Affordable Family Outing: 5 Things about the OC Zoo

The OC Zoo is one of my favorite places in Orange County. I bring out-of-town guests there ALL the time. Why?

1. It’s inside Irvine Regional Park which offers FOUR playgrounds, a lake, a nature center, beautiful hikes and walks, open space, blue skies and the Irvine Park Railroad.
2. They have a new resident: a five month old beaver named Buckley.  It’s very hard to tell if a beaver is a he or a she, so Buckley fits for both. He/she likes to play up at the front of his exhibit and swim in the pond.
3. You can see the raccoons better now! Raccoons like to bite little fingers. Little fingers like to reach inside the cage. Not a problem with the new barrier.
4. The zoo’s mountain lion, Amanda, had a medical emergency back in July 2011. Her hind legs weren’t working and she couldn’t walk. She’s a big cat and already a senior at 14. They found she had a herniated disc which ruptured a blood vessel. She was just put back on exhibit in October and her recovery is amazing.
5. If you or your kids are “afraid” of the wild, the OC Zoo is a great place to learn more about our local wildlife. You can see what a coyote looks like up close, compare a mountain lion to a bobcat, and identify the differences between turkey vultures, hawks, and eagles.

Take my OC ZOO QUIZ to learn more about this local outing! You can start at the zoo, bring a picnic, and spend the whole day exploring the park.

The affordable part?  The OC Zoo admission is only $2/person for ages 3 and over. Kids 2 and under are free.  So a family of four can go to everything in #1  – except the Railroad (see above) for $5 parking fee + $2 x 4 = $13.  The price goes up when you include the Railroad, but it’s fun for special occasions. [OC Zoo official website]