{"id":680,"date":"2010-06-12T21:54:24","date_gmt":"2010-06-13T04:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/?p=680"},"modified":"2010-06-28T05:23:07","modified_gmt":"2010-06-28T12:23:07","slug":"the-washington-zoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/?p=680","title":{"rendered":"The Washington Zoo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Big trip for the Mitchell family. Erika&#8217;s cousin Heather was graduating from high school in Fredericksburg, Virginia. So we packed up half the house into the car, grabbed the girls and drove the 7+ hours to Virginia. Nearly all of Erika&#8217;s family were expected to be there, most staying in Erika&#8217;s aunt and uncle&#8217;s house. So, we expected the weekend to be filled with adventure.<\/p>\n<p>First stop was the Washington Zoo. Now, on paper, this didn&#8217;t look like a great idea. We were going to goto Washington DC, on a Friday and brave traffic, subway, Zoo, crowds, heat and who knows what else for a glimpse of some animals. We are usually not ones to shy away from an adventure, so we agreed when Erika&#8217;s cousin promised that all would be easy.<\/p>\n<p>5 children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years went with 6 adults. We drove, then took 2 different trains and then walked another half mile to get to the zoo. That&#8217;s a 2 hour trip to travel the 40+ miles between Aunt Lori&#8217;s house and the Zoo. However, we made it in one piece with smiles intact&#8230;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_681\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2743.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-681\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-681\" title=\"IMG_2743\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2743-300x167.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2743-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2743-150x83.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2743-400x223.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2743.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-681\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Welcome to the Zoo!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Yes, of course we took a picture of our family!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_682\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2758.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-682\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-682\" title=\"IMG_2758\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2758-300x196.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2758-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2758-150x98.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2758-400x262.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2758.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-682\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Mitchell Family!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Once in the Zoo, Mira grabbed a few kids and heading straight to the mist machine. Running and getting wet. That&#8217;s what it&#8217;s about to a four year old. We could have probably save ourselves 4+ hours of travel if we just would have turned on the hose at Lori and George&#8217;s house.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_683\" style=\"width: 291px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2765.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-683\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-683\" title=\"IMG_2765\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2765-281x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"281\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2765-281x300.jpg 281w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2765-140x150.jpg 140w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2765-400x426.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2765.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Are you wet yet?<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We spent some time looking at animals, but quite frankly Mira was not terribly interested in animals that should couldn&#8217;t touch or ride. And of course, we all know that a giant panda would sooner maul her than actually take Mira for a ride. Mira did find a giant statute of a griffin that she was able to sit on and pose for a bit. You can see how hot and humid it was. Take a look at those crazy curls!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_684\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2799.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-684\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-684\" title=\"IMG_2799\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2799-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2799-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2799-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2799-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2799.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-684\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">So content...<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Cousin Darcy eventually found her way onto the griffin and we were lucky enough to find out how Darcy wasn&#8217;t sharing her turn with Mira. Gotta love watching little girls argue about sitting on a statue that they didn&#8217;t know existed 3 seconds earlier. And the best part is that Darcy isn&#8217;t really talking that much yet, so mostly it&#8217;s just Mira screaming that, &#8220;Darcy&#8217;s not listening!&#8221; They did make up shortly after this as we found yet another mister and it was time to get wet again!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_685\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2836.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-685\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-685\" title=\"IMG_2836\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2836-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2836-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2836-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2836-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2836.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Summer and water<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We started to get a bit hungry after this and cousin Heather, who was kind enough to let us drag her all over the zoo got Mira a treat. You know it as a lemon chill. However, you will be surprised to find out that it&#8217;s actually, &#8220;Vanilla ice cream.&#8221; And Mira was only happy enough to have cousin Heather, feed her some vanilla ice cream.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_686\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2856.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-686\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-686\" title=\"IMG_2856\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2856-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2856-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2856-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2856-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2856.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-686\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mmmm, lemony!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Yes, Mira is wearing a pink zoo hat. And yes I did get suckered into buying it for her. Does that really surprise you at this point?<\/p>\n<p>We packed things up shortly after this and tried our best to smile for the 2+ hours of brutal travel back to Lori and George&#8217;s house. On the train ride back, Erika&#8217;s cousin Jeremy and his son Jaden kept Mira very entertained!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_687\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2881.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-687\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-687\" title=\"IMG_2881\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2881-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2881-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2881-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2881-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2881.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-687\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Good times!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>And yes, Luna and Erika were there all day. They are troopers. Here they are on the train ride back.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_688\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2873.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-688\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-688\" title=\"IMG_2873\" src=\"http:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2873-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2873-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2873-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2873-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/IMG_2873.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-688\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Four girls<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We had a wonderful time at the zoo. I&#8217;m sure that the highlight for Mira was the water mist machines and the vanilla ice cream. Yeah, four bucks and a hose would have probably done the same thing. But then again, I wouldn&#8217;t have anything to write about and our lives would be simple and uneventful.<\/p>\n<p>Up next, the big party and then a trip to the pool!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Big trip for the Mitchell family. Erika&#8217;s cousin Heather was graduating from high school in Fredericksburg, Virginia. So we packed up half the house into the car, grabbed the girls and drove the 7+ hours to Virginia. Nearly all of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/?p=680\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[18,39,22,21,19,38],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/poxeM-aY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=680"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":690,"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680\/revisions\/690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchellstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}