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A Field Trip

2013 November 11
by WWGD

elephants-WhatWouldGwynethDo

We went on another family field trip yesterday.

When I wrote about the idea of a regular group outing outside of our little box a few weeks ago, I didn’t realize just how impactful it could be. But here we were with another clear Sunday on the schedule and rather than fill it with errands, cartoons and naps on the couch, we ventured to the San Diego Safari Park for our first visit.

We’ve been to the zoo. We’ve been to a few zoos. But the safari park is a different experience. It’s a 1,800-acre sanctuary for animals from the wild, much of it replicating the African and Asian deserts and wilderness. We saw some absolutely majestic animals up close in what is seemingly their natural habitat (or far more natural-looking than what you see at the zoo), took a tram through the “desert,” and marveled at the beauty of the park – its foliage, plants, hills and valleys. It felt thousands of miles away from our home…which was barely thirty miles away.

It was a surprise outing for the kids, which is the very best kind in my opinion. They woke up expecting another lazy Sunday and ended up on an adventure to remember. We got there nice and early and the morning hours were particularly amazing – relatively quiet, cool, you could sense the energy levels in the animals, feeling fresh and curious. We took our time all day. Not feeling rushed to get from one thing to the other (as we usually do at parks like this). Not worrying about what we might miss if we didn’t quicken our pace. Letting the kids explore and go back to their favorite stops again and again. It just felt like a perfect day to appreciate and enjoy and relax. And our kids felt the same. We set the tone for the day and it stuck – no meltdowns, no arguments, no stress.

When we were tired and starting to feel burnt out? We left.

Two new stuffed lions in happy little hands, a forever token of a lovely family day.

Of a day making memories.

Of a day spent putting a little extra into the ordinary.

I highly recommend it.

*image above of an amazing mama elephant and her young daughter, walking side by side for a drink of water

2 Responses
  1. November 11, 2013

    Now I have to go here! Even though I know the San Diego Zoo is one of the best in terms of care and welfare of animals, I felt strange gawking at animals caged up. The Safari sounds much more my speed and like a much more organic experience. Thanks for sharing!

  2. November 12, 2013

    🙂 Love this place. Much better than the zoo.

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