We live in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the Henry Doorly Zoo, a wonderful place to lose yourself for hours. I grew up a block away from the zoo and consider it one of my old 'stomping' grounds. Prior to becoming the world renown zoo that it is now, it was called Riverview Park. In 1898 Riverview Park was part of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition. The next time you watch the original WIZARD OF OZ with Judy Garland, look at the hot air balloon Dorothy is going to use to return to Kansas....it says STATE FAIR Omaha!
Anyway we, the neighborhood kids, would play softball where the antelopes now roam, make dams in the stream that wanders through the park, ending in a big lagoon where we would ice skate in winter. Things have changed a lot in those 60 years...but is it still a wonderful place for kids.
We took our almost 4 year old grandson to the park on Friday....we wanted to see the new Madagascar exhibit and show Andrew the baby animals.....he has been to the zoo many times in his young life and thoroughly enjoys walking the paths in the Lied Jungle, seeing the monkeys high in the tree tops and hearing their screeching calls. We were there from 10 Am to 3 Pm and had a great time......Andrew ran, climbed and splashed his way
through everything he could find.
But, by 3 o'clock, he was ready to have a drink of water and settle back in his car seat for the ride home. We are so fortunate to have our grandchildren in Omaha where we can call their parents at a moment's notice and say "Hey, we'd like to take Andrew, Rebecca, Jenny, Austin, Mason, Connor or Hayden to the zoo with us for the day"
Riverview Park aka The Henry Doorly Zoo
