Topeka Zoo - January 8, 2011

Flamingos

Parrot

Macaw

Sleeping Bat

Tropical Rainforest Area with Lots of Birds

Poison Dart Frogs

Lizard

Tortoises

Orangutan

We both took our turn at kissing the monkeys!

Tiger

Porcupine

Giraffes

Hippopotamuses

Goat

Ducks

Bald Eagle

Grizzly Bear

Snow Fox

Mountain Lion

As part of a musical project Brian has been working on, we spent last Saturday at the Topeka Zoo. Located in Gage Park, it features a number of different species, far more than I was expecting from a regional zoo. Suffice it to say, we were surprised to come across so many lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Not to mention, the birds in the Tropical Rainforest area, one of which took a liking to my sweater and started pecking at its balls.

Kansas State Capitol Building - Topeka, KS

The Kansas State Capitol Building is one of the largest capitol domes in the United States, even surpassing that of the United States Capitol. For our visit, we decided to go on one of the daily tours of the dome, which meant that we had 296 stairs to tackle to get to the top.

And, like any good building in Kansas, there is even a designated tornado shelter!

Topeka July 2009

Of course, one of the highlights of visiting Kansas is visiting Topeka where the State Capitol Building is located. We were certainly not going to deprive Jan of this Kansan experience, so we saved a day specifically for the occasion!

Combat Air Museum - Topeka, KS

For Brian, the highlight of our day in Topeka was the Combat Air Museum, which is located on Forbes Field just outside of the city. The museum has a number of planes, equipment, and memorabilia dating from WWI to the present day. For more information, visit their website: http://www.combatairmuseum.org/.

Tiffany Stained Glass Windows - Topeka, KS

Just across the street from the State Capitol Building is the First Presbyterian Church of Topeka, where a unique assortment of Tiffany Windows exists. Forming part of the design and decoration of the sanctuary are some examples of the United States' foremost designer of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Tiffany came to Topeka, KS in 1911 and created these windows for the church's sanctuary. The First Presbyterian Church is one of few churches across the country to be adorned exclusively by Tiffany stained glass windows.