Georgia

Fun Georgia Staycation Ideas

Are you looking for a way to enjoy Georgia without venturing too far from home? If you live in the state of Georgia and want to know some fun staycation ideas, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of my favorite places to visit for a Georgia staycation.

Historic Banning Mills

Get your adventure on with an eco-friendly zipline tour at Historic Banning Mills. You can enjoy the great outdoors at any of their relaxing cabin rentals and rent an ATV to experience this fun place in Georgia whenever you’re looking to get outdoors and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Located in Whitesburg, Georgia only 45 minutes West of Atlanta. Contact them at 770-834-9149

Visit Lake Lanier

This beautiful location is only about a 45-minute drive northeast of Atlanta, GA and offers you a chance to stay at some budget-friendly campgrounds. While there are resorts and hotels in Lake Lanier, they tend to be on the higher end for pricing. Enjoy the waterpark, grilling, and horseback riding lessons while enjoying a staycation here.

City of Columbus

In the beautiful Georgia city of Columbus, you’ll enjoy the staycation of a lifetime. With many cultures and museums to enjoy, Columbus may be a city in Georgia but the prices don’t scream “city prices”. Riverwalk Park is a wonderful way to reduce stress after a busy workweek during your mini vacation here. There’s even an Econo Lodge for budget-friendly accommodations in Columbus, GA. Get more information about things to do in Columbus, Georgia here.

Silver Comet Trail

If you’re into biking then why not take a bike ride on Silver Comet Trail. This is free to use and runs 61.5 miles from the Mavell Road Trailhead in Smyrna to the Georgia/Alabama state line near Cedartown. It’s the perfect Georgia staycation trip for a day away from your home, and if you want to stay in the area there are many places to stay along the route in various towns of Georgia.

New Echota

New Echota is one of the most significant Cherokee Indian sites in the nation and was where the tragic “Trail of Tears” officially began. In 1825, the Cherokee national legislature established a capital called New Echota at the headwaters of the Oostanaula River. During its short history, New Echota was the site of the first Indian language newspaper office, a court case which carried to the U.S. Supreme Court, one of the earliest experiments in national self government by an Indian tribe, the signing of a treaty which relinquished Cherokee claims to lands east of the Mississippi River, and the assembly of Indians for removal west on the infamous Trail of Tears. You can enjoy visiting the old buildings, a self guided tour, a film, fishing, and nature trails at New Echota.

Etowah Indian Mounds

The Etowah Indian Mounds was home to several thousand Native Americans in the Cartersville area from about 1000 A.D. to about 1550 A.D. There are six mounds there, which are believed to be used for various purposes. One was used for burial of nobility, along with their belongings that they believed they would need in the afterlife. Another, Mound C, is believed to be used as a home for the priest-chief of the tribe. There are many artifacts on display in the museum. In addition to the museum, there is a gift shop, 6 mounds, picnic tables, a nature trail, and a river walk. Learn more about Etowah Indian Mounds here.

Each of these staycation ideas for Georgia will give you a chance to experience your state without breaking the bank. Traveling on a budget sounds like a difficult option for many families but the reality is travel can be quite inexpensive. Nothing says you can’t enjoy your home state on a staycation as a means to enjoy quality family time together. I hope that my list of fun staycation ideas for Georgia has inspired you to plan a weekend getaway in Georgia soon.

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Road Trip: Fairfield Inn & Suites Savannah Historic District

Karen · 1 Comment

Our trip to Savannah, Georgia was courtesy of VisitSavannah.com. They provided lodging at Fairfield Inn & Suites Savannah Historic District, meals, and some activities during our stay. Thank you so much!

Savannah is rich in history, being that it was founded by James Oglethorpe way back in 1733. It was the first capital of Georgia, and when General Sherman burned his way through Georgia during the Civil War, he ended up in Savannah, setting up his headquarters here. The city was spared from the fires of war, so there are loads of beautiful old homes and buildings throughout the Historic District. Abbey and I enjoyed our stay in Savannah so much!

During our time in Savannah, we stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, in the Historic District on Martin Luther King Boulevard. We arrived at about 4:00 p.m., tired from the trip and the heat. The hotel provided valet parking for a fee of $25 per night. You could take your car out as often as you wanted to, or not at all.

Emily was the clerk at the front desk when we checked in. She was very friendly and professional, and in no time at all we were on our way up to our room, one of 140 the hotel has to offer. We unloaded the bare necessities from our luggage, and immediately laid down on the very comfortable beds to take a short nap.

We had a lot of room to spread out in our room. There was a large closet, a dresser, a desk and chair, and a small refrigerator and coffee pot in the room. It did not have a microwave but there was free breakfast in the lobby.

After our nap, we went back downstairs to ask a few questions of the concierge, and I stopped by the front desk to talk to Emily again. I asked her if the person who made my reservation had requested a handicapped accessible room, but she said there was no indication of that. She offered to move us to another room that did have a handicapped accessible bathroom, but I told her that we had already unpacked and were too tired from our trip to move. When we came back from dinner, she told me I would be happy when I got to my room. Upon returning to the room, I found that Emily had found a shower seat and sent it to our room. That did, indeed, make me very happy.

The Fairfield Inn & Suites Savannah Historic District has so many amenities, it would have been impossible for us to use them all in the three days we were there. In addition to housekeeping services daily, there is a gym, an outdoor swimming pool, conference rooms, Concierge desk, and Airline Reservation Desk, coin operated on site laundry, valet dry cleaning service, plus more.

Fairfield Inn & Suites, Savannah Historic District

135 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard,

Savannah, Georgia 31401 USA

+1 912-236-1777

The hotel offers discounts to Senior Citizens of 15%. They also offer discounts to AAA/CAA, Government and Military, Girl Scouts, and groups of 10+. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Savannah Historic District is a smoke free and pet free facility.

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Savannah: A Beautiful City For A Mini Vacation

Karen · Leave a Comment

Last week, my “adopted” granddaughter, Abbey, and I went on a mini vacation to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is a great place to get away from it all, and not break the bank. It is so convenient to get to from almost any city in Georgia. If you live in the metro Atlanta area, just take I-75 south to Macon, where you pick up I-16. I-16 takes you right into downtown Savannah. Because we live in west Georgia, we went Hwy 27 south to Hwy 16 thru Newnan, and got on I-75 at Forsyth. It was a much more pleasant drive.

Once you get to Savannah, there are so many options of things to do, and places to eat. On our first day there, we took a trolley tour that went around every square in town. The guide told us so much about the history of Savannah, too. After the trolley tour, we took a Savannah Riverboat Tour. The cruise went west first to the docks where the big ships unload, then east down past Ft. Pulaski. That night, we went to Tybee Island so we could see the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, while we were eating dinner a thunderstorm rolled in, with lots of lightning, so we did not get to see it.

On the second day, we drove up to Hilton Head Island for another chance to get our feet wet in the Atlantic. This time we were successful! We didn’t stay long because we both tend to sunburn in a very short period. We drove home and rested for a bit, then went to dinner at a barbecue restaurant. After dinner, we went on yet another tour! This time it was a walking ghost tour! It was a two hour tour, with more history of the city, and lots of ghost stories and thrilling tales. By the time it was over, I was exhausted! I took my walker with me on this trip, and was so glad I did. It has a seat so that I could sit down whenever we stopped at a haunted house, while the tour guide told us his story.

I’ll be telling about our trip to Savannah in more detail, with lots of pictures, in the next few days, so stay tuned!

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I’m Going To Savannah Next Week!

Karen · Leave a Comment

Back in the 1980’s, I was a Girl Scout Leader for my daughters. Troop 147 went on a lot of trips, both locally and on the road to other places. We went to Huntsville, Alabama to the Space Center. We took a 10 day Amtrak train trip to Washington, D.C., Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City. We also went to the home of Juliette Gordon Lowe in Savannah, Georgia a couple of times. I haven’t been back to Savannah since 1988.

This time I am taking my “adopted” granddaughter, Abbey. She has never been to Savannah, so it will be a fun trip for her. We plan to do all the things and eat all the things. We will be staying at the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Martin Luther King Blvd, which is only about two blocks from the Savannah River and River Street. The plan is to take a walk down River Street to see the sights.

We will also go to eat at The Pirates House Restaurant. I have been to The Pirate’s House a couple of times. It is one of the traditional places to eat in Savannah. The menu includes lots of seafood, which will make both Abbey and me happy!

One of the days that we are in Savannah, we hope to drive out to Tybee Island to get our toes in the sand of the beach. I don’t do well in the sun–I always burn to a lobster like red. So, the plan is to go to the beach late in the evening when it cools off some. And one of the nights that we are there, we hope to go on a ghost tour. I think our days will be full of things to do and see, and we will have a ton of fun. Of course, I’ll be blogging it all.

Savannah is a good weekend trip from most places in Georgia. From my home in Buchanan, which is on the Alabama border, it is only a 300 mile drive. From Atlanta, it is 248 miles. A trip from Milledgeville is only 168 miles. Even from Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, it is only a 358 mile drive.

Y’all come back and read about our trip next week, and plan a trip of your own to Savannah!

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5 Fun Things To Do In Augusta With Kids

Karen · Leave a Comment

If you are a grandma like me, you may be looking for things to do with the grandkids when you travel. Taking a trip by car with several young kids can be trying, even for the most patient person. I try to look for things to do in cities we may be passing through, just to get off the road for an hour or so, and let the kids walk around, run, get that energy out so the trip will pass by easier for everyone. Here are five fun things to do with grandkids I recently found in Augusta, Georgia that you may like to visit.

The Playhouse

One thing that caught my eye about The Playhouse was the Toddler Zone. So many places don’t have a special area just for the little kids. The Toddler Zone gives the littles a place to play without having to compete with bigger kids. A big “thumbs up” to The Playhouse for having this place.

In addition to the Toddler Zone, there is a low impact paintball area for kids 10 & up. Admission includes face mask, chest gear, paintball gum, and unlimited ammo. Contact The Playhouse for prices and waivers.

They have a new 8 lane slot car track that looks like it will be a lot of fun. When I was a kids so many years ago, we had slot car tracks at home. Racing the cars was fun! You have to have a lot of skill not to crash these cars, but even if you crash, it is still fun. I would go to The Playhouse by myself just to play with the slot cars!

There are lots more things to do at The Playhouse. Click here to check them out.

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park

Get out of the car and take a hike! At Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, there are several short trails that would perfect for kids of all ages. The one that looks most appealing to me is the Beaver Dam Trail. The opportunity to see beavers swimming in the creek makes me want to go today! Other animals you might see on this trail are River Otter, Red Shouldered Hawk, Egrets & Herons. Go to their website for more information, and check to see if your travel plans would allow you to go on one of the guided nature hikes.

Patriot Riverboat Tours

Take a tour of the riverfront of Augusta with a narrated tour. From their website:

Patriot Riverboat Tours allows you to see Augusta’s downtown, beautiful riverfront homes, and natural landscapes and wildlife all along the Savannah River. One hour riverboat tours depart Wednesday through Sunday at 3 p.m. from the 10th Street dock located behind the Marriott downtown Augusta, GA. Saturday Sunset Cruises are also available. Check the website for Sunset Cruise departure times. Food and beverages are allowed on-board. Public Tour Rates (Purchase tickets at the boat; cash or check only): 1-Hour Tours are $12. 2-Hour Saturday Sunset Tour are $20. Children Ages 6-12 are $6. Reservations are strongly suggested.

Civil War

photo courtesy of Augusta Canal Boat Tours

If you are interested in Civil War sites, there are quite a few places in the Augusta area to take a look. The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson offers tours Thursdays-Saturdays on the hour from 10 am to 4 pm. Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Admission is $5 for Adults, $4 for Seniors, $3 for Students K-12, and Free for children under age 5.

Take a tour on the Augusta Canal, where you will learn about confederate operations there during the Civil War. Tours depart daily at 1:30 p.m. and cost $14 for adults, $12 senior 60+, student or military.

Evans Towne Center Park

Evans Towne Center Park offers so much for a family to do, with a great playground that includes a splash pad, and shaded picnic areas for picnics. There’s a dog park too, so every member of the family is welcome here. Take a change of clothes for after the splash pad!

There you have it, five fun things to do with grandkids in Augusta.

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Great Fishing Spots In Georgia

Karen · Leave a Comment

Fabgrandpa and I have always loved fishing together. We have fished in lakes and streams, and have even fished for shrimp in the intra-coastal waterway in Florida. Our best fishing holes were in Georgia, though. We often took a weekend drive with the fishing gear loaded in the car, looking for a good place to go fishing.

Fabgrandma with the catch of the day at Sweetwater Creek State Park in 2000

Sweetwater Creek State Park is in Lithia Springs, Georgia. We lived about three miles from there when we first got married. We spent a lot of time fishing from the shore, and walking in the creek. I loved going out in a rental boat, though, because I could catch more fish that way! Just look at that stringer of Crappie that I caught.

Our grandson, Michael, with is great catch!

Although R-Ranch is a private resort, we were friends with a couple of people who were owners there, so we stayed in the cabins a couple of times. We loved fishing in the lakes there. My grandson, Michael, caught those fish on his first ever fishing trip.

We rented a boat at Lake Burton in north Georgia one day. Fabgrandpa had a great time catching bass. I caught a bream as big as my boot, but alas, I can’t find the picture to prove it.

Fabgrandpa caught this big bass when we lived at Stone Mountain Park in 2005.

In 2005, we workcamped at Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. We lived in the campground there for 10 months. We took one of the rental boats out several times a week with our trolling motor. It was fun to catch bass there. This day, Fabgrandpa caught the biggest one.

I know there are other places we fished in Georgia that I don’t have pictures of . In one of the cold streams in the north Georgia mountains, I caught several trout one day while standing on some rocks. That day was one of my favorite fishing days. I would love to still be able to go fishing. If I could, I would fish the Tallapoosa River that is near our house here in west Georgia. Where do you go fishing? What is your favorite fish to catch?

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Fogo De ChÃO New Summer Salads

Karen · Leave a Comment

The good folks over at Fogo De ChÃo invited me and a guest to come try out their new summer salads on the Market Bar. My son, Seth, and I went and we are so glad we did.

If you are like me, and have a really hard time deciding on which cut of meat to order when you go out to a steak house, then you are going to LOVE Fogo De ChÃO. The Brazilian restaurant where they serve fire roasted meats off of huge skewers brought to your table, in the Churrasco style, is one of the most unique places I have dined.

They have two locations in Atlanta–one on Piedmont Rd in Buckhead, which is where my son and I went; and the other in Dunwoody on Ashford Dunwoody Rd. You can check their website to see if there is one in your area.

As soon as we arrived, the manager, Carlos, came over to our table to welcome us. He had a delicious shrimp cocktail brought out, too. It was almost too pretty to eat, but eat it we did. Six huge shrimps over ice, served with cocktail sauce. Carlos also treated us to a couple of cocktails from the bar. For my son, he presented a Honey & Smoke, which had Monkey Shoulder Whisky, gingered honey, Peaty Glenmorangie Original, Luxardo Cherry. For me, a pink confection with Guava that was made with Belvedere Vodka, guava, lemon, La Marca Prosecco. Both were really good. Carlos said they were the two most popular cocktails from the bar.

Next, I went to the Market Table. The Market Table at Fogo De ChÃo is a huge assortment of salads, fresh vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, and more. The new items were Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad, and a Watermelon Feta Salad. Both were beautifully displayed, and tasted great. Next time I’ll try the artichoke hearts, and some of the scrumptious looking olives.

Most everything at Fogo De ChÃo is gluten free, even the table bread made from a Brazilian recipe. Other side dishes brought to table include fried plaintain, garlic mashed potatoes, polenta, and an assortment of sauces to accompany the star of the show, the fire roasted meats. When I say that there is a big assortment of meats from which to choose, I am not kidding. On this night, Seth and I tried all of these:

Picanha, which is the prime cut of sirloin seasoned with sea salt or garlic to bring out the natural flavor.

Beef Ancho, the most prime part of the rib eye, oh, so tenderQ!

Lamb Chops, my personal favorite.

Costela De Porco, tender pork ribs slow roasted for remarkable flavor and tenderness.

Filet Mignon, get it seasoned in the gaucho tradition and fire roasted, or wrapped in bacon.

Frango, unique cuts of chicken including legs, and bacon wrapped chicken breast.

Linguica, pork sausages.

Seth and tried all of those items. There were more things to choose from but we just did not have room to try them all. Everything we tasted was so good. I would go back to Fogo De ChÃo as often as I can.

We also tried two of the desserts. There was the Tres Leches Cake, with whipped cream and strawberries; and papaya cream topped with black currant liquer.

The full Churrasco Experience, which includes the Market Table and the Fire Roasted Meats served at table, and sides, at the Atlanta locations, is $53.95 for dinner, but well worth it. You can sign up at the Fogo E-Club to get a promotional emails and other info from Fogo De ChÃo.

The manger, Carlos, with one of the Gaucho servers with a skewer of Picahna.

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Great Wolf Lodge Tasting Event

Karen · Leave a Comment

Great Wolf Lodge is opening a new resort in Lagrange, Georgia in May of this year. The new 457-suite family resort opening this May in LaGrange will offer eight unique eateries that range from the farm-to-fork elevated dining experience at Barnwood to satisfying sweet cravings with ice cream treats at Ben & Jerry’s. They invited me to come to City Winery in Atlanta on April 5th to taste some of the food that will be on the menu when they open.

Abbey and I at the Great Wolf Lodge Tasting Event.

I was allowed to take a guest, so I invited my adopted granddaughter, Abbey, to go with me. She was so excited to go because this was her first event experience.

The event started out with cocktails and Small Bites. There were lots of choices on the table: Cheese & Charcuterie; Pretzels with stone ground mustard and beer cheese; Pimento Cheese with Lodge Pickles and crackers; Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli and Micro Greens; and Mini Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits with Pepper Jam and Lodge-made Pickles. Everything was so good, but those Crab Cakes were absolutely delicious. I would go to Great Wolf Lodge just so I could order them!

The tables set up at City Winery for the event.

After the social hour where we met several other bloggers and magazine reporters, we found our seats. Each place at the table was set with name cards indicating where we would sit. I had Abbey to my right, a fashion blogger on my left, and representatives of The Good Life Magazine and Atlanta Magazine across the table. It was quite an interesting mix of folks making for great conversation. Before the food was served, we were introduced to Jason, the Communications Manager for Great Wolf Lodge, and Chef John Suley, the VP of Food & Beverage.

great wolf lodge — Introducing members of management from Great Wolf Lodge.

After the introductions, the first course that was served was Fried Green Tomatoes. I am not normally a fan of this traditionally southern food, but I tried these and they were really good. They had just the right amount of crunch, and were not too tart, which is why I don’t normally like them. I would order them if I went to Great Wolf Lodge. They were served with a Cajun Buttermilk dressing. Oh, and everything on the menu for the evening was gluten free except for the Mini Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits, and the corn that was served later on.

great wolf lodge menu — Fried Green Tomatoes with Cajun Buttermilk

Another thing on the menu that surprised me was the Roasted Golden Beets , with lodge-made Ricotta, Arugula, and white Balsamic. I don’t eat beets, ever, because they taste like dirt to me. However, I told myself that I would taste everything that was served. Chef Suley prepared this beet dish to perfection. I liked it and wanted more! That is a good thing! I did not get a picture of it. It was a very pretty dish of food, too.

I also did not get a picture of the Braised BBQ Short Ribs with Creamed Corn and Crispy Shallots. These short ribs were so tender! The Crispy Shallots made an excellent accompaniment. Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone and Fresh Thyme was a creamy rice dish. I loved it!

Great Wolf Lodge eats — Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone and Fresh Thyme

When we were first seated at the table and looking over the menu cards, I heard someone at our table remark “Let’s see how this Yankee Chef handles the Shrimp and Grits”. Well, I’m telling you he did a wonderful job. The Shrimp & Grits with Andouille Sausage and Roasted Jalapeño Cream were the highlight of the menu for me. Out of this world delicious!

Great Wold Lodge Eats — Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage and Roasted Jalapeno Cream

As if the Shrimp & Grits weren’t the best thing served yet, it seemed that Chef Suley kept the best for last. The New York Strip Steak with Grilled Vegetables and Compound Butter was melt in your mouth tender and so, so good! I wasn’t able to get a good photo of it, but if you like your steak medium rare, it was cooked just right. I don’t think I have ever had a steak that was so good. The vegetables served along with the steak were very good, too. So far, everything that was served was really good. With eight restaurants in which to dine at the Great Wolf Lodge in Lagrange, Georgia, and food this good, you could spend a week there and not taste all of the wonderful food!

The last thing served, of course, was dessert. Banana Pudding and S’Mores Sundaes were cleverly dished up in mason jars. They looked so good, and proved to be delicious.

The Great Wolf Lodge Atlanta in Lagrange, Georgia opens on May 24, 2018. The centerpiece of the resort will be the nearly 100,000 square foot indoor water park. With signature Great Wolf Lodge water rides and attractions including Fort Mackenzie, a multi-level interactive water fort treehouse with a massive tipping bucket, high thrill water slides, a relaxing lazy river, a huge wave pool, and several zero depth entry pools and kid water play areas, the new resort will feature water fun for everyone. There is a whole lot more to do there, though. To learn more about Great Wolf Lodge, the activities and attractions, and to make a reservation, visit their website. I haven’t been there yet, but believe me when I say I want to go just so I can enjoy the food!

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