This is 65

This is 65

March 5th marked two very significant milestones: My 65th birthday and the public opening of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park's Denny Sanford Elephant Valley. This was one of the best birthdays I've ever had! 

My day began with some birthday pancakes with the olallieberry syrup I bought on my road trip to the central coast last month. I took Jerry to daycare so he could have a fun day playing with his dog pals while I was out all day. 

At 8:45 my neighbor, Lauren, meet me at my house and we headed to the Safari Park. We were both ridiculously excited to see our beloved ellies. It's been more 4 years since they announced Elephant Valley, and 3 years in construction. 

The new exhibit opening was at noon, so we had 3 hours to explore other areas of the park.  Our first stop was the coffee cart, where Lauren bought me a beautiful new travel mug and a cafe mocha. As a matter of fact, I'm drinking out of it now as I write! Next stop was the carousel, where I spotted a familiar employee. Rhonda has been at the park for about 20 years. I've seen her in multiple roles, and we would chat when I worked there. I told her we were there to celebrate my birthday with the elephants and so she wrote my name on a birthday button and slapped wristbands on the both of us.  She said we get free carousel rides for my birthday! We were the only ones on the carousel and both got on animal we loved since there was an okapi right next to an elephant. Rhonda took my phone and snapped pics and made a video of us kids on the ride. Such a fun start to our day!

It's so  cool that there are birds in our photo, too!

We decided to head Tiger Trail. THAT was a brilliant choice.  Dumai was spotted in the first enclosure taking a bath. What a sight! The keepers had just set out food all over Diana's enclosure for her to find. We have never seen her so active! She had just finished lapping up some meat off a big floating plate in her pool, and then explored the rest of her spacious habitat, stopping to gobble up piles of meat in various places. She and Majel are my favorite tigers.. for reasons. 😉

From Tiger Trail we wandered up to Condor Ridge and saw the Thick-billed Parrots, Bald Eagle, Toco Toucan, Burrowing Owls, Big Horned Sheep, and, of course, California Condors, my favorite birds in the whole world. 

Then we walked through Australia, stopping to admire the Cassowaries, Platypuses, Wallabies, and Kangaroos. Fun fact: the Safari Park has the only platypuses outside of Australia! The first time I saw them I was surprised at how small they are. I had always imagined they were beaver-sized. They are fast, too! The platypus is a fascinating creature and I always feel privileged to see them when I visit. 

We still had a little time to wait, so we visited the gift shops where I spent too much money on elephant swag. I got 2 shirts, socks, a magnet, an ornament, a little wooden elephant, and 2 totes-- every item a definite necessity!

At about 11:40 we went to line up at Elephant Valley.  While waiting in line, Marco  Wendt, the SDZWA Wildlife Ambassador, stopped to give me a hug and his pin as he was on his way inside. He was a busy guy giving interviews all day. I was happy we could say hi. There was a big crowd, but after the first hour inside it thinned out a lot. As the entrance was opened there were cheers from the visitors and zoo people alike. As we entered the exhibit there were zoo personnel on both sides welcoming us, and few lucky kids got hats. 

It's always a pleasure to get a selfie with Marco! Follow him on insta: @zoologymarco

From the moment we entered, this felt different. This habitat is fantastic for the eight resident elephants, but it's also wonderful for the human visitors. The first thing you notice is the scale. Elephant Valley is huge.  And the way that it is situated, as you look out past the enclosure it looks like part of of the rest of the valley. It's wide open, yet there are many shade structures and trees (protected by electric fencing so the ellies don't destroy them) as well as water features.  Food was on the ground and hanging from trees, feeder structures, and the rock structures. All of the ellies were active and most were feeding. I swear they were smiling.  I know I was... and I also cried. I have missed the ellies and I was so pleased to see them in such a wonderful habitat being so wonderfully and thoughtfully cared for. I remember when the herd was rescued from being culled in Eswatini and brought here. Ndulamitsi, the matriarch ellie, was pregnant when they arrived, unbeknownst to the at the time of import. I remember visiting little Vusmusi 22 years ago with my kids. He now resides at the zoo, after spending some time in Fresno. 

There are actually 2 large enclosures, connected by a tunnel that runs underneath the visitor walkway.  Throughout our visit the elephants made use of that tunnel over and over again, and they seemed very comfortable hanging out on both sides. 

No matter where you are along the long, wide walkway there is an unobstructed view of both sides. There is plenty of shade from both trees and shade structures. The path meanders down a gentle slope which is barely noticeable until you get to the end and you can see that you have ended up at a lower level than where you started.  

At the end of the walkway is a big grassy parklike area with large shaded areas. I'm sure they will be utilized for special events, school groups, and such. There is Tu Grill and several stand up tables. It's not typical zoo food! They had kebabs of beef, chicken, or falafel, and smoothies. 

And let's talk about Mkutano House restaurant! It was stunning! The moment we stepped up to the huge hand-carved wooden elephant doors we were impressed.  Inside there are Kenyan touches in all of the decor. There are tables situated under a large fabric canopy and wooden trunks, making it feel like you are dining in a grove of shade trees on the African Savannah. A huge screen is running video of elephants on one wall. There are hand-carved ostrich egg lamps, and Kenyan crafts on display in the waiting area. 

We checked in for our lunch reservation (you have to reserve through Open Table or risk being shut out of this experience) and had a seat. As we waited for my name to be called I hoped we would be seated outside.  My wish came true! Not only were we seated on the outside patio, but we had, undeniably, the best seats available! We were front and center to the elephants. Directly in front of us was a pond and on the other side of it we enjoyed watching the ellies eat and take mud baths. It was glorious! 

The food was fabulous, and so was the service. There are plenty of vegan/vegetarian and gluten free options on the menu. We opted to share 3 items: Roasted Garlic Hummus with fresh made naan, Crisp Harissa Cauliflower with with tahini-lemon yogurt and chickpea leblebi, and crispy vegetable samosas.  I also enjoyed a Dawa, an drink made with vodka, lime,  and honey.  I kept the honey dripper for a souvenir!  For dessert we shared a small cake with gelato and dried fruit. 5 stars!

After lunch we walked upstairs (the wooden staircase is a work of art!) of the restaurant to check out the Ona Lounge. There is a small cover charge up there, but it looks lovely. I will check it out on another day. There are stunning views of Elephant Valley and they make refreshments crafted with premium spirits sourced from local distilleries from across Africa. I hear they have a small food menu as well. 

As we headed out of the park we were so happy and satisfied.  We lingered with the elephants for a few hours and had a delicious meal. The weather was perfect. It was a glorious day with a lovely friend.  I might add, that Lauren was a wonderful companion to visit the park with. She also used to work there, but as a tour guide! She knew every elephant by name and was knowledgeable about practically everything there. 

After a short rest at home, I joined my daughter, Katie, at The Grand Tea Room for 413 Repertory Theater's dress rehearsal of The Importance of Being Ernest. Since it was a preview show, we did not get high tea, only cookies, but the show was very fun! We got a lot of chuckles out of it.  

My 66th year is off to a great start. 

More pics here