National Zoo

 So Taylor and I decided to go check out the Zoo.  We had planned it for another day but it was too cold so once the temp kicked up a bit we headed out.  While we were waiting for the metro he got a call from Starbucks saying they want him to come in for a job so that was GREAT news!  He's going to New York next week to visit a friend and will start the day he gets back.

 Apparently, even though the weather was pleasant enough for us, it was not so for the animals.  Too cold, the signs said.  Hardly anyone was out.  We saw the otters......

 a fake bear.....

 an elephant......

 turtles......

 and a fake elephant to get the day started.

 Loved the indoor Amazon exhibit because there were little monkeys just sitting on branches above our heads, it was lush and green, AND it was warm.

 Finally!  The lions were out so we felt like we were at a real zoo!

One tiger as well but he was more interested in hanging out at the feeding door more than anything.  Just stood there growling at it between sips of water.

 Okay, so this was my favorite thing.  The Think Tank!  It's a building that's set aside for studying the orangutans and I'm sure in the summer, this place must be a nightmare with crowds.  But on a cold Feb. day we were able to pull up a chair and just watch these three interact.  So funny!

 Sometimes they were happy to have people watching them but then they'd get tired of being on display and hide under these sheets.  They'd bunch up some of the hay and make a comfy spot before getting all cozy and private.  There was a also a tug of war rope you could compete against them with, but none were interested in playing.  These towers rope connect to another orangutan house so if they get bored with one place they can swing across the zoo over to the other.  Wondered what it would be like to walking across the zoo and suddenly have them swinging over the top of us!  Will definitely come back here!

 It was also Mardi Gras so the restaurants in the neighborhood were getting gussied up!  It's a little jaunt to get to the zoo from the Metro and the zoo itself is very hilly so we were very ready to sit and rest our feet once we headed home.