Day 3: May 13, 2013 At the Zoo

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The only thing I have to show for this 150 mile day on the road are some pictures from the Columbus Zoo. Here's how it happened. I spent the night in a motel near Lexington, Ohio, which has US-42 running through it. I decided that would be the route I would take home. Near a point directly north of Columbus, I realized the Olentangy Caverns were just a few miles away. I see the occasional sign for them when traveling around Columbus and I have a vague recollection of a grade school visit. On impulse, I left Forty-Two and headed to the caverns. I pulled into the lot just as two school busses were unloading large numbers of elementary students. It was heart warming to see that school visits were still occurring but I decided I'd let the kids see the caverns without me. I figured I'd go have breakfast and return later. I did go for breakfast but saw a Columbus Zoo sign on the way and changed my plans completely.

This panel is just slightly out of sequence but I have very little to say about those that follow so I'm putting it here. Jack Hanna was the Columbus Zoo's director from 1978 to 1992. He is now Director Emeritus and still shows up now and then and I do mean now. I noticed him when he stepped through a fence near where some kids were gathering. I snapped a few pictures then backed up as more and more young students and their teachers crowded around. Jack spoke to the kids and posed with a few then moved onto pictures with individual teachers and their classes. Long before the class pictures started, I realized that I had backed up the wrong way. I spent the next several minutes working my way past the crowd so I could see the rest if the zoo. I hope those students at Olentangy Caverns appreciate me letting them have the place to themselves.

Massive.

Beautiful.

Awesome.

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