While our UK and Australian friends are good at scheduling meetups, it seems the few efforts here in the USA always fall flat. The main reason, I would guess, is the massive size of our country and the difficulty of people traveling to a meetup. What if we give everyone over a year notice to plan ahead for the SUMMER 2014 USA MEETUP in Southern California? It will be July 2014 in San Diego, with a day trip to Los Angeles Zoo and maybe a quick stop at Aquarium of the Pacific or Santa Ana Zoo. Two full days at San Diego Zoo (including the fabulous summer night zoo) and one full day at the Safari Park, which will have opened the upcoming sumatran tiger complex. Maybe throw in the wolf center near the Safari Park. We already have three or four regularly active ZooChatters in San Diego, three or four regularly active ZooChatters in Los Angeles, two regularly active ZooChatters in Arizona (an easy drive to So Cal). With advance notice, perhaps some of our others will fly in from around the country. Maybe we will even get an international ZooChatter to cross the pond? What do you say?
This is definitely a very attractive proposal, and giving people notice a full year ahead of schedule is an intelligent idea. However, the World Cup will continue until July 13th and so billions of people around the globe (myself included) will be glued to their televisions until the final. It only comes around every 4 years and soccer/football is by far and away the world's most popular sport. I would definitely be enticed to make a trip south depending on my family situation at the time.
I have the highest of respects for you, but the World in not only the US. It´s such a popular game that even ZooChaters from your country prefer to see it over a Zoo! Anyway, i would like to see a European Version of this, even if there´s ZooHistorica already.
No doubt that soccer is far more popular world-wide, but here in the US is doesn't even make a major dent in the sports watching market. At the moment, soccer is the number 5 sport, though it might pass hockey soon as hockey numbers are dropping fast.
I wish I could go. But, summer is the worst time of year for me. I take amphetamines to treat narcilepsy and I can't tolerate temps much over 70 degrees.
I am bumping this thread. I think I will scale it back a bit and say San Diego only. A couple days is more feasible than a four day trip. I was just out there and renewed my membership so I will almost certainly be there with my L.A. cousin to see Tiger Trails. We will say sometime in late July - dates TBA. As we all know, weekday visits are more tolerable at a busy zoo like San Diego than weekends. What are the chances of people doing say a Monday-Tuesday? One day at zoo and one day at safari park. (Those of you who are not members can buy a two-park ticket).
Dear arizona docent, Could you tell me who are these three or four active zoochatters in San Diego and those in LA toó? Thanks! Isidro