Best Place to Be Glad You're Alive

Houston ZooLions, tigers and bears, oh, my! Komodos, leopards and white alligators -- even better! It's hard not to feel giddy while roaming the Houston Zoo on a sunny day. After all, for $7 you can be instantly transported to the Serengeti, the Andes or the Australian Outback, gazing upon the most magnificent creatures that ever roamed the earth. And it's funny how the animals are so much like us -- the nurturing mom and pop giraffes with their brand-new baby, the nervous, blinking prairie dogs, the oafish gorillas. Here's another thought: You're not the one in the cage. Somehow, that puts everything in perspective.