A Visit to Animal Adventure Park and April the Giraffe

Things have been a little crazy here (what's new, I know) and I realized I never put up a blog post about my visit to Animal Adventure Park last month. Many of you might have followed along last February and March as much of the world watched April the giraffe's pregnancy progress, and the birth of little Tajiri. I certainly got caught up in it, in part because the park is practically in my friend Robin's back yard in Harpursville, NY, less than an hour from where I live.

It had been one of my goals to get to the park to meet April in person, and in August, pal Ellen and I made the trip, joining up with Robin, her daughter Sophie, and Sophie's friend Rosie. It was a blast. It is a small park, although expanding all the time, and it took us about two hours to get around the whole thing, including a chunk of time spent with April, Oliver, and little Taj (who was asleep during our visit, alas, so we could only peek at him). April really is just as sweet as she seemed with the keepers who take care of her, and Sophie and I both took turns letting her take carrots (the giraffes' favorite treat) from our mouths. Here are a few pictures from the day:

Me and April the Giraffe!

Sophie said April's tongue tickled her

More carrots please!

Little Taj!

Sophie, Rosie, me, Ellen, and April

Daddy Oliver

Look how tall!

Ellen made friends with the camels

Lots of different kinds of animals, not just giraffes

Can you tell I was happy to be there?

It was a terrific day, spent in terrific company, and I'm already looking forward to going back next year.