Day 2 began in Springfield with a sumptuous breakfast at the "Mansion at Elfindale." As classical music played, we were served a 3-course breakfast: vegetable omelette, fresh muffins, and fruit cup. It was a wonderful start to our day.

We then headed off to the Exotic Animal Paradise, a drive through Animal Park. For a small fee above admission you can also get a large bag of animal feed for the various goats, deer, emus, cattle and other wildlife you encounter. The animals mosey up to the car somehow knowing you inevitably hold a bag of treats in your hand. Did I just say, "mosey?" Sometimes the animals seemed to charge at us in an attempt to beat out their fellow diners. I knew I was a true "city girl" from Brooklyn when I kept reaching for the window control in an attempt to block their heads from literally poking into the car. Susan Wade, from the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, got a big kick out of seeing Don jump toward the middle of the car when a huge longhorn tried to help empty the food bag in his hand. Susan then gently fed each animal from her hand, while Don tossed the food out of the window, hoping the animals would go away from the car.

Up Close and Personal at the Exotic Animal Paradise

Next we headed to the Dickerson Park Zoo, where we were assured all animals would be contained. Melinda Mancuso, the PR director for the zoo, took us around the park which contains 160 different species and more than 500 animals. The zoo opened here in 1923, but had fallen into disrepair by the 70s. Thankfully, "Friends of the Zoo" was formed, and the facility received major renovations. It is now an educational and fun destination for both local Springfield residents and tourists to the area.

We saw a variety of wildlife ranging from giraffes to a white alligator, and to rattlesnakes and elephants. One exhibit, unique to this area, contained wildlife native to the Ozarks. While we were there, a visitor went to the guide and asked about a snake she saw in the zoo that she had also seen around her yard.

I especially enjoyed seeing many families enjoying the park. Along with the traditional strollers, park visitors can also rent red wagons to pull a few toddlers around the park - a great idea!

Springfield Brewing Company

It was a particularly hot and humid Missouri day, so we left the wildlife park to have lunch and to quench our thirst at the Springfield Brewing Company. This restaurant is not only a good eating spot, but also steeped in local history. The original Springfield Brewing Company was here in 1898. In 1997, the Mueller Company, who manufactures stainless steel brewing equipment, obtained the right to resurrect the original name and opened this establishment. It is a large spacious restaurant filled with atmosphere and historical photos. Upstairs, there is a party room, billiard tables, a "cigar" room, an outdoor patio and a stage. The company brews 1,200 beer barrels a year for local distribution. This restaurant enlivens the downtown district of Springfield, is handicapped accessible, and best of all, had good food.

We then headed off to visit the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum. Our tour guide, Vickie Hicks, who serves as the community relations coordinator, informed us that the museum is 80% live and 20% exhibit. It was now beginning to feel like this was "Animal Day" in Springfield.

"What else could this facility offer that we haven't seen already?" I wondered. We had already seen Exotic Animal Paradise where we fed the animals, and the Dickerson Zoo where we saw a broad-range of animals. Being from Brooklyn, hunting and fishing were not big afterschool activities. We grew up playing on the sidewalks, not in fields and streams. Well, since many Missouri children are raised in families who continue to enjoy a tradition of fishing and hunting, this museum is a unique testament to their lifestyle. The first exhibit we explored was like entering the Ozark Forest. There is an indoor forest with live animals, a beaver pond, a river, and a waterfall. There are even diorama exhibits on the bison, deer, caribou, antelope, and elks native to the surrounding area. Ms. Hicks was quick to point out no wildlife were obtained explicitly for the museum use, but many were donated for the exhibit.

Even the Bass Pro Bathroom's are decorated in theme

Within walking distance is the "Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World." Now this is not your typical run-of-the-mill sport shop! This is the "Home of All Homes" for outdoor sports enthusiasts. To be honest, I am not particularly sports oriented, unless you count bowling, so I imagined I would breeze through this store, but let me make myself clear, this is not a store! This is an experience that you cannot pass up.

Nearly seven football fields long, Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World contains departments in nearly every outdoor sport imaginable. The fly shop gives casting instructions; the archery area has a practice range; the hunting section contains an indoor rifle and pistol range; and the golf area has a putting green. There is even an indoor waterfall and a stream. With all this to offer, even us "city folk" found so much to see. Don found it amusing that even the restrooms were designed with a wildlife motif.

Upstairs there is a snack bar, a McDonald's and a restaurant called "Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe," where we ate dinner after walking around. This is a store to get lost in; we did, and hunted up some good deals on shirts and walking shoes. Anyway, we relaxed and enjoyed both the atmosphere and the food. The restaurant has a trading post design and overlooks a part of the store for people watching. We had the buffet, which had a wide variety of salad, meats, seafood and side dishes. The fish was particularly good.

We were tired from an exhausting "Animal Day" in Springfield, and I knew I needed to rest up because, according to our itinerary, tomorrow looked like "History Day."

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