Zoo-Bee-Do-Bee-Do

John had never been to Santa Barbara and Addy wanted to take her first train ride, so we drove north and had lunch on the S.B. Pier before heading to the Santa Barbara Zoo. Addy was fascinated by the ocean from the minute we got out of the car. She kept pointing and laughing. During lunch, she insisted on sitting where she could see out the window, totally captivated by the birds and boats.I've always thought Santa Barbara's is the perfect zoo for kids; not too small and not too big.

Addy made quite the fashion statement.

There's plenty of room to run around but it's small enough to see everything in couple of hours. It's just across the street from the ocean and on a clear day (like today) you can see the Channel Islands off the coast. It's the ultimate So. California destination - palm trees, cool ocean breezes, and lots of wildlife.

One of our first stops was the elephant area. Addy couldn't figure out what those big things were but she thought they were pretty cool. We also got to see lots of monkeys - and giraffes. Sadly, Gemina the crooked-neck giraffe, who'd been a favorite of ours for years, died in January at the age of 20.

Addy got her first ride on the little train that circles the zoo, including behind the scenes vet and "off exhibit" areas. Grandma couldn't resist the stuffed animals - Addy chose the purple panda over the green elephant - and the 'things that go' picture book. I voted to name the panda "Barbara", but we'll see what Addy decides when she's a little older.

Addy missed her morning nap; we vainly hoped that she'd sleep in the car on the way to Santa Barbara but she was much too interested in everything that was going on. She was in a good mood all day, but by 2:30 you could tell that she was exhausted. Mom held her until she finally gave in and went to sleep, then we very gingerly put her in her stroller. There's not much that's cuter than a sleeping baby. Tomorrow - Addy models her new clothes!