Mom, can we get a poodle?

I really want a poodle.

Como, Some more

Making up for the cancelled trip....Lola (or sometimes Lucy) the red panda and Guarder the iguana.

No, they don't really hold hands like this. But they did because I asked nicely (and I'd just purchased them a new stuffed animal).

Yeah, 100 years old  in 2015 (just like Sister Helenette!)

Japanese Garden.

A lovely respite after a picnic lunch.

the koi! Oh-my-gosh!

One of them had to be a bit surly.

Kon'nichiwa!

And the tortoise.

A must.

Rest stop: Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison

I don't know how many times we have made the drive from MSP to Chicago. And even more than that how many times Mike has done the route on his own.  Over the long 4th of July weekend we did it again.

In the past we've made attempts to stop along the way (pink elephant statues? Check. Cheese stop? Check. Brewery tour? check. Storybook land garden? check....) This time we broke up the trip with an extended stop Madison, WI.

Namely at the zoo.

Henry Vilas Zoo.

Dad was convinced it was a worthy stop at "zoo"

I was convinced when I saw "free admission"

The kids?

They were convinced at "stop in the long drive" AND "zoo".

Win.

Who the heck is that?

The zoo is nicely situated in a park next to one of many Madison lakes.

It reminded me a lot of Como zoo.

But with some new expansions.

like this.

I'd say seal, but we're a month out and I don't remember if its a seal or sea lion.

MN Zoo Day!

This time with Grandma B!

We get discount tickets from work and have lunch on the grounds, the highlight of which is the face painters! What an amazing job :)

Day two, Chicago - Field Museum

Field Museum (a walk + El train + a walk!)

I could have sworn that the Norwegian way to pronounce Vikings was with a "W" sound rather than an English 'V'. Google isn't helping prove this.  It doesn't sound very viking-y when its wi-king. We didn't actually go to that exhibit...but whattaya gonna do? As Mike said "the banner is where the entrance is" Life lesson number 263 I guess.

We did see one of it's more famous inhabitants - Sue! So named for the archeologist that found her in South Dakota. And as captured in the above photo, someone had to stay close to Dad to get that close to Sue.

Zoe's a loon lover.

Good thing we live in Minnesota.

Owls! Mr. Science loves owls 

(and owl pellet investigation, if you remember from earlier this school year)

Last time we were this close to a peacock we were at the Brookfield Zoo 

(and it was proclaiming its glory)

"I wish my middle name was Zebra," said Zoe.

She did, she really said that.

One of the things we learned this year: An Emperor Penguin can be as big as a kindergartner. And based on their response, seeing wasn't believing ;)

Based on a quick google search to make sure I had the right type of penguin they can be bigger than your typical kindergartner.

So much to see and inspect!

No, she can't make a pyramid, even with some help. 

"Yeah! Mummies!"....."No! I don't want to see mummies!"

Can I tell you Zoe wasn't very excited or even mildly okay with being in the Mummy area of the museum? Freaks her out. And honestly it is a rather odd thing to peer at the wrapped up remains of someone under glass in a museum. But it's fascinating still.

 

Standing in the footprint of a dinosaur. Not TOGETHER, mind you...

Lion Scout!

A few months back the 'Reptile guy' did a demonstration for the pack and I noticed this photo recently on the Pack's blog.

Hayward (part 2): Sawyer County Fair

We started with a little dirt bike viewing.

Up a very steep path on the hillside.

Roman's take

And then a petting zoo.

Cows.

A standoffish lemur.

Roman's (happy) lemur.

"At the Fai"

A baby kangaroo that just wanted to nap.

I understand, little guy.

Goats.

Roman - with a little help from Dad.

"Goat feeding a Roman"

When one runs out of space, the words go wherever the fit.

It started out with "feeding" and progressed randomly on the page.

It took a little convincing by dad to get you two to hand feed these animals ("they're going to bite me"), but when you did...

Ah! That tickles!

This bunny was GIANT.

Zoe's  bunny.

And the sun. And some birds.

We got a kick out of the noisy chickens. Or roosters, or whatever.

Your dad was amazed at the price tag on the ones that were for sale. $15. Fifteen bucks? For a real chicken? I could see the wheels spinning in his head.

No.

No pet chicken.

Duck: $15

Stop it, Mike.

Veggie Races, something I'd never seen or even heard of. 

You got to pick our own vehicle.

Potato car for Zoe.

Cucumber Car for Roman.

Or Car Cucumber if you ran out of room on the page.

Ready...Set...

"You get this when you lose"

I did not prompt that. After the race, the 'losers' got a ribbon. The winner moved on to the next heat (which Zoe did do one time). The grand prize winner got a trophy. THAT would have been awesome.

Instead, on to the next...

Raise your Dilly Bars.

Dairy Queen Dilly bar = chocolate covered ice cream.

The age 5 and under crowd.

Who will finish their bar first?

Wonder how they'll do?

ONE of them was the Sawyer County Dilly Bar champ in their age bracket.

Which one?

Zoe!

We were so proud.

She didn't get a chance to finish.

but there was a countdown

And she beat another little boy who was chowing down.

No, not Roman.

I think she gets it from her mom. 

:) and :(

It wasn't until the lumberjack show (which we went to in the middle of our fair day) that I put together that "Sawyer" comes from 'one who saws.' Ah, brilliant. I told dad I like that name and he said "I think it's just because of Sawyer on 'Lost'." Ah, yeah, that doesn't hurt.

Pony rides!

Zoe was excited - 2nd time ever, both times this year.

And carnival rides? Yes!

The mini ferris wheel being one of them.

The entry ticket included entry onto all rides and there were several you'd partake in.

Wheeeeeee. 

Before the night's entertainment were the Smage Brothers who did stunts on their bikes.

Apparently they were on America's Got Talent.

Yipee. We did exactly one carnival game, the 'pick a duck' one that guaranteed a prize.

The prize? Roman got a sword and Zoe a dolphin.

She named it Olivia. It has eyelashes (which makes Zoe very happy).

The main attraction?

A demo derby.

It certainly is a sight to see.

Your Dad was hoping he'd win the raffle prize - a chance to drive in Sunday's Poorman's 

Racing, a Dirt Track race. They were providing a car and pit crew. Alas, he didn't win. Nor did I win the cash raffle.
Too bad we could have had a Dirt Track Date (see: Southern Culture on the Skids).
But we still had a really, really good time.
Because we entered our vacation with no expectations. It's easy to exceed that.