Close Encounters of the (Adorable) Animal Kind

Penguins? Yes. Giraffes? Yes. Birds? Yes. How about goats, alpacas and llamas? Yes, yes and most definitely yes. 

These are just some of the animals I have gotten the chance to interact with in my lifetime. I narrowed down my list to these selections because they are all experiences available right here in New York. 

It’s hard to rank them because they were all amazing encounters, but if I had to choose, I would recommend them in the order below. Honestly though, you can’t go wrong with any of these! 

Hiking with Llamas and Alpacas 

My husband and I drove up to Clover Brooke Farm in Hyde Park, NY, where we did a Llama and Alpaca hike. I use the term hike loosely, as it was more of a long walk with the animals – but that didn’t take away from the fun. To start off the adventure, I chose Percy the Llama and Craig picked Remy the Alpaca. We wanted the best of both worlds so we switched halfway through the “hike”. 

The encounter lasted for approximately an hour and a half, but we also got a chance to hang out with some of the other farm animals before the hike began. 

If you are interested, the cost to book a hike is currently $45.00 per person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goat Snowshoeing 

One day I was scrolling through Facebook as I always do, and I noticed a friend of mine had posted photos of her and her family snowshoeing with goats. In that moment, I could not be more excited and a little bit jealous. I immediately reached out to her and asked her where the photos were taken and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was upstate in Saratoga Springs. Although it is not a short drive, it is a destination that my husband and I were able to book as an extended weekend. 

Craig and I were nervous leading up to our trip because it had been unseasonable warm and sunny for the few days before our departure. However, because of the altitude of the farm, they always have snow. The experience started out strong, as the owner opened the gate and the goats all came running out towards us. We had an incredible time snowshoeing alongside the herd and were given a chance to feed them along the way. The goats are incredibly friendly and the terrain was relatively flat, so it is not too strenuous.

The Snowshoe Adventure is offered through Into The Woods Farm and can only be booked as a private tour. The experience lasts about 90 minutes and the current cost is $100 for a group of 1-4 ($25 for each additional person). You have to pay separately to rent snowshoes, but those are only $5 per pair. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penguin Encounter 

This was one of the first animal encounters my husband and I did and it was also one of the priciest. The experience is offered at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead and currently costs $79 per person. However, you also have to pay for admission to the aquarium in addition to the encounter – and that will add another $42.99 per person to the bill. 

I personally love penguins, so I was happy to splurge on the encounter and seeing the penguins waddle up close warmed my heart. It was a very educational experience as well, with the trainer teaching us all about the penguins and their habitat. One of the things the trainers showed us was where the penguins sleep, and explained how some of them are allowed to sleep together - but only the ones that are a couple. My husband loves to tell people about how the aquarium got their first penguins after someone tried to smuggle them into the country from South Africa. Those penguins were confiscated and needed a good home – and the aquarium created one for them on Long Island. 

Feeding (and getting licked by!) a Giraffe and Bird Feeding 

I am grouping these together because they are both opportunities that are provided at White Post Farms in Melville. Purchasing an admission ticket includes access to these encounters, as we as their full petting zoo. The tickets cost $28.95 + tax per person and I believe they are well worth the price of admission.

The birds can be fed in the farm’s aviary – you just have to purchase birdseed sticks for a few extra bucks. My best tip for this experience is to go early so that the birds are still hungry. We were lucky enough to have plenty of birds landing all over our feeding sticks when we went. 

As for the Giraffes, the farm provides carrots to feed them at no additional cost. My husband and I were able to get alone time with the giraffe by going to the farm during school hours. I fed them over and over again and was happy to have left covered in their drool!