A FLASH OF WOW: Sorry, flowers and plants, but when humans stroll a lush garden come the spring they're also on the look out for winged things. We're not saying that pink petals aren't lovely, because they truly are, and succulents and trees provide the majesty and greenness and oxygen that we seek when we seek the outdoors. Finding a flitting creature, though, stopping upon a leaf, can make the heart stop, for just a second, at least in the poetic sense. One can feel, in fact, downright lucky to have spied a butterfly, even if the insect is clearly on its quick way to its next stop (and then its next and then its next). So how do we find a bunch of that butterfly-based goodness, all in one place, all in one time, without searching for it, sometimes haplessly, in the gardens we visit? The trick, of course, is to go to where the butterflies reside, lots and lots of butterflies, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has such a place. It's called Butterfly Jungle, it's a spring staple, and it will include "more than 30 species of butterflies, hailing from Africa, Asia, Central, South, and North America," too. That's a bunch of butterflyia, right before your happy eyes, so, yep, you'll see one, or maybe a dozen, or maybe a hundred, depending on where you're looking and how long you linger.
MARCH 12 THROUGH APRIL 10... is your window. And speaking of windows, there aren't any, lest those wee creatures flit, flit, flit away. You're actually in an aviary, an amazing aviary at that, one that's full of "lush greenery and flowers." (We're still feeling a bit badly about not giving flowers and plants their full and deserved due earlier.) Some "exotic birds" also call the aviary home, so butterflies on the wing won't be the only flying superstars you see. As for the butterfly roster set for 2016? Monarchs, giant swallowtails, Grecian shoemakers, and blue morphos are just four of the many. Did your heart just stop for a second, at least in the poetic sense? Clearly you need a delicious dose of spring, in San Diego, flutter flutter.
