Isn't this pretty? This is going to be one of those posts with way too many photos, so I wanted to start out with a nice one. The sign said it was a red-flowering currant.
Last Thursday we went out to Northwest Trek. We'd been there once before, almost four years ago, when Kate was just a little older than Andy is now. (I never got around to blogging those photos.) It's a wildlife park with animals that are native to the area.
It was a cool, gray day, and had been raining off and on, but we decided to go anyway and didn't have any trouble. The lighting was nice for pictures, too!
Ready to go!
Kate films the golden eagle.
This bald eagle hopped right into the water to get a drink.
Spring growth!
Kate on the tram. It goes out through the free-ranging area, where you can see a lot of animals. (Mostly ungulates. In fact, aside from the trumpeter swans, and a mention of beavers, they were all ungulates.)
Moose! There are four moose in the park, and we got to see all of them. Apparently this is quite unusual.
Big bison bull right by the road.
Elk and bighorn sheep.
More bison. They were right in the road and had to be persuaded to move out of the way. (This is looking back, after we'd gone through.)
Andy says, "Whoa, lots of ungulates!"
Bachelor bighorns.
Elk growing new antlers.
When we took Kate at this age, she fell asleep on the tram too. Andy held out slightly longer and didn't conk out till the very end.
I realized I didn't post a picture of the mountain goats or blacktail deer. Also ungulates.
After the tram we moved Andy into the backback baby carrier so Kate could ride in the stroller.
Interesting view of an otter.
The cougar is not in the free-ranging area, for obvious reasons. It would eat the ungulates.
Neither is the grizzly.
"Are we having fun?"
"You bet!"
Snowy owl (blinding!)
And barn owls! Complete with fake barn. (The barn owl at the Point Defiance zoo has a fake barn, too. Must be a requirement or something.)
"I'm exploring!"
Everybody smile!
Both kids fell asleep on the way home. Big day!
A good time was had by all!
10 comments:
Awwwww....I want to come to! Looks awesome! Although, the last time we took Kaleb on a train ride through an animal area (at the Wild Animal Park) he drove us crazy by not wanting to sit still. So maybe I don't want to go! ;)
Gorgeous post!
Awesome pics! Especially loved seeing the cougar... very cool. I love Northwest Trek!
Looks like a wonderful trip!
I can't believe I lived in Puyallup for two years, and Tacoma for three years, and never went and did the northwest treck. I'm so disappointed in myself. I guess that will be another reason to come back and visit.
What an absolutely *cool* place to visit! I loved all the images you posted! Andy is especially cute in every one :)
I love "too many pictures"! :) Those are great, that place looks right up my alley. Would love to go there!
Wow, wow, wow! What amazing photography ... what an amazing place that must be! The buffalo pix make me want to go back and re-read Lonesome Dove! Precious children, too. Thanks for stopping by Quack and Quill, and for sharing your blog ... I will be back!
Looks like you all had a wonderful day! We adore Northwest Trek - a favorite of ours. One year we did a joint membership between the PDZA and NWT - we visited a lot that year! Now we go just a couple of times a year. Always a fun little adventure!
Do ungulates ululate?!
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