Great America Package at Clarion San Jose Airport

Lost in the craze over the big theme parks like Disneyland, Disney World, Legoland, and the Six Flags Parks are a gazillion amusement and theme parks which serve local communities. These parks are only visited by tourists when they 'happen' to be in town. No one comes to town spcifically to visit these poor second cousin parks.

So today, I thought we'd spotlight one of them - Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara, CA. Great America features 10 pulse-pounding coasters, the world’s tallest double-decker carousel along with the wet and wild water rides of Boomerang Bay, a 2.7 acre Australian-themed water park with a variety of slides, splash areas and water activities built inside the existing theme park. For more information, visit www.pgathrills.com.

The reason we're talking about Great America is that I was looking up specials and package deals offered by San Jose hotels, and I bumped into this neat Great America Package at the Clarion Hotel San Jose Airport. Includes:-

Two Adult Tickets to Great America
Courtyard King, Double/Double or Queen/Queen Rooms
Free All-You-Can-Eat Hot Breakfast Buffet - 6:30am to 9:30am Mon-Fri (until 10am Sat/Sun)
Outdoor Pool (big pool and sunny all the time!)& Spa & Putting Green w/ putters at the desk
Pay In-Room Video Games
10% off the Island Grill with reasonable prices! (Steak & Seafood with a Tropical Twist!)

And best part is that the package, inclusive of all of the above, costs only $139.99 plus tax. Making it even more of a fun experience, the light rail runs past both the hotel and Great America, with a one way adult ticket costing $1.75 and $1.50 for children. Age 5 and below free. More details and online booking here.

As for the hotel, even by San Jose's relatively spacious and generous standards, the Clarion offers a heck of a lot. In addition to the complimentary hot breakfast buffet for all guests, the hotel also offers free airport shuttle, a fitness room, outdoor pool and whirlpool spa, a putting green with putters at the desk, free parking, free 24-hour business center, free USA Today, an on-site restaurant and lounge with live entertainment beginning at 9pm, free wireless and direct high-speed Internet access throughout the hotel, guest laundry with an on-site coin laundry, an ATM and a 24 hour gift shop.

Every room in the hotel has coffee makers, irons, laptop safes, ironing boards, hairdryers, HBO, TV Japan, Spanish TV (Univision), Pay-per-view movies, video check-out, two phones, 25" TV with cable television and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

Info: 1355 North Fourth Street San Jose CA 95112; (888) 453-5340; www.clarionsj.com/