Thanks for the Memories, Toby the Tortoise
Toby means joy, sixty years on
Como Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, holds special meaning for me. Since I was a toddler, I have traveled with family members to Como several times a year. The park is grand and has something to delight everyone.
In addition to its zoo, Como Park features a conservatory with seasonal flower displays and tropical flora, a Japanese garden, a bonsai collection, picnic grounds with shelters and pavilions, and an 18-hole golf course. I must not forget the park’s lake with swan-shaped paddle boats, an antique carousel with a calliope, a butterfly house in summer, ball grounds, walking trails, and carnival rides.
Oh, and then there is Sparky, the sea lion. She and all her pinniped friends entertain guests of all ages. Together, they perform daily at the Como Harbor Amphitheater.
It’s no wonder that hundreds of families pack up their cars and drive to Como for days filled with fun, joy, and pleasure. Admission is free, except for the carousel and carnival rides, and parking is free, too.
I recall the joy I felt when I rode on the back of Toby, a gigantic Galápagos tortoise, at Como Zoo in the early 1960s. I reflect on my times with Toby with heartfelt, childlike joy.
Today, we would consider riding on a tortoise’s back as cruel. Toby must have carried hundreds of children on any given day.
Born in 1932, Toby is on loan at Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii as part of a breeding program. It sounds like paradise to me.
I remember Toby as I pass by his statue on every visit to Como Park. Sometimes, I climb on his back and smile.
I may visit Hawaii someday. If I do, I would love to see Toby again.