Spring break and nowhere to go…well we would have been in DC with the grandparents but the grandparents had a change of plans so here we are…at home. My sister and I decide to get our kids together and have family time. SF was too far, since my nephew had an orthodontist appointment in the early afternoon. Instead we decide to head south to San Jose to Happy Hollow, the newly renovated, reopened family park. My sister wasn’t too sure her boys would enjoy it, after all they were all of 8 and 6, but they did. Our girls loved it as I knew they would.
Someone we met at the park described the previous condition of the park as ‘aged’. That was being generous. The park was falling apart, looking neglected, with rides unstaffed; generally in disrepair. It wasn’t looking very much like a happy place.
After a year and a half and $70MM later, Happy Hollow actually looks like a happy place. There are bright colored signs, new landscaping, new and refurbished rides, new buildings etc. We all thought it looked wonderful.
We did not pick the best day to go, the lines of cars to get into the park were long and that was at 10:10am; and the park opened at 10am. It was spring break after all. In the parking lot, my older nephew looked around and commented on all the strollers. Happy Hollow is indeed perfect for the stroller set, but older kids still can have a lot of fun (as ours did).
Admission isn’t exactly cheap. First, there is a $10 parking fee (steep!) and admission is $12 for anyone above 2 (unless you are a senior). You might consider getting a membership. A family membership will pay for itself after 2 visits for a family of four.
Highlights? Well, everyone, including me, had a great time on the roller coaster. It’s small but fun and just enough thrill for even a 8 year old boy. Another favorite was the Hopper. This is the kiddie version of a drop tower. Again just enough thrill…put a smile on all the kids’ faces. Happy Hollow also boasted a wonderful playground with an amazing play structure. It was huge with lots of nets, bridges, slides etc…The kids spent a lot of time running around having a blast. My sister and her boys had to leave at 1pm after lunch under a pleasantly shaded picnic table (and there are many of those). We soldiered on until well past 3pm, taking in more rides, the zoo and the farm. We didn’t even have time for the puppet theater.
We had a great day and the girls wanted to come back for another day of fun…so I turned in our tickets towards a family membership. I guess we are not too old yet to hang out with the stroller set.
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