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California

We visited the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California during spring break April 2022. It's been ranked among the top 10 zoos in North America. It was definitely one of our favorites. What I loved about the zoo was how spacious it was, especially compared to the small living quarters of the animals in our hometown zoo, Zoo Atlanta. The animals at the Living Desert Zoo just looked really happy. :) 

💸One cost saving tip for families is to buy an annual family zoo membership at your local zoo. First, zoo memberships are tax deductible. Second, most zoos and some aquariums participate in the AZA Reciprocal Admissions Program, meaning if you take your local zoo membership card to other zoos and aquariums throughout the United States, you'll receive a 50% to 100% discount on tickets there. So with our Zoo Atlanta membership, we were able to get a 50% discount for 2 adults and 2 kids (and paid for 1 kid's ticket at full price) at the Living Desert Zoo. You can find a full list of participating zoos and aquariums here (the list is updated regularly).

💸There's also free parking, and food is allowed to be brought into the zoo. These are always great perks when compared to visiting theme parks.

It was such a gorgeous day in April, #nofilters were needed! 

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