Cologne Zoo greeted us with cheetahs. They waited behind a low fence, seemingly close enough to touch.

The kids didn’t notice.

Instead, Avery ran to the playground.

Corbin followed.

A tower rose above us on wooden posts, connected to another by a rope bridge. The kids grabbed the ropes and started across while I followed below, looking for a way to reach him.

The slide ended somewhere above our heads.

Dani turned to me.

“How do they get down?”

But Corbin was already climbing.

He disappeared into the tower, then came sliding down the other side.

Avery found a bridge.

Then a climbing wall.

Now, Avery rocked on a spring-mounted horse while Corbin rummaged the stroller bag for snacks.

We moved on to the animals.

The elephants were awake and wrestling.

Seals jumped for fish at feeding time.

Sunbeams sauntered between the trees.

Dani stopped at each enclosure.

The boys kept walking.

Then Avery spotted another playground.

“Daddy!”

He was already running.

We followed him outside into the rain, then back inside when he got cold. A warm building opened into a tropical habitat. We watched the animals until Corbin found another climbing structure outside.

Back into the rain.

Back into the warmth.

Animals.

Playground.

Animals.

Playground.

~

We found the first gift shop beside the big playground across from the elephants. We’d stopped for French fries when Dani spotted it and headed across the plaza.

Corbin went straight for a rubber lizard and spider. Avery found a stuffed lion.

Then Avery looked at Corbin’s two.

He picked up a little stuffed hippo and shoved it into his pocket.

Soon both boys had stuffed animals hanging from their pockets, one spilling out each side as they ran back toward the playground.

From then on, the animals came everywhere with us.