recommend the San Diego Zoo highly enough to visiting families. Do pace yourselves; the Zoo is very large, with some steep climbs here and there and an overwhelming amount to see and do. We found spreading the visit over two days (and keeping each visit to about four hours . . . pre-nap time!) kept everyone happy and not too worn out.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor