First trip to the zoo

We finally had some wonderful weather on this last day of our NYC trip: low 80's and low humidity. My Dad said it was too chilly to go to the beach, so why not go to the zoo instead (especially with a coupon)?

The zoo turned out to be the perfect thing to do. And, not just any zoo, but the Bronx zoo, which I haven't visited in years. I had forgotten how much like a park it is: walkways shaded by trees, many of the large animals in open fields instead of cages. Nikita had a grand time, although it was tough at first to convince him that we COULDN'T walk into the fields to join the animals. He got to see lots of animals that he previously saw only in books: tigers, monkeys, giraffes, elephants (which scare him for some reason), and many more.

The best part, however, was probably the Children's Zoo, where he got to pet and feed a host of domesticated animals: llamas, goats, sheep, chickens. He didn't quite get the hang of feeding them, however. He would hold the food in a closed fist, offer the food to the animal, and then withdraw his hand because being licked by the animal tickled him.