Ohio family travels to 52 zoos in 52 weeks

  Bet Ranchipur the elephant remembers the
  Taviano family's visit to the SD Zoo.
   Photo: The Associated Press

Such headlines from some, doubting a middle-American family's veracity. . .

"Ohio family claims to hit 52 zoos in 52 weeks"

"Claims?"

The only question from here is, "Man, why on Earth would someone want to make something like this up?"

The Taviano family of Columbus, Ohio set out to visit that many zoos in that many weekends, and word via the Associated Press is, they finished up last weekend at their hometown zoo.

Marla Taviano, her husband and three daughters began last August with the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky and spent weekends and vacations going to zoos across the country. Their visits included the Dallas Zoo, New York's Central Park Zoo and the San Diego Zoo

According to their itinerary, they passed through San Diego in mid-July, and made it a "two-fer," and a "bonus."

In one of her posts, Mrs. Taviano reports her family stayed in this area with "Monica" who she had not met prior to launching this quest. Was unable to find any of her impressions of the local zoos. Must have fallen behind on the site updates in all the running around.

Sigh.

Guess we'll have to wait. Taviano plans to write a book about the entire experience, but posted this on her blog about their post-quest  celebration this past weekend:

 "We’re blessed. No two ways about it. I have a sentence in my brain that’s just BEGGING to come out through my fingers. But I’ve gotta save it for the book. I’ve spilled too much already. Suffice it to say that we asked God for one thing, and He gave us something else. And we’ll never ask for what WE want again. Because His ways are un-bee-leeeee-vably BETTER."

Can't wait for the hardcover.

More information: Wild! Ohio family visits 52 zoos in 52 weeks