One of the advantages of blogging is that, after you put in those long hours at the computer, sometimes you get invited out to events. One recent one was a "Bloggers Brunch at the Prospect Park Zoo".  The invite promised brunch (great- no cooking!), a time to see the baboons (cool!) and time with other bloggers (loved that!).  So, I packed Birch and Willow up on Saturday and drove to the zoo.  I have been known to get lost all the time so when I go to the zoo I always take the same route.  I take Washington Ave from Atlantic Ave all the way up until it deadends.  I can always find parking there. Though that zoo entrance is fairly dramatic, the bummer is there are about 90 steps to go down.  With a stroller this is a major pain.  I try and look miserable as I drag the stroller down and someone has always helped me. This time, a woman from Heart of Brooklyn, came to my aid. When we got to the middle of the stairs, a park employee met us halfway and told us that there was a handicapped and stroller friendly entrance at Empire/Ocean Ave and Flatbush Ave. OHHHH! I never knew this. I know I am not the only one. So, in the interest of you all I went and checked the stroller/handicapped access out. It has a turnabout with some iron posts. It looks like one of those places that was "something" but lost its original purpose. However, this is the entrance.  Once you go in, turn right and you will pass the Lefferts House and the carousel (beware of this: your child will beg you to go on the carousel the moment the music starts up or they spy the whirling horses), but you have arrived! You are at the zoo.

(PHOTOS: courtesy of ABritInBrooklyn…top is Birch checking out the baboons)

A couple of things that were new for me this time at the zoo:

• The carousel has a great food stand- I bought just ripe bananas and those delicious Animal Cookies. The woman at the stand couldn’t have been nicer. The carousel is open Thursday through Sunday.
• There are some fun kid niches at the zoo: a series of bronze lily pads in a small pool of water that are just right for little feet, a gnarly roped spider web that is a blast to climb on and hang out, some enormous eggs that kids can curl up in as if they just hatched and lastly, kangaroos that can jump over the ropes and cross your path.
• The baboons will pass right in front of the glass and stare at you. This is a HUGE hit for both kids and adults. There is a great sitting area at the baboon habitat so you can rest your feet and watch your kids run back and forth in front of the windows with the baboons.
• The kangaroos can hop back and forth over your path! This was thrilling.

One of the bloggers, A Brit in Brooklyn, took some fantastic photographs.  I hope he doesn’t mind I am posting a couple here. ClintonHillBlog was also there and is posting a haunted house of the week for the month.

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