We took our Instagram followers’ advice and made our mini Minnevangelist’s first non-doctor outing the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul. It was the perfect way to celebrate Julian’s two-week birthday.

Lucky for us, the weather yesterday was blissfully balmy. Though Jules was unimpressed with the greenery (he wouldn’t even open his eyes, let alone smell the flowers), we were grateful to get out of the house.

The Sunken Garden in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has a spectacular array of purple azaleas, pink lilies, and camellias on display through March 20. The misty Fern Room was another highlight: Strolling through, we almost tricked ourselves into believing we were vacationing on some tropical island and that it’s not actually, you know, -6 degrees outside.

After meandering through the botanical garden, we popped over to the primates house at the Como Park Zoo and introduced Jules to our new favorite mammal: the mustachioed Emperor Tamarin, a tiny monkey typically found in the southwest Amazon basin.

Fun fact: Male Emperors help with the births of their young, grooming the babies after they are born and carrying them on their backs through weaning. Julian would know that if he hadn’t slept through his first big Minnesota field trip. 🥴

Wanna plan your own garden escape? Tickets are free (suggested donation $2 to $4) but must be reserved in advance at comozooconservatory.org. Masks are currently required.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
1225 Estabrook Dr., St. Paul, MN; 651-487-8201.