One of the things I have always liked about living in the
States is that you will find places there that you couldn't find with all the satellites
and search engines at your disposal otherwise. Of course, in other places, like
Tanzania, these places would be major tourist attractions.
Anybody outside of the Carolinas ever hear about Carowinds? No surprise there, being that it's on the same coast with Disney World. It's actually a pretty famous amusement park that international tourists have rarely heard of. Then there's Hollywild, the half zoo, as I call it. You need to find the place near Inman, South Carolina first, which is hard enough, even with a GPS.
This place is perfect for kids. Emphasis on kids here. I'm sure the parents would like to visit a place more elaborate, like the San Diego Zoo. This is where interests clash, I always find. If a family chooses to go to the San Diego Zoo, the parents quickly realize they will be dragging their children if they are planning on an all-day event. So the kids might enjoy the flamingos, stare from the double decker bus, ooh and aah at the lions and zebras. My experience is that a kid's attention span is as short as the ticket stub you bought for the place, so you will have to plan wisely. Suppose you had a half zoo? Or how about a children's zoo, with all the petting and feeding extracurricular activities?
Which is why Hollywild is perfect in many ways. It has a non-corporate feel to it, an independence that is refreshing. Employees seem to enjoy their jobs a lot more, the acreage of the place is not big enough for it to warrant a semiannual company picnic just so all employees get to know each other. I know the term 'family' seems a little overdone these days, but that's what the place feels like.
Whether or not, as some visitors have suggested, the animals are happy there is not for me to say. I doubt most caged animals are. All I know is that they are alive and (eating very) well.
I would say a normal visit takes 2-3 hours, which will stop the kids from moaning and doing somersaults on the park bench. Heck, Bash even asks to go home after three hours, minus the jumping and hollering and how he would like to spend the night there. You pay the admission, buy a big bag of animal grub, and off you go. The animals they keep in cages or their enclosures include camels, bears, panthers, and goats, among others. Again, tailored toward kids. And these are the animals the kids want to see. I know my two wouldn't want to be caught dead in an aviary. The circuit is short, so the kids will get in their exercise without claiming disability.
Anybody outside of the Carolinas ever hear about Carowinds? No surprise there, being that it's on the same coast with Disney World. It's actually a pretty famous amusement park that international tourists have rarely heard of. Then there's Hollywild, the half zoo, as I call it. You need to find the place near Inman, South Carolina first, which is hard enough, even with a GPS.
This place is perfect for kids. Emphasis on kids here. I'm sure the parents would like to visit a place more elaborate, like the San Diego Zoo. This is where interests clash, I always find. If a family chooses to go to the San Diego Zoo, the parents quickly realize they will be dragging their children if they are planning on an all-day event. So the kids might enjoy the flamingos, stare from the double decker bus, ooh and aah at the lions and zebras. My experience is that a kid's attention span is as short as the ticket stub you bought for the place, so you will have to plan wisely. Suppose you had a half zoo? Or how about a children's zoo, with all the petting and feeding extracurricular activities?
Which is why Hollywild is perfect in many ways. It has a non-corporate feel to it, an independence that is refreshing. Employees seem to enjoy their jobs a lot more, the acreage of the place is not big enough for it to warrant a semiannual company picnic just so all employees get to know each other. I know the term 'family' seems a little overdone these days, but that's what the place feels like.
Whether or not, as some visitors have suggested, the animals are happy there is not for me to say. I doubt most caged animals are. All I know is that they are alive and (eating very) well.
I would say a normal visit takes 2-3 hours, which will stop the kids from moaning and doing somersaults on the park bench. Heck, Bash even asks to go home after three hours, minus the jumping and hollering and how he would like to spend the night there. You pay the admission, buy a big bag of animal grub, and off you go. The animals they keep in cages or their enclosures include camels, bears, panthers, and goats, among others. Again, tailored toward kids. And these are the animals the kids want to see. I know my two wouldn't want to be caught dead in an aviary. The circuit is short, so the kids will get in their exercise without claiming disability.
The feeding part, of course, clinches it. Just watch the
kids feed the geese, the peacocks, the llama, and the goats. Do you think the
zoos let you do that? Even with a camel? Yet here is Bash, all three and a half
feet of him, feeding a seven foot camel he's nicknamed Donny. Donny the camel.
Donny the camel is huge and has an even bigger appetite. Yet here are the kids,
stretching out their hands with the animal feed, bonding with an animal they
would only see on TV.
There is also a bus tour that lasts less than an hour, which gives the kids an opportunity to feed the bison or the emu.
There is no price gouging at the concession stands, although these appear modest and offer a limited selection. Nothing wrong with that at all. I still wonder where I spend more money for a soft drink, at a zoo or at a ballpark. Nice to see not everything is profit driven.
So this is a perfect three hour tour (no Gilligan's Island jokes, please) for the kids. Half the zoo, way less than half the price, but double the fun for them. Good for you, Hollywild.
There is also a bus tour that lasts less than an hour, which gives the kids an opportunity to feed the bison or the emu.
There is no price gouging at the concession stands, although these appear modest and offer a limited selection. Nothing wrong with that at all. I still wonder where I spend more money for a soft drink, at a zoo or at a ballpark. Nice to see not everything is profit driven.
So this is a perfect three hour tour (no Gilligan's Island jokes, please) for the kids. Half the zoo, way less than half the price, but double the fun for them. Good for you, Hollywild.
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