Where Bloggers Live: Spring Visit to the Como Zoo in St Paul Minnesota

Welcome back to the monthly edition of Where Bloggers Live! I am lucky to have joined a terrific group of bloggers who give a peek into the places and spaces where they spend their time.

Today's topic is...My Favorite Things about Being Me...and one of my favorite things about my life right now is having the time for small local weekday outings that pack a lot of punch. To celebrate the arrival of true spring weather in the Twin Cities, my husband took the day off work so we could visit the Como Zoo on a Wednesday morning (April 29).

The Como Zoo is considered one of the best free zoos in the US (though they do happily accept optional donations at the door!), and because it is somewhat small, it makes for a nice 2-3 hour visit without feeling rushed. The day we visited, there were the usual moms with little kids (many in strollers), school groups, and some small family groups/couples. We chose to concentrate on the main zoo area (not the gardens), particularly the outdoor exhibits (not the indoor buildings). We did go into the Large Cats building because the cats are my favorite, but left the other indoor exhibits for a day that wasn't such perfect weather outside.

I like zoos because they are a nice combination of (usually easy) walking and looking around with abundant photography opportunities. It was tough to pick only 10 photos to represent my visit, but I think this round-up will capture my range of experiences pretty well.

Once again, I have enlisted my interns GPT-4o (looking just at the photos with no context, generating an alt-text description) and Gemini (looking at the photos in Google Lens with the added context "Como Zoo") to describe what we are seeing, and the three of us do not always agree! Here we go...

#1: A is for Architecture

GPT-4o says: "Glass-domed conservatory with greenery and hedges in the foreground. Overcast sky adds a serene mood."

Gemini says: "The image shows the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, a historic Victorian-style glasshouse that is part of the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in Saint Paul, Minnesota."

My verdict: Both are correct! They host gorgeous exhibits (with very cooperative photography subjects - gotta love plants) in the conservatory year-round (though we did not go in this time).

#2: C is for Cats

GPT-4o says: "A sleeping cougar nestled under a tire, curled up comfortably on wood chips. The fur is tawny, conveying a peaceful, restful mood."

Gemini says: "Based on the image, the animal is a North American cougar, also known as a mountain lion, puma, or panther. [1, 2]"

My verdict: Both are correct! I always love to see sleeping kitties at the zoo, where despite their much greater size, strength, and general bad-ass-ness, they nap like pet house cats. Look at those paws!

#3: D is for Dogs

GPT-4o says: "White Arctic fox resting in green grass by a chain-link fence, eyes slightly closed, conveying calmness in a natural setting." Gemini says: "Based on the physical characteristics and the environment shown, the animal in the image is an Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) in a zoo enclosure."

My verdict: Both are correct! It's always fun to see a white arctic fox hanging out in the spring grass of a North American zoo, where the winter camouflage is out-of-date but the coat has not yet switched over to its brown summer mode.

#4: F is for Flowers

GPT-4o says: "Dark red snapdragon flower with layered petals stands against a blurred, sandy background, creating a serene and natural scene." 

Gemini says: "Antirrhinum majus 'Black Prince' is a cool-season tender perennial, often grown as an annual, known for its deep crimson flowers and bronzy-purple foliage."

My verdict: I don't know my flowers, but my inexpert opinion based on looking at snapdragon images online is that they are correct. I was just really taken by the deep color and dramatic vibe of this flower.

#5: H is for Hoofed Animals

GPT-4o says: "Zebra with black and white stripes stands in a zoo enclosure. Background shows a fence, trees, and measuring scale on a beige wall." 

Gemini says: "La cebra en la imagen es una cebra de montaña de Hartmann (Equus zebra hartmannae), una especie que actualmente reside en el Como Park Zoo."

Why does Google suddenly think we are Spanish-speaking? Let's try again.

Gemini says: "This is a Hartmann's mountain zebra, a species known for its distinct horizontal "gridiron" pattern on its hindquarters and vertical stripes on its neck and torso."

My verdict: It is indeed a Hartmann's mountain zebra according to the zoo website, so they are both correct! But it's interesting that what Gemini told us in English is not a translation of its first answer in Spanish...a good reminder that AI generates new text every time, unlike other online sources that offer static answers that are the same for everyone whenever you ask.

#6: L is for Leafy Greens

GPT-4o says: "Green lettuce and lavender plants grow in a rectangular planter box, surrounded by soil, under bright sunlight." Gemini says: "Depending on the species, growth requirements and habits vary significantly. Based on your image and interest, here is how these plants grow ... Salvia officinalis (Common Sage) ... Salvia divinorum (Diviner's Sage) ... Symphytum officinale (Common Comfrey) ..."

This is so weird! I actually used Gemini (Google image search) to identify these plants before I started writing this post, and that time, it said that I was looking at lavender on the left (the spiky plant) and either foxglove or comfrey on the right (the broad leaves). Let's try again, and this time I won't say it's at the Como Zoo.

Gemini says: "The plants in the image are likely Foxglove (Digitalis) in their first-year rosette stage."

My verdict: Lettuce? Some variety of sage? Comfrey? Foxglove? Anyone who actually knows plants have an opinion? The difference between lettuce and foxglove is a really big one, since lettuce is food and foxglove is poison! These are raised container planters (just outside the visitor center at the Como Zoo) so at least if it's something dangerous, rabbits are unlikely to be able to get in there...and rabbits are probably a thousand times more knowledgeable than I am about plants and hopefully would avoid something poisonous.

#7: P is for Primates

GPT-4o says: "Two orangutans sit closely, one holding a rope, in a wooden enclosure. Their reddish fur contrasts with the rustic background, creating a serene mood."

Gemini says: "Distinguishing between the three species of orangutans (Sumatran, Bornean, and Tapanuli) can be subtle, especially in a zoo setting where they might be identified by signage rather than obvious physical traits."

My verdict: Both are correct! The Como Zoo website confirms that these are Sumatran orangutans. Orangutans always look pretty silly when they're just chilling out, but once they start swinging on the ropes, they are amazing. Right after I took this picture, the bigger one in the front started swinging around and moving onto various platforms, and the littler one followed her and behaved in an obviously intentionally annoying manner just like a human child might to an older sibling or parent. Turns out this is a mom and her child, so...yeah.

#8: S is for Statues

GPT-4o says: "Decorative seal statue with blue floral patterns on yellow and blue base. Set in a park with blooming trees and a blue sky background." 

Gemini says: "This is a hand-painted "Sparky the Sea Lion" statue, part of a public art project commissioned by the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota...This specific statue features a intricate blue and white pattern resembling Delftware pottery, painted by a local artist to convey a message of water conservation."

My verdict: Both are correct! There are a total of 21 Sparky statues, though we did not see them all on this visit. I couldn't find reliable information about whether all of 21 of them are currently at the zoo or not. At first I wondered whether the two vertical grooves on the yellow base were intended to look like a socket for an electric plug, but older photos don't have the grooves...??

#9: W is for Wild Animals - Mammal Edition

GPT-4o says: "Chipmunk perched on the edge of a black trash can, with blurred trees in the background. Bright, natural lighting."

Gemini says: "At the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota, you may spot an Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) roaming the grounds. While the zoo officially houses approximately 1,700 animals across 66 species—including popular residents like gorillas, polar bears, and Sparky the Sea Lion—chipmunks are native wild residents frequently seen in the park areas. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]"

My verdict: I didn't know if this was a chipmunk or ground squirrel, but these photos showing the distinctly striped head of a chipmunk vs. the solid brown head of a ground squirrel makes it clear that both are correct that it's a chipmunk!

#10: W is for Wild Animals - Bird Edition

GPT-4o says: "A black bird perches on a budding tree branch against a clear blue sky, creating a serene and relaxed atmosphere. Green leaves are emerging."

Gemini says: "This bird is a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)."

My verdict: Both are correct - it is a European starling! The black feathers, white spots, and yellow bill make this one an easy bird to identify, even when the view isn't great.

It was interesting to see the differences between GPT-4o and Gemini/Google Lens in looking at these images. GPT-4o really does generate a full description of the image, which includes the vibe/feeling of it...a verbal replacement of the image itself. Gemini/Google Lens centers on the main object in the image and attempts to identify it, including some extra information about that object...an answer to the question, What is this?

They were usually in agreement, though Gemini/Google Lens was typically more specific about the focal object (e.g., Hartmann's mountain zebra rather than zebra). But as I've found before, getting a solid, reliable identification of plants is really hard! I guess there are just so many of them, and different types often look very similar. But man, I was just not expecting to come away from this not knowing whether that green plant (Leafy Greens) was food or poison!

I even called the conservatory at the zoo to ask about the plant. The woman answering the phone knew what planter I was asking about, but unfortunately she wasn't in a position that she could go outside and look at it (which makes sense if she's manning the phones), nor did she remember off the top of her head what was planted there. So the mystery continues!

Next month's topic is the Animals/Pets Who Rule My Heart...and that's a really easy one for me!

In the meantime, visit these lovely bloggers as they share about their Favorite Things about Being Me:

Bettye at Fashion Schlub

Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks

Em at Dust and Doghair

Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style

Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After Again

Iris, always in our hearts, from Iris' Original Ramblings

Now to you: what are your favorite things about being you...or about your life right now? Are you a zoo and/or garden visitor? Do you have a favorite type of zoo/garden exhibit you like to see? Do you have an idea about our mystery plant??

Blogs I link up with are listed here.