Wild! Ohio family visits 52 zoos in 52 weeks

[August 04, 2009]  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- It's been a wild year for members of an Ohio family, who say they've accomplished a goal of visiting 52 zoos in 52 weeks.

Columbus resident Marla Taviano, her husband and three daughters began last August with the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky and spent weekends and vacations going to zoos across the country. Their visits included the Dallas Zoo, New York's Central Park Zoo and the San Diego Zoo. Their Web site shows they wound up hitting 55 animal parks to see giraffes, reindeer and snow leopards.

Taviano says she got the idea while trying to think of an adventure that would feel like traveling the world and seeing exotic creatures but on a budget.

The family's 22,000-mile tour ended Saturday with a visit to their hometown Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Taviano plans a book about their journey.

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Information from: WBNS-TV, http://www.10tv.com/

[Associated Press]

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