I have a love/hate relationship with zoos. I hate that animals are caged and domesticated to a degree simply so we humans can ooh, aah and ogle the once wild — and sometimes rare — creatures.

That's the hate part of it. The love part is the amazement in the eyes of children when they see the creatures up close, as well as my love for photographing such moments. And I love, too, photographing the animals. It's hard to resist the lure of a good zoo.

boys at aquarium

When Jim and I spent some time with Bubby and Mac a couple weeks ago, we visited one zoo that's far more than a zoo — Arizona's Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium and Safari Park (yes, that's the real mouthful of a name). The place truly is beyond huge, billed as "Arizona's largest collection of exotic animals." There are outdoor animals, indoor animals, more than 80 fresh- and salt-water exhibits, a petting zoo and merry go round, Dragon World (Mac's favorite), a beautiful white tiger, plus a skyride, boat ride and (Bubby's favorite) a log flume ride. And that's not even half of the description of this massive adventure park.

Following is a glimpse of the photos from our day at Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium and Safari Park. Not all the photos fit the slideshow space well, but all 71 — just a small portion of the tons I took — can be fully viewed and appreciated in the Brag Book tab of Grandma's Briefs: