Lions, Tigers & Bears | Hogle Zoo | Free | Field Trippin'

I'm sure awful at planning things sometimes. I honestly believe that sometimes I work much better in chaos. Which is why we found ourselves at Hogle Zoo last month on their Free Admissions day. I called my friend, grabbed the grandma from work and headed for a cold January day at the Zoo!

Tomorrow it’s Wild Wednesday – your chance to enjoy Hogle Zoo for free! So clear the calendar, bundle up the kids and go forth, it's going to be in the 40s people.

Honestly, it wasn't that busy. We arrived around 10:30 or so. So the crowds weren't quite in full force yet. We spent quite a bit of time staring into the awesome black orb right at the front gate. It's a good place to grab some pictures and get the game plan going. Also, it's right next to the Giraffe area, which wasn't open yet.

Because it was so cold, many of the animals weren't out. My kids didn't mind though. I think they were just happy to be outside running around. I did make sure to bundle them up, but little good it does right? Kids are like little mini furnaces, especially when running through the zoo.

Besides, it's such a cool place that the kids love to check out all the new surroundings.

There were some noisy birds running around, so my kids loved that.

The monkey house was crazy. My kids love monkeys and they were quite happy to put on a show for everyone.

Even this lioness was out sunbathing in the chilly air.

Who doesn't love to watch the peacocks?

The baby elephant was quite adorable. I'm not even sure how it got this around it's legs, but it loved playing in it.

This elephant was being sneaky.

I don't know what's on the other side of the gate, but he(?) kept putting his trunk under it and pulling out treats. Then he was stick his back leg out to help get whatever was back there.

We stopped by the carousel (why do I always forget the zoo has a carousel?!) to have a picnic on a blanket. Again, it was cold, but man, kids REALLY don't care. Plus it was in the sunshine, so sometimes it was quite warm. They plopped right down to eat their little lunches and then ran around the plaza exploring.

I was actually quite surprised how active many of the big cats were. I'm pretty sure I've never seen the bobcats move. This time they were walking around and interacting with the crowds.

Even the sheep were out banging their heads together.

I hear the Zoo Lights are pretty awesome, I bet this bridge looks so cool. One day we'll make it there.

The last we had been to the zoo, it was for Aiko's 2nd birthday, she's going to be 4 this year.  She loved it then, she loved it now. Her favorite part happens to be the sea lions. Luckily, it also happens to be in a building so there was a nice heater going.

Little man seemed quite impressed with the sea lions too.

As always, we have to get our picture by the awesome Gorillas to see how big we've grown!

Was it worth going to zoo in freezing weather? Honestly, I say yes! Beats the heat and the crowds weren't too bad in the morning. After lunch, it starts to get a little crazy, so try and go right when it opens. I also think the zoo is the perfect size. For my 3.5 year old and 2 year old it was the perfect amount. They walked most of it themselves. There is also construction going on, so the main playground isn't open, but there is still plenty to see and do!