Because we went to bed so early on Saturday, the kids were up by 7 am on Sunday. We headed downstairs to the complimentary breakfast and Hadley and Griffin thought they were something special. (I mean, they are for sure.) They got to pick whatever they wanted for breakfast and we sat down at a special table in the hotel lobby to eat.
Once we were finished, we headed back to the room to get ready for the day. Everyone was excited because day 3 of spring break we were visiting the Atlanta Zoo! The Atlanta Zoo is probably my all time favorite zoo. I've been quite a few times in my life and it never disappoints. They open at 9:30 on Sundays and we arrived at 9:20. We had our pick of parking, so we parked under the trees (hello, shade!) and made our way through the express line with our previously purchased tickets.
*A note about our tickets: we purchased a Citipass- a booklet of discounted tickets for visiting the main attractions of Atlanta. We didn't go to all of the attractions, as our kids were too young for some of them. (The World of Coke is so awesome and one of my favorites, but listening to a guide talk and just walking around looking at coke products isn't something my 3 1/2 year old would appreciate!) So, if you are thinking about visiting Atlanta, definitely look into the Citipass!
Y'all, getting to the zoo when they open is the way to do it. It was still cool, the animals were awake, and even though there were still quite a few people...it wasn't super congested. The kids had had enough sleep so they were in great spirits, and the only meltdown we had was from Hadley around lunch time because she wanted to play instead of eat, haha!
Hadley really wanted to see the lions and tigers, I really wanted to see the panda bears, and Griffin really wanted to see the giraffes! And we happened upon the giraffes around feeding time, so we paid $3 for Hadley to feed a giraffe--except as we got up there and paid, she chickened out, so Mommy fed the giraffe instead. Which was okay, because that was such a cool experience!
They have a great spot in the middle of the zoo for lunch, so we just bought our food there, but you can also bring in sandwiches and stuff yourself. Right across from the food area is a petting zoo, a train ride, rock climbing wall, gated play area for the kids, and a merry-go-round. The kids did the petting zoo for a bit, played on the playground for a bit, and then we hit the train- which is always a favorite for my kids.
I just can't say enough good things about the Atlanta Zoo. The staff is friendly and welcoming- always available to answer questions, the set up is great for little kids who want to stop and play, and they have so many great animals- it's just a great thing to do in Atlanta!
We left the zoo about 1:30p and were meeting David's friend for dinner about 45 minutes away in Sandy Springs. Over in that direction is the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area (Have you ever heard Alan Jackson's song "Chattahoochee"?? It's about the Chattahoochee River!) We used to go there when my grandparents lived in Atlanta and I was a little girl, so it was only right to take my kids!
One of my favorite gifts given to my kids were these National Park Passports. Whenever you visit a National Park, the kids can get their passports cancelled just like you would if you were visiting another country. It's a great way to plan your vacations and see some of the nation's most prized National Parks. I knew ahead of time that we would probably stop by here, so I brought the kids passports just in case. Hadley thought this was the COOLEST thing!
We walked the trails a little bit- which we learned were trails worn over hundreds of years by people moving and settling throughout Georgia- and let Hadley put her feet in the water like Mommy used to do.
We met David's friend at Perimeter Mall for some Cowfish (seriously so good) and they had a great place outside the restaurant for the kids to play. We rounded out the day with some great fellowship, dirty and tired kids, and showers/straight to bed when we got back to the hotel.
I'm so proud of these kids, they were such troopers. Day 3 did not disappoint!
You can read up on the other days of Spring Break 2017 here:
Day 1
Day 2
I have never been to the Atlanta Zoo but it looks so fun! We are in a weird phase with Madeline where she won't nap in her stroller so we have a maximum of three hours for an outing. Maybe by the end of the summer she will be up for this. It looks like it has so much to offer. Your kids did great and I love their outfits, too!
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