Travel | Jacksonville Zoo

So in case you don't follow me on social media (@estherlaurien on twitter and instagram!) I am currently in Jacksonville, Florida for two sweaty weeks visiting my sister and her family. She just had a third baby girl in May, so I am loving snuggling with her and running around with the older two (ages 7 and 3). Naturally, we all love the zoo and Jax has a really nice one to boot!

I thought I would just give a little bit of an overview over what the Jax Zoo has to offer. First off, since it's in Florida it's open pretty much all the time. Besides having an awesome array of animals to look at, they also have "experiences" that involve things like:

• Airboat and kayak rentals
• Behind the scence tours
• Bird Watching
• Butterfly Hollow
• A Play Park and Splash Pad
• Stingray Bay

...and so many more. Some of them cost extra, some of them don't. If there is something that catches your eye, I suggest looking into it before going so you can see if costs more or not.

Obviously the main attraction at a zoo is the animals. Jax certainly has a ton of those, broken down into about 12 different exhibits.

• Titanoboa: Prehistoric mega snake
• The newest exhibit with lots of large snakes.
• Wild Florida
• 2.5 acres of natural wetlands that are home to native animals like: alligators, black bears, red wolves, whooping cranes, bald eagles, bobcats and more.
• River Valley Aviary
• Home to exotic birds such as: yellow-billed storks, white-bellied bustard, southern screamer and many, many more. 
• Range of the Jaguar
• This exhibit is set up like an abandoned Mayan temple, with breathtaking views of the jaguar. You can also see poison dart frogs, pygmy marmosets, anteaters, otters, turtles and more.
• Plains of East Africa
• This exhibit consists of a 1400 foot long boardwalk and open air environments for animals such as: warthog, bongo, cheetah, rhino, elephant, lion and more.
• Monsoon Asia
• A tranquil garden inspired by Asian culture with a Moon Bridge, Koi Pond, Lotus Pool and waterfalls. There is also a Komodo Dragon exhibit.
• Great Apes
• There are 3 types of primates in this exhibit: apes, monkeys and prosimians. All are seen in this exhibit.
• Giraffe Outlook
• An elevated viewing platform so you can get eye to eye with giraffes!
• Australian Adventure
• Includes views of animals like the: red kangaroo, wallaby and cassowary.
• Land of the Tiger
• This is a stunning 2.5 acre exhibit with innovative trails for the three Malayan and two Sumatran tigers that call this home.
• Save the Frogs: Amphibian Conservation Center
• This allows visitors to see some threatened amphibians, hear the sounds of some that are already extinct and to learn about what they can do to help.
• Stingray Bay
• You can pet and feed stingrays (for an additional cost). Houses 5 different types of stingrays and a horseshoe crab as well.

If you ever find yourself in the Jacksonville area and have a day to kill, this zoo is the place to go. Word of advice though: $4 zoo day seems like a great idea, but trust me - the chaos that ensues is NOT worth it.

Vacation Life | little talbot island state park

While visting family in Jacksonville, Florida -- we were led to Little Talbot Island State Park. We were on the hunt for a clean, family-friendly, fishing-friendly beach and LTISP delivered.

We went on a Monday, and it was pretty much deserted. There were a few people fishing, around 3:00 a few families arrived, but there was so much space you didn't feel cramped or like you were intruding on others beach day. The cost to park the car was $5, and you can buy a season pass. I believe it costs $120/year but it gets you into ALL Florida state parks -- there is a military discount as well. 

We drove down the main road, and you pass the first beach area and keep driving for a little ways. Then you will reach the end of that road and another parking lot -- this is where we went. Now, I'm not going to lie --its a bit of a walk. BUT -- it is SO worth it.

There are more than 5 miles of white, sandy beaches along with a variety of landscapes and animals. They were flying the purple flag when we were there, which means "dangerous marine life", because I guess there is an area quite far out that sharks swim through. We saw nothing dangerous of the sort during the 4+ hours we were there -- including a swim out to the sand bar. Update: we have gone two more times and both time tides were out when we arrived and we saw a lot more wildlife. We saw a bunch starfish, some jellyfish and a GIANT horseshoe crab. 

There are also campsites available. We did not camp, so for more information on that visit this website.

There are also hiking trails, great fishing and surfing. We truly enjoyed our day there and are making plans to go again soon!

Weekly Wrap-up | photo.a.day

Another weekly wrap up for the books! These are photos from 6/14-6/18 and all of them are from while I am in Florida visiting family! The prompts are from Fat Mum Slim and her photoaday challenge, check it out!

14. cross. i took this picture at an origami owl party (google it). i was at my sisters friends house and as we were walking out the door, i saw this pretty cross hanging in her hallway...so i creepily took a picture of it. 

15. lovely. now, i am in the minority here, but i don't like to be hot. hot = sweaty = annoyed esther. BUT, being in the water when it is hot out is lovely. so i took a picture of the empty lounge chairs at the pool.

16. in the shadows. we were at the beach, little talbot island state park, and i pretty much stayed in the water the whole time. but when i wasn't in the water, i was in the shadows under the beach umbrella.

17. peaceful. this is my sisters cat, minnow. he was being super snuggly and napping. 

18. quirky. this is my 6 year old niece, E. she is a quirky kid, she always wears socks up to her knees to go to bed, she has a super specific way that her bed needs to be made and she hates kisses (sad face).

Stay tuned for the next weekly wrap-up!!!

High Five for Friday | link-up

Once again, will be linking up at thelaurenelizabeth.com! Hope everyone had a great week, mine was full of water and fun activities with family in Florida! 

1. 

We went to beautiful little talbot island state park on Monday. The weather was perfection, the water was crystal clear and so refreshing. I got sunburned (*shakes fist*) but it was still a great day spent playing mermaids.

2. 

 

 

My sister and her husband went away for the night, a much needed mini-vacation for the two of them. I happily babysat these two cuties-I love the opportunity to help my sister out AND have quality time with my favorite nieces!

3. 

I have been able to have some snuggles with this cutie. He may bat at my feet all night long, but he is cute so I allow it.

4. 

We went to Aquatica in Orlando -- it's a few hours away so while i did not take my phone into the park, I did snap this car selfie on the drive down.

5. I also went bridesmaid dress shopping with my sister and oldest niece. We had a "special" day with E, and hit up some stores and did some wedding thangs. 6 months away...oy vey!