Getting wild on our day off.

By some stroke of luck, Wheat and I both had the same day off last week. So, we decided to take full advantage of the smaller crowds and head to the zoo on the hottest day of the summer so far.

Yes, I'm too cheap to buy the real thing.

Let's be real - Any and every zoo is awesome. Although it's not my personal favorite, the Indianapolis Zoo has a lot of really cool things that set it apart. Not only does the zoo house dolphins, but it also features a 20-minute dolphin show. You have to reserve your (free!) tickets ahead of time, but I highly recommend it. I was practically squealing with excitement at the dolphin flips and tricks and it was the perfect brief respite from the sweltering heat.

The zoo also has an interactive shark-petting pool, which I can't believe I enjoy.

At the center of the zoo is the brand-new Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center, the actual reason I wanted to go. The exhibit is a three-level atrium with several different rooms and places that the orangutans can go whenever they want. Surrounding the building is a treetop-level trail that the orangutans can access by climbing through caged tubes. Once up top, they are free to roam from platform to platform using the cables that connect them. The best part? There are absolutely no cages or nets between the people on the ground and the orangutans on the platforms.

Eventually, there will be a monorail-type ride that will take visitors alongside the platforms to see the orangutans at eye level, but it isn't open yet. At first, none of the orangutans were using the outdoor platforms, but as we were leaving, Wheat spotted one high above us. We actually ran to catch up with it as it climbed back down the ladder and into its room.

We posed for pictures with the animals, checked out the aviaries, sent web postcards from the orangutan exhibit, and tried to counteract the heat with some ice cream cones.

Another highlight of the day was this tiger that randomly walked right up to us. It was just the two of us at the exhibit and the tiger just stared at us for a minute before pacing back and forth along the glass. It was absolutely the closest I've ever been to a wild cat and I was more than a little freaked out as it practically salivated while sizing us up.

Before leaving, we stopped in the conservatory to admire the butterflies and took a stroll through the beautiful park as it began to sprinkle.

After the zoo, we drove to Batesville for a quick, but wonderful Mexican dinner with Mommles and LP. I can't believe he was home for two weeks and I only got to see him for a couple hours. Ugh.

Of all the wild animals I spent time with that day, I'd have to say this devil dog was my favorite.