Gilroy Gardens

Ter Bear, my niece, my sister and I have journeyed to the happiest place on earth each of the past three years. We love Disneyland ... the rides, the characters, the entertainment, the corn dogs! What we don't love are the lines and the crowds and definitely not the ticket prices or the drive down to Anaheim.
And that is exactly why we loved our trip to Gilroy Gardens this weekend. If you buy your ticket online it's less than $30.00. The lines are short. The rides are unlimited and absolutely perfect for both a 2-1/2 year old and an 8 year old. The park is super shady and very beautiful.

When we arrive my niece bought a souvenir drink cup at the front of the park. My sister and I both gave her a hard time for spending the $10.00 on an empty cup that came with an armband that gave her unlimited fill-ups. We weren't laughing later when we realized what a bargain it was since a drink was a typical amusement park price and they only sold the cups/refill deal at the beginning of the day in the front of the park!

There are several water features, including Splash Garden. This was a great location mid afternoon when the sun was at it's warmest. It's a semi enclosed area with lots of tables for parents to sit at but I saw a lot of parents enjoying the spray coming off of the Tree Top Spray Around. I fell victim to one of the geysers that sprays up from the ground which provided no end of comic relief to my sister and niece.

Another cool water feature was the waterfall walk. It was really neat to wind through the beautiful waterfall formations. But be forewarned. . . the walk leads you to the very wet back side of a waterfall. I had to pick Andrew up and carry him through that particular spot.

There is a petting zoo that is an additional cost of $5.00. You get a hand stamp and can come in and out as many times as you want. Adults don't have to pay to get in (another family friendly feature!) Ter passed on it but Andrew loved the animals. He brushed every single goat, chased all the chickens and thought the duck with the funny white feathers on top of it's head was hilarious.
Ter was too tall for a few rides and Andrew too short for a couple but there was plenty for both of them to enjoy. Two roller coasters and one of those swing rides were major hits for Ter and the flying goldfish and fire engine were Andrew's favorites. One of our favorite Disneyland rides is the Autopia cars and we found its equal in the antique car ride where both boys got to drive. There was also a train ride that went all the way around the park that the boys loved.

This park is definitely for families with young children. There really isn't anything that would appeal to a preteen or teenager. But that made it perfect for us. Even the arcade games were easy to win and both boys got a pretty good sized stuffed dog.

Among the rides we missed were the swan paddle boats and the Rainbow Garden boats. We also missed walking through the two gardens (Claudia's and the Holly garden). We were all exhausted and ready to go home. But that just means we will be going back again soon. . . maybe for their Harvest Fest or the Holiday Lights Days.

Our family definitely gives Gilroy Gardens a thumbs up!