The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Palm Desert, CA

Happy 28th Birthday to me! I spent my birthday weekend in Palm Springs for a getaway with my boyfriend Scott. He treated me to a stay at Avance Hotel and we explored the Living Desert in Palm Desert to check out the zoo and feed Giraffes. I had no idea that this place existed and I love how it's tucked away with a plethora of animals from all over the world as well as desert gardens (meandering through cacti gardens are my favorite).

The Living Desert is about 30 minutes from where we were staying, and it's an amazing place to discover animals and desert plant life. In the colder seasons, you can even ride camels and surround yourself with butterflies in the butterfly garden. Fortunately, we were able to feed Giraffes carrot sticks; you just hold your hand out behind you and the giraffe will stick out and wrap its tongue around the carrot stick and almost suck it up like a vacuum. It was a really fun experience and only $5 (purchase your tickets at the ticket booth or pay in cash/CC at the entrance to the feeding area).

Admission and park hours information can be found here (and we were able to apply a AAA discount). Scott and I walked around the entire park in about 2.5 hours before having to head home because of a commitment, as well as wanting to get out of the heat. I would say that we could have spent another 2 hours at The Living Desert to fully experience the offerings. The Living Desert is a must-visit place and Scott and I hope to come back again when it's not so hot!