Go beyond the typical Mother’s Day gifts and give mom a memorable experience she can enjoy with the whole family this year. Get up close to a moose, groom a goat or touch a jellyfish! She won’t soon forget these amazing experiences at Northwest Trek and our sister zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium!
1. Go on a Wild Drive
Uh-oh! There’s a traffic jam… a herd of bison are in the road! This Wild Drive is bound to be much more exciting than rush hour on I-5. Take your own personal vehicle on the paved roads through Northwest Trek’s peaceful 435-acre Free-Roaming Area past dozens of animals native to the Pacific Northwest. Your guided experience includes a live audio narration by a naturalist who will share engaging stories about the species you’re seeing and what makes them special. Up to 8 people per vehicle allowed.
2. Meet a Moose
“Mom Meets a Moose on Mother’s Day,” sounds like the perfect title for a children’s book, or the start of a great story! Jump aboard a Jeep with a keeper at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and go off-road and up close to animals like moose, mountain goats, bison, Roosevelt elk and more! Take a Keeper Adventure Tour and see the animals of our Free Roaming Area.
3. The Perfect Angle
Does mom love photography? Does she always want the perfect angle for the perfect shot? Gift her a Photo Tour at Northwest Trek. A naturalist guide will take her on a Jeep and look for views of moose, caribou, elk and more that will take her breath away!
4. Have the Zoo All to Yourself
Get to the Zoo before it opens to the public for a Wild Zoo Tour and experience animals in the early morning with a knowledgeable guide, without the crowds. If you’re lucky, you’ll even hear the siamangs or gibbons sing their morning songs to each other! This unique experience culminates with a special animal encounter at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Talk about making mom feel special!
5. Hand-feed Sea Stars
Go behind-the-scenes for a 75-minute tour of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s state of the art Pacific Seas Aquarium. Touch jellyfish, feed sea stars and anemones, learn how green sea turtles and hammerhead sharks are fed and cared for, and say hi to real aquarists as they pass by doing their work. This popular experience is 75 minutes of pure fun! Want a shorter tour? Book Jammin’ with Jellies instead, for a 30-minute tour focused all on moon jellyfish!
6. Groom a Goat
Did someone say spa day?! Errr.. kind of! Mom is getting a different kind of spa day this year… she’s giving one to the goats! Brush them, pat them, scratch their ears and watch them soak up the attention! Learn about their personalities and what they like to eat and do. Pose for a photo with your favorite goat, then hand-feed them pellets. Goats love the social interaction, just like humans, so everyone’s day gets a little brighter! 
7. A Day at the Zoo or Northwest Trek
Sure, hand feeding a sea star or getting up close to mountain goats sounds fun, but so is a leisurely stroll around the Zoo! At Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, see Sumatran tigers, red wolves, a polar bear, an Asian elephant, lar gibbons, sea otters, hammerhead sharks and so much more! Also included in your entry ticket: attend the new Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater Show and enter the Budgie Buddies Aviary, both opening May 7th just in time for Mother’s Day! At Northwest Trek, walk past bobcats, lynx, a cougar, gray wolves, wolverines, grizzly bears, eagles and more!
8. Become a Member
Gift your mom a membership to either Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium or Northwest Trek. Or, get a combo-membership to both! Memberships save you money and get you discounts and perks all year long. Like that Wild Drive we mentioned before? Save $20 when you’re a member!? Quality time for the family, all year long.
Lily and Reed.