Leathernecks, birds, and pumas .. oh my!

We broke our fast at the local Burger King before heading out to the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at MCAS Mirimar. As we approached the gate it became clear that there was more to the displays here then we expected.

The museum is free but donations are welcomed and encouraged as they hope to build a new, spectacular building to house all their exhibits. The current building holds some of their personalized exhibits such as exploring the roles of female marine aviators, marine aviators through all the World Wars and into Vietnam. There is quite a bit of history preserved in this museum and it is wonderfully displayed.

Having reviewed the inside of the museum, we wandered outside to the aviation displays themselves. The museum has tried to have one of each type of aircraft flown by Marine Aviators on display.

From 2010-0418 Leathernecks Museum

This was a wonderous display and we enjoyed having the opportunity to view the aircraft and remark at their wonderful condition. There were a couple of exhibits currently away for restoration but we didn't get the feel that we were missing anything. If you want to see all the planes on display, please feel free to click on the link above under the picture which will take you to my photo album.

As we departed we commented on how pleased we were to have the foresight to visit the museum first thing for the day as we may have missed this rare gem if we'd opted to go to the Zoo first and then try to catch this museum just before closing (3:30 PM).

With that wonder under our belt we headed to our next and final stop for the day - The San Diego Zoo. I'll admit that I've enjoyed Zoos before - The Brookfield Zoo, the Bristol Zoo (UK), etc.; however nothing prepared me for the size and scope of this zoo. We wandered every bit of this park for 5 hours or so and yet there are whole parts of this place that we didn't see. It amazed me at every turn the different animals to behold and the different ways to view them. LD was excited to see the new Polar Bear Plunge exhibit and I was looking forward to see the Panda Bears as I've not seen one since my pre-teen years at Busch Gardens in Florida. Neither exhibit disappointed. We got to the pandas just at feeding time and they ate peacefully and contentedly. The young polar bear was exploring as we arrived and the adult was waiting for some zoo-keeper attention so neither were taking advantage of the "plunge" but they were still visible and adorable. We watched leopards pace with the coming storm, birds primp and flitter about, feeding time at the pond, some of the tigers exploring their habitat, and a variety of other sights.

From 2010-0418 San Diego Zoo

We narrowly made it to the main gift shop before closing time so we could purchase our items before climbing into the car for the ride home. We were all thoroughly exhausted but felt satisfied with what we'd seen and the knowledge that we'd have to go back to several of the locations we'd visited to see the rest. When we got back to San Pedro we headed to Marie Callender's for a simple but filling dinner.