Overseas Chinese Web Guide

Tag: zoo

  • San Francisco Zoo, San Francisco, CA

    I spent a chilly New Year’s Eve at the San Francisco Zoo We were greeted by polar bears and snowmen at the entrance.

    I saw a lot of free range peacock leisurely roaming around the park. This one was strutting around the reindeer pen. The reindeer must still be exhausted from their Christmas Eve deliveries because they just sat on the ground. I saw absolutely no reindeer games.

    Didn’t see any lions at the Lion House. I did see two tigers circling around in their pens. The Lion House is a great place to warm up. Nice and toasty inside.

    The cold weather did not bother the penguins. They were frolicking around in their pond.

    This tapir was one of the more active animals. The tapir pen is next to the rhino pen. In cartoons, rhinos are often portrayed as bullies or foot soldiers, but the one we saw seemed quite docile as it busily munched away at a lunch of lettuce and celery. The missing horn also made the rhino look less intimidating.

    Four dollars buys two spins around the track of the Little Puffer steam train.

    The San Francisco Zoo features a lot of bronze animals just waiting for children to climb on top.

    I spotted a pink color bear. I think the polar bears got dyed for the holidays.

    At the South American Tropical Forest exhibit, I spotted a pair of macaws engaging in some tomfoolery.

    Kangaroos! Last of the fun animal exhibits.

  • Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, San Jose, CA

    I recently paid a return visit to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose, California. Unlike the chaos immediately after opening week, the park’s operations were more settled this time around. The crowds were smaller, the lines were shorter, and the rides turned around a lot faster. All the hiccups that were evident during the previous visit were gone. I actually enjoyed this visit a lot.

    One noticeable difference from last time is that Happy Hollow had fenced off some of the metal sculptures that appeared in the entrance and throughout the park. A sign posted on the fences warned of hot temperatures. Kids just love climbing on top of the cute animal sculptures, and I guess someone must have gotten burned from those sculptures baking under the hot sun.

    I was also able to get on the Danny the Dragon ride this time. The line was much shorter, so we did not have to wait too long to get a seat. The weather was much cooler so that waiting in line was not so unbearable.

    When lunch time rolled around, I found it difficult to find an empty picnic area. Last time, Happy Hollow had a lot of empty picnic tables available for general use. However, this time, most of the picnic areas were booked, so we ended up at an area by the food court. We didn’t see anything in the outlying areas open to the general public.

  • Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

    Yesterday, I visited the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose, CA. The park just re-opened the previous weekend after an almost two-year renovation. When I arrived shortly after 10 a.m., I already saw a long line of cars waiting outside the toll booths. The parking lot itself was already about a third full. I saw a number of parties park outside the parking lot and walk in. $10 is a bit much for parking, but you can buy a $40 for 10 visits parking pass at the admission booth. From the parking lot, it’s only a short walk to the main entrance.

    The entrance features a number of whimsical sculptures, such as this delightful pig family. The park features additional sculptures inside.

    When you enter the park, the first ride I encountered was the Keep-Around-Carousel. I loved all the different animals, such as zebras and ostriches. This carousel was a bit different in that I could only hear music whenever I passed the attendant’s booth. No centralized pipe organ music typically found in carousel rides. Actually, I couldn’t figure out whether the music I heard was part of the ride experience or just something the attendant’s were listening to at the moment. Riding a merry-go-round in semi-silence is odd. Also, the ride operators have not completely worked out the kinks in their system. The kids were all seated on their animals for a long, long time before the ride started.

    I encountered the same problem on the Pacific Fruit Express Family Roller Coaster. The one minute roller coaster ride takes two quick laps around the short track. However, it took 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 minutes to unload / load the passengers each time. They really need to work on turning around the rides to keep the line moving and the kids happy.

    The longest wait was for the Danny the Dragon ride, located at the back of the park. If you really want to ride on the dragon, come early and head straight for the back of the park. Compared to Disneyland, the lines here don’t look long. But, for whatever reason, the line was moving just too slow and we ended up skipping this ride. Too long a wait in the hot afternoon.

    Oh no! Dorothy and Toto kills the WIcked WItch of the East.

    The puppet theatre features three different shows throughout the day. I saw the Three Little Pigs show, which offered a humorous twist on the original story. Overall, a fun day for the family. Oh, we also packed lunch because I read that the food service was a bit slow. The park has a lot of picnic tables, and only one place selling food. Pack a lunch and save some time.

  • Oakland Zoo: Oakland, CA

    meerkat

    The Oakland Zoo offers a different experience than the larger San Francisco Zoo across the bay. For small children, the Oakland Zoo offers a more manageable experience since the exhibits are smaller and closer together. For example, the giraffes at the Oakland Zoo are confined to a large dirt lot instead of the gigantic savanna. The children see the giraffes without having to walk through a giant exhibit. I don’t know how the giraffes feel about it.

    Like the San Francisco Zoo, the Oakland Zoo is a zoo in transition with some older exhibits and some more recent ones. The newer children’s zoo offers shows and interactive exhibits. You will have a wonderful time at either zoo.

  • San Francisco Zoo: San Francisco, CA

    giraffe

    The San Francisco Zoo is a fun place for children and adults. Located near Lake Merced, the zoo showcases a broad spectrum of animals in various habitats. Some exhibits, like the giraffes at the African Savanna, appear expansive and more modern. Others, like the Lion House and the various playgrounds, seem dated. Overall, the zoo is a wonderful destination to visit. The park is large and walkable. The bonus is the Little Puffer Steam Train that loops around one section of the park. Children just love train rides.