You Should Go

Today, a trip to the African Lion Safari. There was excitement all around: I've wanted to go since I was a kid. I was always curious about what happened to the animals come winter. Now I wonder about them spending their days breathing in car exhaust. If you're not from these parts, the Safari is a drive-through zoo. Essentially. You pass through a Jurassic Park-ish gate, plastered with warnings to not feed the animals, lock your doors and, for the love of god, roll up your windows. From the air conditioned and snack-filled comfort of your car you wind and wend your way through the savannah where zebras, rhinos, giraffe, a magnificent pride of lions and one very cranky ostrich do their thing, mostly oblivious to the long line of mini vans snaking past. If you're lucky - or if you've smeared your windshield with mashed banana (an illicit move but an effective one) - baboons will swarm your car and hitch a ride on the roof. The Safari did not disappoint. There's a nostalgia about it I can't quite explain. Of course that might have been triggered by the jalopy Cadillac in front of us with two kids in the front seat squished between grandma, whose ciggie dangled out the window the entire way, and dad, driving with a third tot on his lap, one hand on the wheel, the other clutching a camera phone. Every window in the car rolled down and the kids hand-feeding the zebras cheese puffs. It was outrageous, of course, but boy it brought back memories. Bottom line: you should go. The Safari rocks.