Thanks for the post, Nora Howe

Going to the zoo can be great therapy. As a parent it's hard to watch a child suffer from a debilitating illness. My 11 year old daughter developed systemic JRA and has been in and out of a wheelchair since kindergarten. One of our favorite places to go is the Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio. The first time we went there was after one of her doctor's visits at the rheumatology clinic there in Children's Hospital Medical Center. Since our first visit we starting going there regularly. I always pack some food and drinks in a cooler, load up her wheelchair, turn on the home alarms and then off we go. I can still see my daughter jumping up out of her wheelchair wanting to the first time a shark became visible. We love all the exhibits there and have tried to go at least one each year. I'll never forget watching King Tut, a gorilla, as he stood there beat on his chest, then all at once regurgitated after which he bent over and ate what he had just puked up. Yuck! The smell of the big cats exhibit is pretty yucky too. My daughter's favorites are the mammals and the nocturnal animal sections. I like the aquarium and the reptile sections best. We also like the train ride. There's just nothing like a day at the Cincinnati Zoo for fun and relaxation!