the petting zoo adventure of summer โ06
We got lost on the way there, which was easy to do in Fayetteville, NC. We didnโt know our way around very well, and most of the roads seemed to be of the dirt and windy variety. This combo almost always guaranteed that weโd be late for wherever we were heading. This was also a time before iPhones and instant access to Google maps, and the Pilotโs car GPS was now dangling by a string. Somehow, after a few little detours while blasting Rascal Flatts, we finally made it there.
At least we thought weโd made it. We were supposed to be at a large petting zoo of some sort, but it looked like a normal North Carolina house, surrounded by lush trees, grass and open land. As we drove up the dirt driveway, a man walked out the door to greet us, wearing a flannel shirt, baseball cap and worn jeans.
โAre yโall here for the crawdads? Theyโre out back.โ
โUm, no thank youโฆ weโre here for the petting zoo?โ
โOh, youโre here for the zoo! Thatโll be $6- Iโll getcha some bread.โ
He went back inside the house with our cash as the Pilot and I exchanged โbread?โ questioning glances. When the man returned, he was carrying two large buckets filled with torn pieces of white sandwich bread.
โJust be careful while youโre driving around. Oh, and be careful of your arms- donโt stick them too far into the fence while youโre feeding them.โ
He continued to give us directions to drive around the ranch, but my mind was already spinning. I felt like we were in Jurassic Parkโฆ
minus the scary dinosaurs, obviously
plus zoo animals,
in the middle of notsurequitewhere, North Carolina.
Turns out, thatโs exactly what it was.
We drove the Pilotโs Jeep around the property, and stopped at each exhibit. The farm/ranch consisted of animals separated from us by (get this) a chain-link fence.
Of course, you have to wonder how in the heck they got some of these animals (HOW?!), but it was quite a way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
My favorite: the goats, of course.
Iโve always loved goats.
The lesson of the story: this is the kinda thing that happens I request a random adventure on a lazy Sunday afternoon ๐
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I like this flashback post. ๐ Itโs fun to see what you were up to pre-blog boom.
You are beautiful! Thank you for sharing this cute post:) Ive been feeling nostalgic recently with this new years as well. Great blog!
This cracks me up. On โToddlers and Tiarasโ this week they went to a petting zoo so similar to this where they were driving down a dirt road and animals came up to their car window for pieces of bread. It sounds scary! But also a little fun ๐
This is a very random post, but cute pics. How do they get the animals there? I think itโs a teleporter, like on Star Trek.
Yup, probably that.
Oh my goodness, that would scare the heck out of me hahha.
I enjoyed Flashback Friday too. ๐
I love how you made the best of your time in Fayetteville/Valdosta. Even though it wasnโt paradise you still made it work and even found some little local adventures along the way.
Gina, was this Jambbas Ranch? Iโm from Fayetteville and I grew up going there!
Thats what I thinking too! I love Jambbas, went there on field trips for school all the time!
I was also thinking this was Jambbas! Love that place, so off the beaten path.
hi Gina! Im a reader who lives in Raleigh, NC. Fayetteville can provide quite the adventure! glad you made it out alive! ๐
This is such a funny/cute post! I would be totally put off the moment I heard the word crawdads haha.
I live in NC and would love to go here!! Can you tell me the name of this place?
Jambbas Ranch I believe. If itโs not, Jambbas Ranch is just like the place Gina visited.
yep, thats the place ๐
Love the pics! And I am a fan of goats too. They seem so kind.
Flashback Friday! I love it and reading about your adventures ๐
Iโm originally from a town about 15 minutes from Fayetteville, and Iโm pretty sure I know what zoo you were at! ๐ Youโre right though, the regular roads turn in to dirt roads and all of a sudden you think youโre in some backcountry movie. Love that zoo though! We used to go on field trips there for school every couple of years.
Goats are my favorite, too! The square pupils are a little freaky but theyโre so inquisitive.
If you ever get into Sequim WA you might like this one:
http://www.olygamefarm.com/index.html
Sounds a little similar, although many of the animals are coming up to your carโฆwhich is something else with the Bison. Kind of interesting history too since the origins were in animals trained for Disney movies.
I donโt like the large cat/coyote enclosures however. Maybe it has gotten better, but I find it depressing.
Sam
This is so funny!! I love taking random day trips/adventures, especially when it turns out different than you expected. I love the throwback of you and Tom before Liv ๐
If you love goats, you would love my neighborhood. They are EVERYWHERE!
canโt believe this but I know right where that is! My hubs and I are stationed at bragg!
How fun! Looks like a blast!
Fayette-NAM is quite a place!