I am a huge fan of the outdoors but summers can get pretty spicy in Texas. With that in mind, I typically start the beginning of spring with a trip to the zoo. This year my son was not in favor of this zoo trip stating, “It’s too hot and it stinks!” So, instead of the zoo, I surprised the family with a Saturday morning outing to Crocodile Encounters. The visit allowed us to have an up close experience with alligators, crocodiles, turtles and llamas. We were able to see how aggressive crocodiles and alligators can become when they are hungry versus how meek they are when they are content. We watched them jump, yes jump, for food and it was quite entertaining to see them reach for their meal. The guide showed us the tactics that are used to settle them when they become aggressive. We also walked through the Turtle Farm and we were allowed to pet the turtles. One rub was enough for me and I was satisfied and ready to move on. (I don’t like dry, cracked skin on a human so rubbing that shell was a turn-off.) We also touched the baby alligators. I refused to touch the snakes but I did feed the llamas. The adventure was definitely different, something new and fun. And, our guide was absolutely amazing!