I've wanted to take Noah to Arbuckle Wilderness for a while. He loves animals, so I figured he'd love Arbuckle especially since you get to feed them! I hadn't been since I was a child. Talk about inflation! It's $17 a person just to get in the park. Then you have to buy feed on top of that because it just wouldn't be an experience if you didn't get to
feed the animals! So to share in this experience, I asked my best friend, Abby, if she wanted to take her daughter, Kynlee, with Noah and me. And to top it off, we both asked our moms if they wanted to join! So the six of us headed south early Saturday morning to beat the heat and the traffic down I-35. In just about an hour, we made it, ready to see some wildlife.
We, first, did the walk-thru zoo. Although it wasn't that great. Not much to see and the heat was rising quickly, even for 10 a.m. There were tons of turtles, ducks and fish to see in the pond. It was so funny to see turtles, by the hundreds, come swimming to where you were to get some of your feed. Turtles would fight ducks for nibbles of food. It was so interesting to watch.
Then we got back in our car for the real tour. Winding through the park, at first, you think, "Why did we pay all that money to see landscape? Where are the dad gum animals?" And then the trees part and you're on a safari. Long-legged birds, all types of deer and zebra are roaming free. You just whistle or shake your feed cups and the up-close and personal safari really begins.
These ugly birds, called Emus, were so creepy. We did not coax them to come to our car.
The llamas were very polite; not spitting or eating hair. (That happened to my sister when she was younger- the hair-eating part.) BUT they did have some pretty wicked-looking teeth!
The zebras had to be my favorite part. How often in your life to you get to see one up close and personal and feed AND pet it?! That doesn't happen at the zoo. They are such beautiful creatures. Not one zebra is identical. Their stripes are like our fingerprints - each one is unique. God is so amazingly creative.
All kinds of deer, gazelles and antelopes just roamed free. It was a hunter's wonderland...minus the hunting.
Look at this sweet miniature donkey. It was born three days before our visit. It didn't leave its momma's side. The miniature donkeys were so sweet...and funny. They would come up to the side of the car and turn their heads sideways, tilt their mouths, show their teeth, stick out their tongue just a tad and open up so you could drop feed right inside. It made for an easy snack! They had a little bit of Elvis Presley in them because if you didn't give them the feed right away, they would curl their lips to emphasize their need for feed.
Pretty cool to see bison up close and personal.
No clue what exact type of deer these are, but Noah was fascinated. He kept rattling on about the deers' giant antlers. And he added that he was going to 'get' one of these just like his daddy. And 'get' means shoot with a gun...Hunter in the making.
Both Kynlee and Noah fed him.
Look at Noah's awed expression in the side mirror as the deer approaches.
Creepiest experience ever. The ostriches literally come out of nowhere. One was pecking at Jeanne's window behind the driver's side while another,
unbeknownst to us, was in hot pursuit of Abby and Kynlee on the front passenger side. I luckily saw it coming in the side mirror and yelped for Abby to roll up her window! You have your windows rolled down inviting all the cute creatures to come to your car side, and before you know it a giant beak is trying to pluck your eyes out! Our fingers darted for the up buttons!! But that didn't stop the bird from coming after our feed.
One minute you see the ostrich's face level with yours out your rolled-up window and then next, you see its neck growing - stretching rapidly - and then a shadow is casted down on the interior of your car...
You look up and there is the ostrich coming in through the sunroof!! (You can see me ducking away from one at my window while trying to drive the car. Good thing you can't go more than 5 mph.) Needless to say we were ALL shrieking and laughing! Noah now has a fear of those giant long-legged birds. (Noah is next to me as I type this say, "Oh that's a big turkey, Mom. I don't like them. They come in through the side window.)
We were a little disappointed the giraffe was under lock and key. We really wanted to feed it and get it to stick its head through the sunroof. Next time, we're hoping it'll be roaming free with the rest. In not having been to Arbuckle since I was a little kid, I must say I've been missing out by not making this a regular trip in my adult years. Regardless of your age, it is enjoyable for all. The six of us had a great time, but the best part was we shared in this memory together. And the expensive admission fee is so worth it.
I've wanted to take Noah to Arbuckle Wilderness for a while. He loves animals, so I figured he'd love Arbuckle especially since you get to feed them! I hadn't been since I was a child. Talk about inflation! It's $17 a person just to get in the park. Then you have to buy feed on top of that because it just wouldn't be an experience if you didn't get to feed the animals! So to share in this experience, I asked my best friend, Abby, if she wanted to take her daughter, Kynlee, with Noah and me. And to top it off, we both asked our moms if they wanted to join! So the six of us headed south early Saturday morning to beat the heat and the traffic down I-35. In just about an hour, we made it, ready to see some wildlife.
We, first, did the walk-thru zoo. Although it wasn't that great. Not much to see and the heat was rising quickly, even for 10 a.m. There were tons of turtles, ducks and fish to see in the pond. It was so funny to see turtles, by the hundreds, come swimming to where you were to get some of your feed. Turtles would fight ducks for nibbles of food. It was so interesting to watch.
