Customer Reviews

America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans & Families

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This really cool book can enhance any trip you make. If you are travelling on business and are tired of sitting in your motel room watching idiot TV shows, this book can point you to a nearby zoo that will provide fun, education, and new experiences. Unlike a chain restaurant, each zoo is different and emphasizes different things. If you are on vacation, a zoo can be a surprisingly affordable family outing. A trip to the zoo doesn't have to be an all day event. You can go for just a couple of hours and focus on the specific exhibits that interest you. This guidebook can help you do that.

As Newt Gingrich points out in the introduction, America's zoos have played a much bigger role in protecting wildlife and conserving species than most people realize. The authors, Allen Nyhuis and Jon Wassner, have visited hundreds of zoos and provide you with valuable information on what to look for at each zoo and what each zoo's specialty is.

This book is organized very well and provides its information in helpful ways. After Newt Gingrich's foreword, the introduction provides information on trends at modern zoos, what to expect when going to the zoo, and how to take in the experience when you have children along (shorter visits, mix up viewing exhibits with rides and shows, for example). There is also a section on unusual and favorite animals and which zoos specialize in them. The next section explains how to use the book and how the zoo reviews are laid out.

The 97 zoos reviewed in this book are grouped into seven areas by geography. Each section intro also includes a map of the region and dots mark where the zoos are. Another 37 zoos are given a paragraph as the "best of the rest" at the end of each section. The primary reviews open practical information such as the address, phone, website, hours of operation, admission prices and associated fees, and directions. The authors also provide a brief list of things you shouldn't miss, what's there especially for kids, some tips from the author (such as which exhibits to see first, where to eat, how to manage your trip to manage the weather, and so forth). They also provide information about special shows or educational offerings the zoo has available.

The reviews discuss the featured exhibits, other exhibits that are popular, more detail on what is available for kids, and what the zoo is busy developing. There are many small black and white pictures spread throughout the book, as well. The appendices are also quite helpful. The first takes 20 categories such as African Animals or Bird Exhibits and lists the top ten zoos in each category with special information about the top 2.

Appendix 2 provides each author's list of their top 25 zoos. There is also a glossary of zoo terms and an index.

This book has the virtue of being excellently organized, wonderfully informative, and fun to read. I know it has achieved its objectives because it makes me want to go and visit these wonderful zoos. Maybe you will enjoy it, too.

Recommended.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

America's Best Zoos really makes a case for including a zoo in your next family vacation, or check out the zoos in your own state. My local zoos The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and The Phoenix Zoo were really described well with the "can't miss" displays highlighted. I remember going to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha and thought it was excellent at the time and it has a great write-up as well. My original hometown zoo the Minnesota Zoo is also featured. If you have little ones, the children's activities are pointed out to make this zoo trip fun for everyone. Makes me want to visit zoos across the country! America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans & Families I also like how the book points out how zoo breeding programs are saving species and keeping them genetically diverse. I never miss the bears and big cats on my trip to the zoo. My favorite animal is the elephant, what's yours?

A foreword by Newt Gingrich? Who knew his political career started by lobbying his city council for a zoo? Anybody who has a kid knows that zoos are not just great fun, but instill a love for animals and honoring the earth. If your kid has obsessed on a particular animal, you can use this guide to find the best places to see sifakas, for example.

Some of the best creative exhibit design in America is found in zoos. And it is all in this book.

It is fun to browse through a book that was an obvious labor of love. Let's face it, some of your best childhood memories took place in zoos.

Each zoo has its own character. So use this guide whenever you are going someplace. That old zoo you remember has probably changed a lot--for the better.

The book profiles zoos, highlights kids features, and has regional maps to plot out that day trip or keep track of your goal to visit them all.

We have a year's membership at our local zoo here in Salt Lake City. It also gives us admission and/or discounts at other zoos as well. So pack this book and bring your yearly membership.

Remember, there might be penguins!

(I love penguins. Nothing is as good as penguins.)

This is a valuable zoo guide for anyone, especially for parents with children. This book is well written with up-to-date information on my own local zoo, the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium. I like that it has tips for the best times to view animals and lists the best children's zoos. There is even a section that lists the best places to view lesser-known animals and favorites as well. Another thing I like is that zoos that are part of the reciprocity program are noted by their fees. Since we have a zoo membership, it is nice to be able to save money on fees when we visit another zoo. We do quite a bit of traveling so this guide will be well used in our family. Thanks for doing all of the leg-work and research for us.

I had no idea there were so many good zoo's in America. America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans & Families is a great tool for navigating them. The organization by geographical areas helps to find zoos near where you're visiting. "Featured Exhibits" and "For the Kids" sections for each zoo highlight things to look for when you're there. I especially like the authors' top 25 lists at the end. Thanks for all the legwork to put this book together.

I am excited to take my daughter to visit several of the zoos listed in this book. Since we will be traveling a lot this summer, it wil be nice to use this book to narrow down where to spend our time. Excellent advice about not trying to see everything in one day. This makes this book even MORE useful since the highlights of each zoo are pointed out, so we can be sure to get those parts first, and anything else will be a bonus. Loved the "souvenirs" section. Suggestions are a great and inexpensive way to remember our trips.

Okay I must admit I am very intrigued by the Sonoran Desert exhibit at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and the Insectarium at the St. Louis Zoo, the "Not Home Alone" section is calling me for a road trip!

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It shows the ignorant person how truly amazing each zoo is. The two authors have visited nearly all the major zoos in the country and offer very helpful advice on what not to miss at each certain zoo and ways that can make touring the zoos more efficient. Whether or not you are a zoo fanatic like me, this is still a great book

With school out and summer in full swing, America's Best Zoos is a resource for all stages of life. What an excellent resource to add to one's library. Our copy hasn't collected any dust with our desire to vacation and friends wanting to take full advantage of a day at the zoo. We especially like the quick overview at the beginning of each review. Dale and Sandy from Gaithersburg, Maryland

Very comprehensive update of the previous excellent version. Zoos change so rapidly, this update is extremely helpful. Because zoos are always adding new exhibits, my favorite thing about the book is the information about the future plans of the zoos. With this information, my travel plans can account for times that new exhibits will be unveiled. A wonderful book for zoo and travel lovers!!

This book is in my humble opinion the best "must have" guide to any vacation destination and entertainment during your stay at any particular place. The level of detail on every best zoo is outstanding and it is certainly exciting to read about. I was amazed about the variety of regions and the quality of each one have to offer. Now that I have this guide I will make sure to stop by these wonderful places that I ever imagine they exist!!