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Field Trip Fridays: Henry Doorly Zoo
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Henry Doorly Zoo
One of the bonuses that I have enjoyed as a homeschooling mom is the freedom to travel with my kids. Crossing the Mississippi River is a whole lot more exciting than just reading about it in a book, for example. I realize that not all families can travel to where ever they would like to study about. But I thought I would share some extended field trips we have taken that weren’t any farther than an eight hour drive from Denver.
The first trip we will explore is to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. Now don’t stop reading just because I spoke of Nebraska, because a lot of families aren’t familiar with this amazing zoo. I was first introduced to the Henry Doorly Zoo when my kids were one and two years old. We drove from Des Moines, where we lived at the time. The trip was about a three hour drive or so. Back then we made it a day trip. But when we moved back to Denver and our kids got older we realized how much we missed this great zoo. We have since visited it twice.
This zoo combines the vast acreage of animals plus: An aquarium, a three story indoor jungle, a dome which has a desert on the main floor and the largest indoor swamp below. They just added a butterfly pavilion and a Skyfari to view the zoo from the top! This zoo has just about everything a home-school parent would dream of. They even have an entire section devoted to home-schools on their website.
If you are considering visiting the zoo plan to spend two days there to see everything so you won’t feel rushed. Plus there is an amazing train families can catch to tote them around this massive zoo. The kids will be mesmerized by the shark tunnel and the albino alligators. The monkeys that squawk and run around the three story jungle makes everyone laugh. The last time we visited, they were completing the butterfly pavilion, but I am sure that it is beautiful like everything else they have done.
If looking on line there are lots of hotels that offer discounts that combine the zoo with staying at their particular hotel. Downtown Omaha has a wonderful area that has great restaurants to dine at. Driving in you might want to stop off at the SAC Museum. Depending on the interest a family could stay a few hours to half a day. On the back stop off at the Pioneer Village where a family can go back in time and view items and how they have progressed over a hundred years. We loved both of these places and only took a few hours in each museum.
We love visiting in the spring because it isn't too hot yet, but it pleasant enough to stay outdoors all day long. I hope you will be able to visit this amazing zoo!
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