Florida’s Winter Wonderland
One of my most favorite places in Tampa, Florida is Lowry Park Zoo;I hadn’t had a chance to see it for almost a decade. But, for some reason, I had to once again see the seasonal arrival of the reindeer, so I booked a flight an one of the hotels in West Florida in order to just see the zoo!
When I arrived, I met up with an old friend and her 5-year old daughter, which this is my first time to see her child. We went to the zoo by 6pm, just in time when they open the gates for the Wild Wonderland Night time event. The zoo was crowded with some people pushing carriages and toddlers in tow. I could see the sheer excitement in all the children’s faces, even in the adults too. My friend told me that Parent Magazine rates Lowry Park Zoo number one for their list of the best zoos for children in the US. That didn’t surprise me, after all, here I am, and I’m not a child, plus it’s no surprise when we read about all the special events to participate in, like seeing Santa with his reindeer, Frosty’s Factory that lets the children play in was Floridians call ‘snow’, it’s more like a foamy, bubble kind of snow, but the children don’t care. Then there’s the Sugarplum exhibit, which is an illuminated pathway of trees loaded with LED-lit snowflakes, wonderful magical winter themes, and glowing fairies. But watch out for the horse-drawn carriage ride, because that costs extra.
When we walked through the entry gate, we were greeted by a light falling snow, fake of course. Then a giant nutcracker greeted us as he guarded a frozen fountain of lights. The gift shop is decorated with candy canes and peppermint drops on the rooftop. The Lowry Park Zoo really does its best to make everyone who enters, feel like you’re in a winter Wonderland. But, it was the animals that I came to see, especially the reindeer, but I was surprised to see penguins enjoying themselves on a frozen water source. Wild Wonderland was better than I expected, and I couldn’t think of any one better to share the experience with than my dear friend and her young daughter.
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