175 million people are a little happier each year

My wife pointed this out to me in Real Simple this weekend.

175 Million
The number of people who flock to zoos and aquariums in the United States each year, as recorded by the Association of, yep, Zoos & Aquariums. A 2009 Animal Science Journal study noted that visitors to zoos left with lower blood pressure and rated their quality of life as improved. So next time the world is driving you wild, go see the lions. They might just tame your stress.

I’m not surprised. One of many things which I have a hard time articulating is how much I’ve enjoyed living near the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. It’s been a terrific party of my life for a bunch of years now.

I’ve been making sure to get 5 miles of walking in a day since January. One of my favorite stops I’ve found is, yep, back to the zoo. Here’s a shot from a few months ago.