Have you ever wanted to surprise your family with a trip? That’s exactly what I did a while back, and it’s something I can’t wait to do again! I told them not to make any weekend plans, because I had something very special planned for them. I told them what they’d need to pack and that we’d be back late Sunday night. I was itching to spill the beans, but I didn’t!
Early Saturday morning, we got up, loaded up the car and headed off on our adventure. After a few hours, we reached our destination: Safari West! They had no idea what was in store for them. 
Nestled on 400 acres in the heart of California’s wine country, Safari West is home to over 400 exotic mammals (including zebras, giraffes, and cheetahs) and birds. Not a zoo, not a drive-through park, it’s a wildlife preserve where the whole family can experience some of nature’s most beautiful animals in a natural habitat. I’m a huge animal lover and I was so excited to see all Safari West had to offer. We checked in at the front office and then we were led to our sleeping accommodations for the night…are you ready for this?! 
Yes, that is a tent! Yes, it is up on stilts and has an indoor bathroom! Yes, we were about to experience our first “Glamping” adventure! The tents Safari West uses are the exact same ones used in the African Serengeti, I thought that was super cool! 
My little guy was kind enough to open the front door for me, in the pic below! I enjoyed sitting out on the front porch and taking in the scenery. You can see our cooler right by the door. Safari West offers a Bar-B-Q dinner, but after looking at the price and looking at my family; I knew a lot of food would be going to waste. Luckily, they allow you to bring your own food in, so that’s what we did. (Y’all know I’m frugal!) Safari West offers complimentary breakfast, and we did enjoy that on Sunday morning. 
There are Safari Truck Tours available, and I recommend you book one. They drive you all around the preserve and you will see tons of animals. You are also free to roam around on your own and see some of the critters up close… I was in heaven! 
Safari West has a really neat bird enclosure that you can actually walk through and see a lot of different birds up close and personal, my little guy enjoyed it immensely. The preserve is home to several species of endangered birds and Safari West has a breeding program in place to help repopulate those species. 
Look at the size of that nest in the pic above! Don’t get too close, or Mama Bird will have to reprimand you! 
Some of my favorite residents of the preserve, were the Cheetahs, Giraffes and Primates. I spent a long time visiting with them and taking photos… oh so many photos! Before I share them with you, I want to tell you about nightfall at Safari West. Once the sun goes down, the animals start to get very vocal… I guess they are saying good night. It is an amazing experience to hear them all calling out to each other. They settle down after a while and drift off to sleep. Then they wake up bright and early and wish each other a good morning! Here’s a few more pics!
Look at those feet, below, Love it! 
Saturday night, after we ate the sandwiches we had packed, we walked over to the dining area and roasted marshmallows! That’s something Safari West does nightly-they even provide the marshmallows. Since I knew we would be doing this, I brought along some chocolate and graham crackers so we could make s’mores! You know it! 
Sunday morning, I awoke to this: 
After the fog lifted, we made our way to the dining hall and ate breakfast. Once our bellies were full, we loaded up our vehicle and got ready to head back home… but not before saying good-bye to a few of our new friends.
We had a wonderful time- Safari West is a great place to visit (heck, I wish I could live there!) Our family had a blast and would love to go back… and I’m sure we will. If you’d like to visit Safari West, in Santa Rosa, CA. with your family, go to their website here to make reservations. They are always running specials, which makes it affordable for thrifty Moms like myself! 
