~California Dreamin - Photographic Report~Index on post #1~Completed 8/17/07~

[werfamily]

What a great trip report! Makes me think of all the great places to visit other than Disney. Well...maybe when the kids grow up!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

We follow Stefanie to the Pandas...the zoo has signs all over the place asking you to be perfectly quiet while in the Panda area...I guess they scare easy...it was really neat to see the two of them up and active with all the other animals sleeping on the job today

Actually, the first guy was up and active, the other one was thoroughly enjoying his lunch...

I'm gonna let these pics speak for themselves~

The education continues at the end of the Panda exhibit~

....there's much more Zoo to come, we stop for lunch after visiting with the Panda Bears...

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I just love Pandas I think everybody does though. I visited the Washington DC Zoo in May 2006 and got to see the baby panda, Tai Shan. He was adorable. I got some really cute pictures and video of him and his momma. So cute!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

There just happened to be a food stand just past the Panda area so we stopped and ate there. Britt had her usual veggie burger, I had a cheeseburger, we both got fries. Rose and me got a Corona and Stef got a minute maid frozen treat...

Brittany likes to build things...out of condiment packs...

check out her tower

more Monkeys were next up...

this Mama and baby were adorable together...

you can almost feel the Love~

these two were enjoying each other's company too~

this guy had just finished taking a HUGE dump! I was one of the few who waited til he was done to get my photo of him...

the otters were pretty active...

walking around watching us...

watching them...

Koalas were next!

most of them were sleeping, but I think they would be sleeping...

no matter what the weather was

...Desert animals and Polar Bears....coming up shortly...gotta break for lunch now...TTFN~

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Just so you know...I tried to reply to all of you the other night and my was at it again...I lost all the replies...I love the fact that you are all enjoying my trip report

Nan, I am absolutely going to print all this out when I am done and make my album from it...if I print it to nice paper and bind it, my album will be awesome!

There's only a couple chapters left, I am sad to see this story end...on the flip side, I start a two week beach vacation soon and will have lots more pictures to share. I'm wondering if there is a place to post general vacation trip reports here on the DIS...

in December, hubby and DS and me head back to Orlando. I will absolutely come back and share that trip here in the same format for all to see.

...for now....back to San Diego...


This Mama had a couple babies playing around her, they were sooo cute! I wish I could've gotten a little closer~

Here's Mr Wallaby chillin in the sand~

These are red Koalas, one was sleeping...

and I think this one was bathing~

around the corner were miniature Japanese Deer...

they are only about 8 inches tall and at the most a foot long...

I am sooo proud of this shot~it shows exactly how cute these two really are...

The camels were up and about...

anyone ever notice they poo like rabbits?

Timon's family is next...

we watched these guys for a little while~

of course some of them were looking back at us...

...next chapter...Giraffes!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

The giraffe area has the perfect layout to get good photographs...I managed to get very very close and got the perfect pictures of all of them...this is another chapter I will let speak for itself...

...I only have 3 chapters left...Polar Bears, Water Fowl and Flying Home...brb...

 

[tiggerwannabe]

We finally found the Polar Bear area...Brittany really wanted to see them before we left and we were just about to give up on seeing them when we happened upon this...

Most times I ever seen Polar Bears they were chillin. This was the most active, most fun Polar Bear action I have ever seen in my life! I hope the pictures do him justice...and just as the Pandas and the Giraffe, I will let the pictures do all the talking~

Just so you all know, he was throwing his toy ball up into the air and out into the water and then chasing after it himself, flipping and swimming all the while. When he finally stopped to relax, he sat right in front of my DD!

These pictures are priceless, I am so glad to have had the opportunity to go to California and get all the photographs I have. I am proud to share with all of those who live there, have lived there and simply want to visit California.

Only two chapters left...I am finally going to finish this puppy, it's only been three months since our trip. It may take me a while to get to the end but I promise I will always see a trip report thru~

 

[tiggerwannabe]

The water fowl area was the last we were to see while at the zoo in San Diego...it was a nice place to sit and relax before we go back to the hotel and pack and get ready to fly home...how appropo

all in all, it was a great trip~

It was way too much in too little time tho. I am already planning my next trip out. Yosemite is at the top of my list with a stop in Napa and Big Sur for hubby. I will absolutely take him to Disneyland and Universal, I may take him to LA (just to see it) and possibly even stay in Santa Monica.

California is a beautiful place, I feel honored to have been able to go.

The next chapter is my last...we had a 6:30 am flight out. We were up at the ungodly hour of 3am that day. It was a long, uneventful trip home...I'll post the pics I took at the airport and from the plane and will bid all my faithful readers a sweet adieu~

 

[tiggerwannabe]

I may have been too tired to have noticed while at the airport...but does anyone else here notice the lime green baggelini and sweatshirt in the McDonalds line? DISers perhaps? We may never know...

the girls were anxious and ready to be home...

We flew home out of San Diego Airport, here's the last three shots I got of the city before we took off...

We kept ourselves occupied during the first leg of our trip playing trivia against the other passengers...the girls and I did quite well~

The clouds and sky looked totally awesome...

the mountains on the west coast are a really cool site...

the clouds were so white and puffy, I had to get one more picture of them while we flew...

We stopped over in Atlanta before heading to Philly. There were storms in Philly which delayed our flight home by about two hours.

We still got home by 6, hubby picked us all up at the airport and promptly took us home. My DS, FIL and both puppies were really happy to see us. DH cooked us up some grub, DD didn't waste any time going to see her other friends when she got home. I was happy to be sitting, relaxing and absorbing all that we'd done in the past 11 days. It was indeed a trip of a lifetime~

Thank you for reading and hanging on these last three months...

Goodbye~

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I joined in late in the game but I throughly enjoyed all your pictures. They were beautiful and you had an amazing trip. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

I joined in late in the game but I throughly enjoyed all your pictures. They were beautiful and you had an amazing trip. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!

It was my pleasure...thank you for all the kind words~

ps: I just suscribed to your trip report...can't wait to start reading

 

[Tanya90210]

Wow... fantastic finale... I loved all the pictures through the whole trip! I have never been to the SD Zoo... looks wonderful!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Great TR COlleen. THanks for sharing all the great pictures! I especially loved the Polar Bear pics. They came out great!

 

[blue_river]

The pandas are soooooooo cute

I really enjoyed your trip report Colleen! It was different from all the others and a lot of fun

Have fun planning your next trip

 

[burly]

That was awesome. let's us know if you get the answer about where to post an un-disney trip. i will be here for the next one also. Thank you for sharing your trip with us. Wonderful pics

 

[SoonerGirl]

I haven't posted on your TR before, but I have been lurking along - I loved it! We're planning a similar trip for next summer and your report really has me excited about it! Thanks so much for sharing!!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Thank you ALL for your kind words,
I enjoy them so much I've got goosebumps -

 

[Spartangirl]

Colleen~

What a fantastic trip report with gorgeous pictures! Thank you so much for sharing!!! After seeing your pics, it looks like DH and I are going to have to make another trip out west just to see San Diego.