Holiday Cheer: ZooLights

Friday, 23 December

We took advantage of unseasonably warm weather — talking in the mid-50F (13C) range, with no hint of snow  — to do one more “holiday cheer” outing before Christmas.

Rather than fight the traffic and the parking crowds, I took the metro into DC and met up with Mui for a quick bite to eat at Cosi.  Then, our tummies sated, we hopped on the red line train to the Woodley Park/Zoo Station.  A short 5-minute walk from there put us at Zoolights at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

It was still light out, so we opted to wade through the growing crowd and walk the main path through the grounds to the far end of the zoo first.  By the time we reached the lion enclosures, it was dark enough to enjoy the shimmering lights.

As might be expected from a light display at the zoo, the theme was “animals.”  From elephants, to pandas, to lions, and tigers; from an anteater snacking on its favorite critters, to a leaping frog, to cuddling monkeys, and a prairie dog popping in and out of its hole — there were electrified animals around every corner.  Real animals, though, were already tucked away in their bedrooms and nowhere to be seen.  We knew that would be the case, but from the whining we heard from the kids and adults around us, many were disappointed that they were not included in the festivities.

Here’s a glimpse into the sights and sounds of holiday cheer that we enjoyed as we made our way through the zoo.

Eventually, we returned to where we started and slipped into the visitor center to check out the miniature train exhibit.  Since that was too much movement for my camera, I focused on the ceramic Christmas village display and the entries into the “Gin-GRRR-bread Habitat” contest instead.

Admittedly, after having enjoyed the Garden Fest at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond (post here) and the fabulous Longwood Garden lights and fountain show (post here), ZooLights was not as impressive.  But that didn’t stop us from having a really good time; and it was free to boot.