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The Minnesota Zoo features indoor and outdoor exhibits, and is open 363 days a year.
A trip to the zoo
PHOTO BY STARRLA CRAY
BY STARRLA CRAY
Associate Editor
Looking for something new to do with the grand-
kids? Whether you’re 6 or 96, a trip to the Minnesota
Zoo can be a memorable way to spend a day.
I was just there Aug. 13, but before that, it had been
at least 15 years, probably longer.
I think the first time I ever saw the Minnesota Zoo
was in kindergarten, on a field trip with my class
from Lester Prairie Elementary School. My mom
was a chaperone, so her goal was to make sure all the
chattering little girls from our group made it safely
back on the bus at the end of the day.
My goal, on the other hand, was to see a giraffe.
I don’t think the Minnesota Zoo had giraffes (they
don’t now), but that didn’t stop me from looking.
On my most recent zoo adventure, my mission was
more realistic: to have fun walking around with my
husband, Scott, and to see an assortment of animals.
That turned out to be easy to accomplish.
After we had parked and paid for our tickets, we
headed to Discovery Bay: United Healthcare Marine
Education Center. We decided to do all the indoor ex-
hibits first, in hopes that the sun would be less intense
outside later on.
The calm blue aquariums were gorgeous, showcas-
ing everything from seahorses to leopard sharks to
jelly fish.
On our way to the next area, we walked by tall glass
windows where we could see snow monkeys playing
outside. If you’ve never seen snow monkeys before, I
would highly recommend checking them out.
They seemed to have limitless energy and agility
as they climbed trees, leaped onto ropes, and chased
each other through pools of water.
I was a little jealous, until I found out what snow
monkeys eat. The Minnesota Zoo website states that
they love fruit, but in the wild, they eat whatever’s
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The snow monkey exhibit is visible from many angles,
indoors and out. In this photo, one monkey is mid-air
leaping into a pond, while another is upside down on
a branch.
PHOTO BY STARRLA CRAY
available, including “plants, small animals, insects,
farm crops, and even soil. During winters with heavy
snowfall, they rely heavily on eating bark.”
Eating bark and soil sounds kind of terrible.
Fortunately, Scott and I didn’t have to worry about
what to eat at the zoo. The food court is near the snow
monkey exhibit, and later in the day we stopped for
lunch.
More ZOO on Pg 12
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