One of my favorite pastimes as a kid (and as an adult) is hanging out with animals. There’s nothing that makes my day brighter than petting a donkey or feeding a pig, which is why Hidden Valley Animal Adventure was a must go-to place for me this weekend.
Now, I’ve heard many great things about Hidden Valley Animal Adventure and pulling into the parking lot for the first time, I knew I was going to fall in love. First of all, the scenery is magnificent. The park has a beautiful pond with ducks and coy fish swimming peacefully in it. Gorgeous trees surround the area and a quiet, peaceful breeze filled the air. Hidden Valley has a cozy rustic timber frame lodge and banquet facility that you can check out when you first walk in. The whole atmosphere of the park is so lovely that I even asked my husband if we could get remarried there one day!
So, to get tickets for the safari, you must walk down a hill towards the lake. From there you may either purchase safari and small animal adventure tickets: $18.75 for adults, $14.75 for children (Ages 3-10) 2 and under are free, and $17.25 for seniors. But if you’re only interested in the small animal adventure you may buy a ticket for $5 each. The safari comes with one cup of food per person, but if you want more you can buy tickets beforehand for $2 or you can buy some on the safari trolley. A ticket for food for the small animal adventure is $1.
We arrived at the park at 2 p.m. and the safari was sold out until 3 p.m., which was okay with us because we wanted to check out the small animal adventure anyways. However, if you want to make sure the day isn’t sold out, I’d call beforehand to find out about making a reservation.
So, first my family and I checked out the small animal adventure, which was a blast. My baby is only 20 months old, so watching him see a donkey, a mini horse, and a pig for the first time cracked me up. He screamed in excitement when he was able to feed the gentle donkeys and even walked up to a few to pet them without a care in the world. All of the animals were super sweet and friendly, but parent supervision is obviously very important as these are animals and animals can be unpredictable (so can children).
After we had a blast visiting the animals, we went back to the lodge to wash our hands in the restroom (which is very, very clean by the way) and then made our way to the line for the safari. The park does have a restaurant (The Trailside Grill), but we decided to eat when we got home. But if you’re hungry or want a quick snack, not only do they have the restaurant, they also have a small stand inside with ice cream, chips, and fountain drinks.
Now it was time for the safari. We made our way aboard the safari bus and were given a huge cup of food to feed the animals. We were given directions on how to feed the animals (not directly), but to feed them by either dropping the food in their mouths or letting them eat out of the cup. Once everyone sat down, we were greeted by a Hidden Valley tour guide who was very knowledgeable of the park and its animals.
The safari was a bit of a bumpy ride, but that’s what makes it fun, right? The first animal we came across was a zebra and a zebra hybrid, which was a mix of a donkey and zebra. The safari bus stopped for a good amount of time to say hello and feed the animals, so none of us were rushed. I really liked that because I feel a lot of attractions are rushed and this wasn’t one of them.
We also saw bisons, ox, elks, camels, emus, and wildebeests. Every species came right up to the trolley and it was so neat to see how massive some of these animals were up close. Each animal was very friendly as well, but of course its not a good idea to get too close or pet the animals as they are still animals first and foremost. My child is too young to understand what these animals are, but what I like about these attractions is I can pass on a love for animals to him at a very young age. Our children are the ones who will be looking after animals when we’re gone and so will their children and so on, so we must help them appreciate each and every species.
But Hidden Valley Animal Adventure isn’t just for kids. Adults can enjoy this amazing attraction as well. It would make for a great date with your loved one or even a trip with a friend. It only took about an hour from where we live to get to Hidden Valley so it’s pretty accessible to anyone in the area. I definitely give Hidden Valley five stars. I left the park feeling happy and that’s how all attractions should be!
So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Hidden Valley Animal Adventure today! Visit www.hiddenvalleyanimaladventure.com for more information.
