THE SWEET SYMBOLS: Mother's Day has many recognizable symbols, from bouquets to brunch spreads to gifts to jewelry. Less commonly seen in the Mother's Day milieu is a rhino, or a tortoise, or a koala, or a tree full of beautiful birds. But that may one day change given that the San Diego Zoo hosts one of the most interesting and offbeat Mother's Day Weekend to-dos around. For starters, the event is 21+, though the fact that it is a sleepover seems just as headline-worthy. It all goes down on Saturday, May 10, when "some grown-up time" may be enjoyed in one of the most famous animal parks anywhere. "A buffet dinner with adult beverage and fabulous dessert bar" are part of the Saturday night doings, as is trivia and a scavenger hunt. Breakfast is at the Sabertooth Grill. "A nose-to-nose encounter" with a denizen of the Australian Outback area is also promised. Yep, it is all in the spirit of helping moms do a bit of co-mom communing and have some adult time, and, nope, it doesn't fill the whole weekend, meaning you can still have holiday plans back home with your young'uns.
BUT... if you'd like a sleepover with the tots, there are more to come this summer, including a Father's Day Sleepover -- kids 4 and older are welcome -- and the Carnivore Campout, where meat eaters will get the spotlight (that happens over a few warm-weather nights). The Black and White Overnights in August give a peek into, you guessed it, the zoo's black-and-white animals. (Hello, pandas, we just bet you're a part of the scene.)
AND ARE THERE NEW BABIES... just in time for Mother's and Father's Days? You betcha. A nine-week-old greater one-horned rhino and his mum are now cavorting together in the Asian Plains exhibit.
