Long ago, I visited the San Diego Zoo...you know, in childhood. I don't remember much about the trip (which was combined with the obligatory trip to Sea World), so I thought I would go back in adulthood and see what the fuss was all about.
I've been to many zoos in my lifetime and honestly this seemed to be just another one of them. Only it was more expensive and crowded. Sure there were some interesting exhibits, but none that made this zoo stand out from other large city zoos. I have a feeling that I might enjoy their wild animal park more, though I do wish there had been a baby panda bear when I visited!
On a good note, parking is not an issue here, as Balboa Park has many parking lots for you to choose from and they provide a shuttle to take you directly to the admission doors. Also you can buy a combo ticket for the zoo and other attractions at Balboa Park for a fairly reasonable cost, so you can see a bit of everything.
One cool feature is that they keep the zoo open late at night in the summers. This way you can avoid the inevitable sunburns, and there are less screaming children around.
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