San Diego Zoo is truly world famous, welcoming nearly 3.5 million visitors each year. Spanning more than 100 acres within Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo contains some 650 species of animals and a collection of rare plants from around the globe. Our crew poses with Omaha Steaks CEO Bruce Simon at his namesake grill inside the Omaha Zoo.

Joining some of the cool new exhibits opened at the Omaha Zoo recently, there are a whole host of additions planned:ДЄsian Highlands вЂ“ Complete in 2019, Asian Highlands will transport Zoo guests on an immersive journey through Asia.Д¬oastal Shores вЂ“ Owen Coastal Shores, a new habitat for the ZooвЂ™s sea lions, is scheduled to open in spring 2020. Riding in style, our gang had a personally guided tour behind the scenes at the Omaha Zoo. Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium вЂ“В Discover polar regions, temperate oceans, coral reefs and the Amazon exploring the largest aquarium in a zoo.Д®xpedition Madagascar вЂ“В The island of Madagascar is home to some of the most amazing and unique animals in the world. Malcolm the giraffe was very interested in our lettuce offerings behind the scenes at the Omaha Zoo. The African Grasslands вЂ“ This is the largest project undertaken in the ZooвЂ™s history, transforming 28 acres along the eastern boundary of the Zoo. Located on five acres combining outdoor adventure with hands-on learning opportunities. Just in the past few years, the Omaha Zoo has opened:Д¬hildrenвЂ™s Adventure Trails вЂ“В An interactive exhibit that highlights kidsвЂ™ learning through play in nature. Since new leadership came to the Omaha Zoo several years ago, theyвЂ™ve undertaken some pretty significant upgrades. The herd of giraffes at Omaha Zoo are comfortably set inside their large enclosure. Do you remember seeing caged zoo animals pace back and forth in front of the bars, anxious to escape? Well, not here. They looked happy, healthy and well adjusted. Still, the animals were visible, living in enclosures that mimic their natural habitats.

Since the weather in Omaha can blister in the summer and freeze in the winter, we lucked out on timing. We visited in the early Fall, when the weather was not-too-hot and not-too-cold. There are some things about The Omaha Zoo that really make it special. Even as a wee little girl, Sophia loved the ChildrenвЂ™s Petting Zoo at San Diego Zoo. Evidently the comment thread went on and on, with people claiming THEIR city as ranking among the best zoos in America.Д«ut who is right? I think the answer might really be all of them. On this visit to The Omaha Zoo, my friend Vera told me she had read someoneвЂ™s blog post about this very subject. People get fiercely competitive about whose is best. It seems like every major city in the US is proud of its zoo. A flock of shockingly pink flamingos greets visitors inside the entrance of San Diego Zoo. Yet, itвЂ™s hard not to draw some comparisons about which actually ranks among the Best Zoos in America.

Both are careful to downplay any competition. Being from San Diego, weвЂ™re pretty prideful of our own World-Famous San Diego Zoo. This San Diego boy recently had the privilege of visiting The Omaha Zoo, named by TripAdvisor as the Best Zoo in the US.

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