DRAFT: PRACTICE ESSAY: My Trip to the Central Park Zoo

 DRAFT: PRACTICE ESSAY

My Trip to the Zoo

On a seemingly perfect autumn afternoon in mid-October, my mother escorted three of my friends and me to the New York City Central Park Zoo. It was Columbus Day weekend—an absolutely perfect opportunity to explore all that the zoo had to offer. The night before our trip, my friends brought their sleeping bags and slept over at my house, in my room. We were so excited in anticipation of this trip that we could not hold it in. I must have slept just a few hours and even saw some of my favorite zoo animals- lions, tigers, and bears-  in my dreams.

By 8:00 am the next morning, we were on our way. My mother packed the three of us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (our favorite!) and plenty of water so we would stay hydrated on our journey. The first thing we did was hop on the subway- the F train- which led us directly to the center of the city. Just steps away, we arrived at the most magnificent place I have ever been to in New York City – Central Park.  The wind was rustling the leaves as we were mesmerized by the evanescent changing colors.

When we first arrived at the gates of the zoo, we were surprised by the large amount of visitors everywhere. Although we expected a crowd, we were certainly not prepared for the hundreds of people waiting to get in. After what seemed like an hour, my mother finally purchased tickets for my friends and I and we entered this magnificent place.

The Central Park Zoo was the most picturesque place- we could easily see the Manhattan skyline and the trails of New York’s most famous park. We were just steps away from Fifth Avenue. Cute wobbly penguins greeted us as we entered and an announcement was made that a Dolphin show would start in fifteen minutes. To the right, there was a cat exhibit featuring leopards from China.  We didn’t know where to turn first! A flock of sea ducks – aflutter beautiful waterfowl from around the world were on our next stop. Shortly after, we strolled over to meet “Gus” the Polar Bear, an icon of the Central Park Zoo. Near every exhibit, there was a detailed description of the animals and their origins. We even saw six banded mongoose pups that were exploring their home at the Central Park Zoo! This was the first time I had ever seen a pair of snow-leopard cubs and they were absolutely breathtaking. While watching them play behind the class, I pondered how I had never before seen such a beautiful thing.

The day flew by so quickly! At the zoo, we saw everything from penguins and polar bears to warm tropical rainforest critters. We encountered big cats in the big city at visited at least one dozen exhibits, including the Allison Maher Stern Snow of Leopards. I saw everything from the Emerald Tree Boa to the Dart Poison Frogs.  The alligators were hissing, grunting, and roaring while the snakes were hissing and sparrows were chirping. It was a perfect day.

Now it’s your turn. At the zoo, what did you:

1. See

2. Touch

3. Taste

4. Smell

5. Hear