Last weekend, in celebration of Sam’s birthday, we made our way to Camp Verde, AZ to finally spend a day at a zoo wildlife park called Out of Africa. We drove out of Flagstaff and soon found ourselves on a dirt road with no sign of civilization for miles. At one point I asked Sam if maybe it was a hoax and the park doesn’t actually exist, but he just laughed at me and said we must have just made a wrong turn. Then just ahead we noticed an archway stretching across the road with a modest sign that read “Out of Africa.” It wasn’t a hoax!
The rest of the afternoon slowly became a day of “firsts”. The first time we road an open school bus through a field of animals. The first time we fed a giraffe. The first time we saw someone cuddle with an ostrich. The first time we pet a gaboon viper. And Sam’s favorite and dream-come-true: the first time we fed a tiger.
It was an incredible experience. I honestly felt like I was IN Africa, and can’t wait to go back!
“This is why you don’t feed the Zebras”
Sam’s favorite moment EVER.