HOT DAY

On a beautiful hot day in Aug 2018 we, Amanda & Adam, had only been dating for a month. Adam had an annual pass to the Oregon Zoo so we decided to see all the sights. There are rumors that zoos have unicorns. We just had to go and explore… and keep our eyes on the lookout for unicorns because you just never know.

THAT SKY

The sky was a perfect blue and the clouds were soft, super white clouds just right for photos. We headed early on our adventures to see the elephants. They’re just so fun. Some trainers were working with them and generously giving treats. We couldn’t help but notice that the sky above looked incredible.

ELEPHANT EARS

How can you go somewhere like the zoo and not get some food? We stopped to get an Elephant Ear. We’re pretty sure those are mandatory. No? This visit was no exception. It makes the tongue get watery just thinking about them.

BIRDS

Adam especially loved the bird area. It’s a small area compared to the other exhibits but visually exploding with things to see. It had such beautiful and colorful birds, one of which reminded Amanda of a Jim Henson Muppet. It’s like if an artist started grabbing all the most vibrant colors. Many of the other animals in the zoo have more neutral color tones to help blend in with their backgrounds but not these birds. They are bright and cheerful. Chirping and flying. So full of energy.

CHILLIN’

On a hot day doesn’t it zap the energy out of you? The Oregon had several different kinds of large cats. Lions, cheetahs, jackals and more. All of them had found a nice spot in the shade and were lounging. Cats already love to nap but with all this hot weather they were especially down to do some rest and relaxation.

SKINCARE

In one exhibit they had alligators or crocodiles. We aren’t sure. But we do know that their skin was very rough and tough. They clearly haven’t been using their lotion and keeping up on their skin hydration 😉

BEAR

In the North America section of the zoo they had some bears. Like the other animals they were just ready for a bedtime story and some Zzzzzzzzs. They had nothing on their to do list for the day. Just hanging and living the dream.

GOATS

Adam had a friend that went on a big backpacking trip shortly before this Aug trip to the zoo. His friend ran into some Mountain Goats in the wild and they charged her and her boyfriend. She tripped and fell. Dropping her phone and leaving it behind to save her life.

In contrast, when Adam and Amanda saw mountain goats at the zoo, they seemed pretty relaxed. The heat was causing them to start shedding a layer of fur. Oh, and there was a super cute baby goat. It knew it was cute too. It kept standing poised and still ready for a photo shoot. Awe jyeah!

GIFT SHOP

When we reached the end of our journey, we stopped at the gift shop. Unicorn merch was really starting to become popular. We were hoping to find some unicorn gifts. Keychains, plush animals, anything. But no. Such a letdown. They hadn’t jumped on the unicorn wagon yet. Maybe next time. However, we did find a super cute small door for kids to use to go in and out the gift shop with a sign above it that read “Junior Zoo Keeper.” Adam had to pause to see if he could fit and it worked out to be just right!

BONUS

Adam went to the Zoo in Phoenix, AZ in August about 10 years ago. At the time he lived down there. One thing the Zoo did that was different than the norm was they partnered with a local energy company and brought in huge mounds of ice for each exhibit. It was about 115 degrees out so the animals were lounging around these mountains of ice. That zoo also has mist sprayers and giant fans for both the people and the animals to cool off a little bit. It was still so hot though!

About us: We live by the motto, “My unicorns made me do it.” Subscribe if you like to smile. And. Thanks for reading our blog! ~ by Amanda & Adam