Because I'm a biology nerd who loves animals, I love going on "dates" to the zoo or aquarium. One of my all-time favorite memories of my semester abroad in Europe was a wintry visit to the Dortmund Zoo in Germany with Ryan, and that zoo earned my top spot for its South American giant otter exhibit and a free-ranging sloth. Now that Ryan and I are long distance once again, we needed to make a tradition out of our off-season zoo trip and check out the nearest one in my new locale: the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN.

We left right after lunch on a cold, cold day. October in Minnesota has already seen sub-30-degree temps and snow flurries, and that day was particularly cold due to a strong wind. We layered up in our coats, scarves, and gloves, prepared for traipsing through the outdoor exhibits. By the time we arrived, we had only two hours until closing (which is early, at 4 pm, during the off season), but resolved to speed through the grounds and cover every exhibit. 

The frosty temperatures, the almost haunting emptiness of the outside portion of the zoo, and the vast enclosures for almost all of the animals reminded me vividly of the Dortmund Zoo. And in a strange coincidence, we legitimately passed by a group of Germans on our walk. That time in Dortmund, we also went during off season, and I have decided that it is the best time to go to the zoo. No one judges you for talking to the animals, there are no obnoxious people taking pictures with the flash on or tapping on the glass, and you can spend as long as you want staring at these magnificent creatures.

The first exhibit that drew my eye, of course, was the sea otters. Considering otters are my favorite animal, it's shocking that this was the first time I'd ever seen this species in person. They were smaller than the giant otter and larger than the Asian small clawed otter, but just as adorable. They chattered away at each other as they dived and played, eventually just floating on their backs and cleaning their paws. I could have stood there watching them all day.

The next exhibit was a group of bears. I've only seen bears at a zoo a handful of times, but the Minnesota Zoo's set up was the best I've ever experienced. The bears had a large enclosure, but a cave in the back with a glass window was the star of the show: it allowed visitors to watch the peaceful bears as they slept. Have you ever seen anything so adorable?

We breezed through the outdoor exhibits, from the tiger stalking his huge expanse of land, to a herd of Asian wild horses, to camels that hung by the fence when we approached, to an Asian wild dog with a deceptively cute face, to actual reindeer. I'd never seen many of the animals in the zoo's collection, which I suspect is due to the differing climate. 

Then, with our faces going numb from the freezing wind, we ventured inside to the zoo's expansive indoor exhibits. The first was a pseudo-aquarium housing sharks and fish, a touch pool, jellyfish, and Monk seals (which were sadly not in the exhibit while we were there). Next, we journeyed to the Tropics Trail. This indoor path through exhibits was HUGE, and, you guessed it, warm and humid. I loved how open this section of the zoo was, with towering trees and bridges that made it feel more like you were observing the animals in their natural habitats than in enclosures. It was also here that I got my second glimpse of otters with a group of Asian small-clawed otters who were very responsive to me and Ryan, even looking straight at me when I took their picture. 

We slightly veered from our purposeful, let's-rush-through-to-see-everything attitude in the Tropics, getting lost in the sheer number of animals and the variety of exhibits. By the time we reached the Minnesota Trail, we had only twelve minutes until the park closed—which is a shame, because this part of the zoo held some of the coolest animals: river otters (yes, this zoo has THREE otter species!), wolves (they were GIANT and lanky and so intelligent), a bald eagle, wolverines, and a lynx.

On the way out of the zoo, Ryan and I were already planning our next trip back as we gushed about the variety of animals and their expansive, enriching habitats. Next time, I'll be there when it opens and probably won't leave until it closes. And if you haven't been to the zoo in off season, save yourself the questioning and just do it; you won't regret it.