Out Of Africa

I hadn't been to Out Of Africa in a REALLY long time and my kids had never been.

We decided it was about time.

Jeff's brother, Shaun, and his family came with us. Having favorite cousins around make everything fun. I'm not sure the boys would have liked it as much otherwise.

It was a hot day and it was a lot of walking for not too many sightings of the animals. The habitats just weren't ideal for showcasing.

If anyone has heard advertisements for this park, the main claim is,

"We are NOT a zoo or circus. We are an experience."

That's for sure.

Their website says,

"See hundreds of animals from all over the world!

Lions, Tigers, Giraffe, Rhinoceros, Black Bear, Camel, Ostrich, Cobras, Zebra, Exotic Birds, Tortoise, Wildebeest, Jaguar, Leopards, Wolves, Hyenas and more!"

Hundreds?!! Really?!! I was so hopeful.

But the only animals we saw were the ones listed and even then, most were too far out of view.

They should also say, "Even though we are 4 miles away from Camp Verde, it will be WAY too much of a hassle to leave for lunch and come back, so plan on buying our $8 hamburgers and $6 kids meals."

The bacon cheeseburger I had, however, was one of the best I've ever tasted. Seriously.

The Tiger Splash Show was pretty neat to watch. It was MY favorite part for sure... and not just because it had shaded seating.

The trainers would play with the white tiger, teasing with huge aluminum balloons to make her jump in the pool.

Griffin had another notable quote that day:

As us adults were walking back down the hill, the kids ran over to stand on a lookout platform.

Rebecca: "What do you guys see? Anything cool?"

Griffin: "No. It's just.... a beautiful setting. That's all."

I'm glad we went, because I've always wondered if my kids would enjoy it.

Now I know. Next time just go to the zoo.