Visiting the National Zoo and trying to get home again...

Even though it was a cold day we decided to head out to the zoo.  The cold kind of played into our advantage as we were some of the very few people there other than the employees. There were no crowds so I could let the kids wander a bit.  However, since there were so few visitors there we did catch the attention of the zoo employees. After we had passed the same person about five times they finally stopped us and asked what exhibit we were trying to find. I then had to admit we were taking a different approach to the zoo by viewing one exhibit at the far end of the zoo then walking to the other end to look a one exhibit before walking back to the other end and starting over.  Trust me, had we been leaving a trail of footprints that day you would not have been able to figure out where we were going.  Folks, this is how you spend almost six hours at the zoo on a cold day when you haven't had to wait in line for anything. In our defense, we did have to go to the elephant yard about 64,000 times before we saw an elephant.  The elephant house is still closed so the only way to see the great creatures is in the elephant yard. Since it was cold they were staying inside and we were staying at the zoo until we saw one.  Thankfully this standoff ended in the fifth hour.

Now let me bore you with pictures of animals.

Panda area sans pandas at the National Zoo

Near Elephant Yard at the National Zoo

Meerkat at the National Zoo

Meerkat at the National Zoo

Apes at the National Zoo

Tiger at the National Zoo

Lions at the National Zoo

Lion at the National Zoo

using the timer on the camera at the National Zoo

Red Panda at the National Zoo

Finally!! An elephant at the National Zoo

Elephant at the National Zoo

posing with flamingos at the National Zoo

I should mention that it took us almost as long to get home as it did to see the elephants.  I have a problem with driving in DC. I was feeling pretty confident this day because the zoo is pretty easy to get in and out of. However......there was a road closure and a detour and before I knew it I was in a part of DC that I have never been to.  As it is now rush hour the traffic has become even more frantic than usual making it even harder to figure out where I am going.
So I call my husband and say "I'm lost in DC and can you please look at a map and tell me how to get back to Constitution?"
"well, look for the Washington Monument, that will help get you oriented."
"if I could see the monument I wouldn't be calling for directions."
"ok, calm down. Tell me where you are?"
"I don't know where I am, that is why I am calling you."
"ok, what street are you on?"
"Calvert"
*pause*
"ok, I have found you, you need to turn on......"
"I'm not on that road anymore, I think I'm in Kalorama Heights"
"where is that?"
"I don't know, but I think that's where I am"
*pause*
"Ok, I see where you are. What street are you on?"
"I'm not there anymore.  Now I'm in Dupont Circle but I can't get over to get on the road I need. I'll just circle around. *pause*  This is my 14th time around and I still can't get over, I think I'll just take a side street."
*pause*
"where are you now?"
"don't know, still sitting here trying to get to the intersection so that I can see a sign."
"well, you need to go downhill, find a road that is going downhill and take it."
"they look flat to me."
"they aren't, find the one that is going downhill and go that direction."
"Since I don't carry marbles with me to drop out of the window to determine the slope of the road how exactly do you propose I figure that out?"
*pause*
"maybe you should find a place to pull over"
After another 45 minutes of this conversation he did in fact manage to guide me back to an area I was familiar with and we made it out of the city and home again.

This is why my husband doesn't like answering his phone when I call.  This is also why one of my New Year's Resolutions will be to figure out how to drive in DC.

'til next time...