Over the weekend, Justin and I took Raylan on his first zoo trip. We wanted to go last year, but decided to wait until this year so he would be able to enjoy it more. Raylan is such an animal lover so I knew he would be really excited. 

We decided to go to Columbus Zoo this year. It is about a four hour drive for us, but it is so worth it. We ended up staying the night after the zoo, going out for dinner and shopped the next day before travelling back home.  Most Zoo's are about that distance or farther for us, so choosing a zoo was the only issue. I had been to Columbus Zoo years ago and I absolutely loved it, so I wanted Raylan to have the same experience that I did.  I'm thankful I was able to go back and take Raylan. Once we arrived and we through the gates, Raylan was amazed just like I knew he would be. There were so many things for him to see and do. Columbus even has  a water park, but we didn't do the water park. I wish now that we would have. Of course there were so many animals that he couldn't pet, but I'm glad they had replicas of the animals so that he could pet them. 

Raylan was amazed by the Gorillas, Monkeys and Turtles.  The Monkeys and the turtles were his absolute favorites. That is all he has talked about.

This little guy even came right up to the glass and just sat and watched Raylan. Raylan didn't know what to think about that lol.

These were the biggest turtles that I have ever seen.

He also loved the penguins. He just watched and watched them wobble around and jump in the water.

Columbus Zoo also had a little train that drove people around dressed up as animals. The animals sang and danced. That was definitely a highlight for Raylan.

The Elephants, Fish and Polar Bears were also his favorites.

We had such a wonderful time. I'm so thankful that the Lord blessed us to be able to take Raylan. We had fun filled weekend and made many wonderful memories. It was a much needed little break and mini vacation for us. The biggest enjoyment was seeing the continuous smiles on Raylan's face. He was one happy camper. We can't wait to go back!