Our last day in Destin was tons of fun. We visited the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Ft. Walton Beach. It was a very kid-friendly zoo, it was very clean, and it allowed for some awesome, up close animal interactions.
Our first stop was at the water buffalo.
It got so close to us, I had to back Parker away. We could have reached out and touched him (but we didn't)!
Parker waved bye to Mr. Water Buffalo.
Off we go to the next animal! The zoo wasn't crowded at all, so Parker was able to walk along the pathways. He thought he was something with his independence!
Next stop - the sheep!
Parker tried to get the otters attention, but they were too busy playing!
The giraffe encounter was next. I could not get over how close we were able to get to them. They are magnificent creatures and such tall animals. You don't really realize how tall they are, until you are standing right beside them!
You could even feed them! It was a neat and gross experience all at the same time!
This little guy was pretty cute. He is a Muntjac Deer. They are also known as "barking deer" because they bark when they are alarmed or threatened.
A clouded leopard - really pretty!
This was the only good pic we got of Parker at these picture cut-outs. Right after we took this picture, he hit his mouth on the opening and starting crying. Later, we tried a different cut-out and he hit his head. Poor thing had such a rough time with these cut-outs!
This gator was huge! We were literally about 6 or 7 feet above him. As we were looking down on him, I was hoping he wouldn't decide to use his power and jump out of the water. Needless to say, we didn't stay there very long!
This barn owl was really cool!
These are Bongo and the below picture is Kudu. These animals had this HUGE area that represented their native habitat. This was really cool because you walked across a long bridge to see these animals, along with several others, in this open space. It was awesome to see these animals have such a large, open area in which to roam. It seemed like you were standing in the middle of Africa - really cool!
This peacock, along with several other birds, were walking around in the open areas of the zoo. It was really neat. We saw a couple of turkeys and we even got one to gobble at us. We all thought that was pretty neat.
This was my favorite - the Toucan. The picture doesn't do justice, but the colors on this bird were absolutely stunning!
Parker loved the fact that he could walk around so much on his own!
It looks like I'm having a chat with Mr. Camel. I believe he was wondering why I didn't have any food - hah!
Parker and Mr. Camel getting to know each other - hah!
I decided to get a little food and feed them. They were very appreciative!
Parker's favorite animal in the reptile house was the collared lizard. It looked like it had a black collar around it's neck. The lizards were really active, so that held Parker's attention for a while!
After the zoo, we ate at a local pizzeria - Sal's. It was yummy!
Parker was in a silly mood on the way home from the zoo. He would do this "pretend" giggle - it was hilarious. My mom and I would laugh, because it was funny, then he would "pretend" giggle again. He did this for about 15 minutes. So funny!
After Parker's nap, we decided to try the pool one more time . . . nope, still not a fan! He started crying when MY feet hit the water. He immediately stopped crying the moment I was out of the water - hah!
This was one happy boy after a nice bath, and away from the beach and the pool!
For our last dinner in Destin, we chose a local seafood restaurant - Gilligan's. It was yummy and was located right on the marina.
This was my plate of food and it was yummy - grilled shrimp, new potatoes and cole slaw!
Parker chowed down his chicken finger, potatoes and fruit. He was starving! I think it was all that walking he did at the zoo earlier - hah!
Our Destin trip was super fun! We had great weather and a great time! Thanks Grandma Henry for allowing us the opportunity to come along!
