Toledo Weekend

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October 27, 2025 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

For my third child’s homeschool high school graduation celebration, we went to Toledo for a weekend in June 2025.

We stopped in Lima for lunch at Kewpee Burgers.

We visited the zoo on a perfect cooler day. It started out rainy but cleared up nicely.

It was a highlight to pet the sturgeons!

We were so tired that we found a little place near our Perrysburg hotel for dinner: Basil Pizza & Wine Bar.

The art museum is wonderful.

There’s a lovely classics exhibit with a fun theatre, and African art, and so many pieces we have studies over the years – and outside sculptures and a glass building. It’s a lot!

We had dinner at Souk Mediterranean Kitchen and Bar and it was delicious!

We stopped at several record stores, thrift shops, and the Maumee Antique Mall on the way home.

It was a unique way to celebrate a high school graduation, even though Akantha has attended a local university for three years already!

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Toledo Zoo

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October 10, 2022 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Tori had a field trip to Toledo with ODNR.

We released tagged baby sturgeons into the Maumee River.

We blew our babies a little kiss and blessed them as we released them into the big river.

We got to see the Aquarium and some buildings in the Toledo Zoo. I want to go back with the whole family to tour it all.

The buildings date back to the WPA during the Great Depression.

We got to pet sturgeon!

My favorite part was the jungle room with the frogs just running wild.

The reptile room was awesome too.

Look at this peaceful Sonoran Desert Toad.

I want to go see the orchid show and visit the entire zoo.

Visit the Toledo Zoo.

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

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July 15, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is a great field trip!

We sang Barbara Manatee:

Lioness does the blep:

We were all so tickled watching the baby rhino romp and frolic.

I bet the poor polar bear was awful hot.

I wonder what she’s thinking about?

The viewing area for Baby Fiona was madness, but I snapped a photo!

Visit the Cincinnati Zoo.

Price Ranges

Adults: $15-22 Child: $9-16 Senior: $9-16

Buy tickets online before you go.

Parking is $10.00 and is purchased at the Zoo.

Military discount for all military personnel and their families. This discount is for $3 off adults and $2 off children. Military ID is required to receive discount and may only be obtained at the Cincinnati Zoo ticketing windows and is NOT available online.

Hours

The Zoo is open January 1st – December 31st at 10am. The Zoo is closed on December 25 only.

January 2 – March 8: 10am-5pm
March 9 – May 24: 10am-5pm
May 25 – September 2: 10am-6pm
September 3 – October 31: 10am-5pm
November 1 – November 15: 10am-5pm
November 16 – January 4: PNC Festival of Lights – 10am-9pm (Sundays-Thursdays)/ 10am-10pm (Fridays-Saturdays)

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Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

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July 8, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We went to Columbus zoo for their FREE military day over the July 4th holiday weekend.

We arrived at 9 AM opening and went straight for the aquarium and Australia part in the back, took an ice cream break, then worked our way around the front part – North America, Africa, and Asia. We finished by about 2 PM.

We loved the manatee rehabilitation center!

Three kookaburras were in the aviary.

We were able to walk through the kangaroo habitat. We were *this close* to the roos!

We were tickled to see the gibbon baby!

Their fur ranges from white to black and everything in between.

This gorgeous Komodo dragon posed for me!

We were very, very hot by this point. As were the lionesses, apparently.

We really, really love bats.

Red pandas are in fact Pokémon.

We had a great time at the zoo!

Visit Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Summer hours 9-7.

$10 car parking fee.

Adults $21.99 Children 3-9 $16.99 Seniors $16.99 Under 3 FREE

Active and Non-active duty military personnel receive a $2 discount on up to 6 tickets when they show a valid military ID.

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Newport Aquarium

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July 8, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We visited Newport Aquarium in July 2018. It’s technically in Kentucky, right over the river.

Read about about the white alligators at Newport Aquarium.

We loved the Ray Tunnel.

We were amazed and fascinated by shark egg cases and baby sharks!

Jellyfish are so beautiful and peaceful.

This is why we came!

The Shark Tank Overlook!

Shark Bridge is the one of the only suspension bridges in North America where guests can walk just inches above over a dozen sharks. This V-shaped rope bridge is 75-feet long and is suspended over the open water of the 385,000 gallon Surrounded by Sharks exhibit. The Shark Bridge experience is included with admission or annual pass.

Visit Newport Aquarium.

There are usually lots of deals and coupons, so be sure to check online before you go! Hours are generally 9-7.

ADULTS – AGES 13+	CHILD – AGES 2-12
^$25⁹⁹	^$17⁹⁹

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Kaiserslautern Wildpark

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June 7, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

A great hike on a pretty day is the FREE Kaiserslautern Wildpark, across from the Quack restaurant, near the Volkspark.

There’s a little parking lot. It’s good to get there early, before the crowds.

Hiking trails meander all through the forest, under the train tunnel. We easily did a 3-mi hike in under 2 hours, stopping to see the animals and pet the deer.

There’s a little water fountain that is perfect to wash hands afterwards.

The first enclosure has deer and goats.

The goats were curious, but didn’t come close to the fence.

This one deer trotted right over to check us out and get petted.

Our favorites were the baby pigs!

There are also cows.

This fluffy Highland cow kept rubbing his face on the fence to be petted.

And there are several horses.

The two lynxes were sleeping, but we could see them in the bushes.

There’s a great viewing platform to view the bison.

There are benches and picnic tables all along the paths. It’s a great place for a picnic. We saw lots of families and couples enjoying the warm sunny weather. Some even had mountain bikes on the trails.

We enjoyed walking and listening to the birds and seeing the animals. I can’t believe it’s FREE and there’s not even a donation box that I saw.

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Naturwildpark Freisen

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June 7, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Naturwildpark Freisen is a great day trip.

It’s probably our favorite Wildpark.

The bags of food actually last a good while if you’re careful and keep them away from the greedy goats!

This one followed us for a loooong time.

My son was thrilled to see his favorite animal: FOXES.

There are lots of goats and deer and pigs wandering around.

Liz met an emu. She came running from the far side of her enclosure to meet Liz. They were both thrilled with each other.

There’s a bird of prey area with vultures, owls, hawks, and African sea eagle.

There were lots of peacocks around, screaming and displaying their plumage.

We got see the otter get fed.

We were thrilled to see the kangaroo mom and joey!

There’s a monkey habitat.

It’s a nice walk around the park, seeing and feeding the animals.

Hours and Admission

Summer from 01.03. – 14.11.
Parking: 10.00 am until nightfall.
Closing time: 18:00

Summer Entrance fees:
Adults: € 8,00
Children (3-12 years) : € 5,00

Winter from 15.11. – 28.02.
Parking: 10.00 am until nightfall.
Closing time: 16:00

Winter Entrance fees:
Adults: € 5,00
Children (3-12 years) : € 3,00

There is no bird show in the winter months. Park is closed in December and January. Dogs are permitted, except in the falconry, on a leash. A visit in bad weather conditions (snow, ice, & wetness) is not possible due to accident risks. When the ticket office is closed, the park entrance fee is collected by employees in the park.

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Monkey Mountain

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December 1, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Our whole family enjoyed a visit to Monkey Mountain, La Montagne des Singes.

This zoo is about 45 minutes from Strasbourg, so it’s a perfect side trip.

Information:

More than 200 Barbary macaques roam free in 60 acres of beautiful forest.

The visit lasts approximately one hour
The path is 800 meters long
No pets are allowed in the park
Popcorn given at the entrance is the only food allowed in the park
Feeding talks are about every 45 minutes

The guide at the entrance opens the gate and scoops out about a handful of popcorn for each group. There are guides posted around the park to ensure safety of both the humans and monkeys.

The boys were a bit nervous at first.

The kids enjoyed feeding the monkeys.

Only 1 piece of popcorn in a flat, outstretched palm.

The monkeys interested in eating perched on the fences and benches.

I felt like I was in my very own National Geographic special – up close with all these gorgeous monkeys!

I love how the babies get piggyback rides.

There’s a lookout point on a hill that gives a nice view of much of the park.

This little guy was all by himself, playing on the logs at the base of this tree.

These acrobatic monkeys romped on the ropes and tree. One fell in the water and looked mighty embarrassed.

These “teenage” monkeys displayed by shaking this sign and screaming.

I made sure everyone had fed the monkeys plenty before I had my turn. They’re very quick and gentle with soft fingers.

This was a memorable trip. The kids all loved seeing the monkeys up close and feeding them!

Opening times 2016:

Open every day from 19 March to 6 November. Also open on the 11, 12 and 13 November.

March*, April: 10.00-12.00 / 13.00-17.00
May, June: 10.00-12.00 / 13.00-18.00
1st July – July 10: 10.00 to 18.00
July 11 to August 23: 9.30 to 18.00
August 24 to Aug 31: 10:00 to 18.00
September: 10.00-12.00 / 13.00-18.00
October, November**: 10.00-12.00 / 13.00-17.00

* from the 19 March
** only from the 1 to 6 and on the 11, 12, and 13 November

On Sundays and Bank holidays, the park is open without a break at lunchtime.

Last entrance: ½ hour before the park closes

Prices 2016:

Adults 9,00 €
Children (5 to 14 years old) Free

Monkey Mountain is about 2.5 hours from Ramstein and 3.5 hours from Spangdahlem.

See our entire Black Forest Weekend Itinerary.

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Karlsruhe Zoo and Botanical Garden

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November 2, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We took the train from Landstuhl to the Karlsruhe Zoo.

The entrance had a lovely sundial.

We like giraffes.

Alex is OBSESSED with foxes.

Kangaroos!

Polar bear was posing for us.

The hippos were delightful!

The otters were our favorite!

Check out my video of the Otters!

They had a fun splashy water feature.

We had a great time at the Karlsruhe Zoo!

Entrance fees:

Adults € 7,50

Students €5,00

Children 6-15: €3,50

Opening Times:

Summer: 08:00 – 18:00

Winter: 09:00 – 16:00, 17:00, or 17:30 (check for closing times during the month you visit)

Getting there:

We took the DB train from Landstuhl and switched lines at Neustadt. It was fun for the kids and easy to not have to drive or find parking. Kids are free during the week! When we exited the station, the zoo was directly across the street. Watch out for all the trolleys! We all got ice cream at the train station before we boarded the train for the trip back. Only €1 for a cone!

By car, it’s about 1 hour from Ramstein and 2.5 hours from Spangdahlem.

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