Bismark ND

Monkeys watching monkeys

This weekend we decided to take a trip to Bismark.  Granted it is only a couple of hours away but it was nice to take our time. We left Friday after school and spent most of the day on Saturday there. Friday night we ate at Texas Roadhouse a favorite of ours and then took the kids swimming at the hotel pool.  We got up on Saturday at breakfast took the kids swimming again and then went to the zoo.  It was cool to see the different animals that they had and the ones that they didn't have like elephants, gorillas, giraffes and lions Stew really wanted to see a Lion and we searched for one only to find out there wasn't one.  Half the zoo is a petting zoo and the other half is still rustic very little pavement but some cool viewing areas.  We were able to walk under the Tigers area to view them through a glass observation tower in their cage.  One of the tigers was sleeping on top of the observation tower.  The small monkeys were trying to escape out of their cages and I don't blame them it was very smelly in their house.  If the animals were not a threat the fences were just high enough to keep them in.

Holding butterflies

They had coyotes, several different types of wolves, & foxes.  Our favorite part had to be the Grizzly Bears.  There were 2 of them and we were only maybe 5 feet away from them with a fence and a half separating us.  We also like the butterfly room which had 10 Monarch butterflies just flying around and instructions on how to hold them.  Ashlyn liked holding them on her had but if they landed on her arm or shirt she freaked out.  They also had an observation beehive that you could watch the bees at work.  Most of the animals there are native to this part of the country.

Ashlyn petting a miniature horse

Stew w netherland cows

Making friends with the animals

Feeding the goats and Llama

Sean chatting with the Emu

Stew touching the tiger thru the glass

Ash not so sure about her position

Walking thru the zoo