Anna Ruby Falls

I'm trying to pick some places in Georgia we've visited to share with everyone. A couple of years ago, we drove through Helen on our way to a beautiful camp spot some miles north of Helen. It was in October and Oktoberfest was in full swing. Main Street was crawling and there were people everywhere. The town's architecture was quaint and inviting and looked like a fun place to walk around. So, if any of you are interested in Helen, GA, I thought I'd post some other things to do in the area as well.

Anna Ruby Falls is about 4 miles north of Helen. Anna Ruby Falls is a continuous, easy to moderate paved climb with bridged crossings of Smith Creek. Towards the end, there are well-placed observation decks which afford an excellent view of both waterfalls.

Click here or here for more details.

Jaemor Farms

The season for apples and corn mazes is quickly approaching and I know there are a many different farms that have corn mazes. We stopped at Jaemor Farm a couple of years ago on our way home from a camping trip. The apples were FANTASTIC and although we didn't pay for the corn maze, it looked like fun. We did wander around the farm and paid to let Kai ride a pony.

MAIZE QUEST CORNFIELD MAZE AT JAEMOR FARM MARKET

Find your way out of the maze while you expand your knowledge of the Wild West. Guests can bring picnics, try the apple slingshot or pick pumpkins.

Oct. and Nov. hours; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 1-6 p.m.

5340 Cornelia Hwy., Alto. 770-869-3999.

Adults, $8; children 4-7, $7; younger than 3, free.

Jumpin Jamboree

For those of you living near Tucker, this place is a fantastic place to play. It's hidden in the industrial area of Tucker and is rarely busy. The last time we played, we stayed for 5 hours! The staff is always pleasant and friendly and the facility is clean. There are picnic tables for snacks/lunch.

Before you go, check out there website and signup for the newsletter. They'll email you a coupon to use on your first visit which reduces the price to $5.

Jumpin Jamboree
2534 Royal Place, Suite E
Tucker, GA 30084
770-496-1200

Imaginations at Play

I recently read a review of this play place and found it very interesting. Here's some of the review:

"This place is a child’s dream! We were greeted by a vibrant, open set-up in a 4,000-square-foot facility with hands-on attractions for children ranging in age from 6 months to 10 years. With a number of play areas to accommodate every child’s interest, my kids had a field day! My boys immediately gravitated toward the sea of bubbles floating through the air in the “Rub-a-Dub Tub” area. The larger-than-life bathtub is filled with water and bath toys, along with a large pretend dog for the children to “bathe.” ...

I was pleased to learn that all of the toys in the facility are sanitized throughout the day to minimize the spread of germs.

Imaginations at Play also houses an art studio with plenty of easels and smocks. My children also made music in the “Musical Tree,” where they tickled the ivories of a mini piano and strummed a pint-sized guitar. Older kids seemed most attracted to the “Studio on the Backlot,” a stage with a green screen and TV monitors that allowed them to instantly become movie stars alongside their favorite characters. Not to be outdone, my 3-year-old jumped on stage and was starstruck every time he caught a glimpse of himself on TV with Big Bird."

– Felicia Barman

Imaginations at Play
33 Buford Village Way, Suite 329
Buford, GA 30518;
678-482-9156

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

Rich discovered this place through his involvement with scouting and I thought I'd pass it along to you. It's a great place to camp, but if you are not a camping lover there are plenty of other activities that you can participate in without having to 'rough it'. Plus, since it is only 50 miles away (I20 East) a day trip is feasible. Camping is free as are most of the activities. The website can provide you with all the details.

Here's a link to the website. Be sure to check out the calendar which gives you pages of activities. This weekend (September 26) is free fishing day and there are a few other activities planned for kids. We're planning on signing up for one of the upcoming night hikes which includes a kids craft, a guided night hike and a live owl show. I'll let you know what we think!

Boston Market Deal

Since there are Boston Market restaurant's in our area, I thought I'd post this great deal...

Wow! Boston Market has a pretty sweet promotion available thru October 31st! The new promotion is called, "Two Kids Eat FREE" dining program. Two children, ages 14 and younger, can receive a FREE kids’ meal all day, every day with only one adult purchase of just $6 or more! Wahoo! The best part--there is NO coupon needed to snag the FREE kids meal. This means that you'll also be able to use a Boston Market coupon to save even more on any Adult meals purchased! Sweeet! You can currently print a $2 off any $10 Boston Market purchase coupon here, valid thru October 21st. (courtesy of www.hip2save.com)

Savannah/Tybee Island

So our final stop was Savannah. We planned to spend a day at Tybee Island and then the final day in historic Savannah. Tybee was great! The beaches were nice and sandy and although it was pretty windy we stayed and played for most of the afternoon. It was more commercialized than St. Simons, but still enjoyable. There were lots of people on bikes which I think always makes it look like a safe family-friendly place.

We stayed our final night in Savannah and then toured the Historic area the next day. When I found out we were moving to GA 4 years ago I thought it would look like historic Savannah. You know, the Forest Gump landscapes. Anyway, we walked around along the Savannah River and then packed up for home.

It's sometimes hard to travel with kids and see the sights. Our kids didn't care for historic Savannah and although they didn't complain too much, they would have been much happier at the beach.

Brunswick/St. Simons Island

The next stop on our road trip was Brunswick, GA. Our plan was to see some alligators and then head to the beach. We drove across a beautiful bridge (can bridges be beautiful?), stopped for a quick break then upon a local's recommendation headed to St. Simons Island.

We drove to the town square where there happened to be a free concert on the lawn later that evening. We played at the park then ventured down to the beach. The tide was coming in so there wasn't as much beach as I envisioned (remember I'm used to the west coast beaches), but it didn't stop our boys from shedding their clothes and playing in the water.

I really liked St. Simons - it just had this fun small friendly feel to it. The shops and restaurants were local and everyone was very friendly. We were planning to stay the night in Brunswick (the lodging is much cheaper there) and then come back to the beach in the morning, but I unknowingly booked a room in Savannah that evening. It's a long story but it involved a Blackberry, not the best service and of course priceline.

Okefenokee Swamp Park

We just got back from a little road trip and I wanted to share with you the places we went. We had a great time and our boys are already asking when we are going on another trip. We left Friday afternoon and drove to Waycross, GA. We booked our very inexpensive but nice motel on priceline

The next morning we drove a few miles to the Okefenokee Swamp Park. We opted to go to the privately owned park versus the state park because it seemed they had more to offer (for a fee of course). All our boys cared about was seeing alligators and see them we did!! We even got to touch a baby alligator in a presentation we sat in on.

Here's a link to the state parks located within the swamp: Stephen C. Foster and Laura S. Walker. We drove through the LWalker Park and there was a nice lake that people were boating on. The SFoster Park is located deeper in the swamp land, so we didn't venture down that far.

It was a great place to visit and I highly recommend it to y'all.

Decatur Book Festival

I found this info on Decatur Mom:

Decatur Book Festival and Children’s Activities

It’s nearly time for the 2009 Decatur Book Festival! One of the best family and community events of the year, and the country’s largest independent book festival. The festivities kick off on Labor Day weekend, September 4th and go through September 6th. Most of the events take place on or around the Courthouse Square in downtown Decatur, GA.

The Decatur Book Festival is one of my family’s favorite events because there is so much for everyone to enjoy. With hundreds of authors, book signings, poetry readings, and children’s events we usually have to pace ourselves so as to not pass out in the middle of the square. Just a few of the MUST SEES for us this year include:

The Tractors at the Fidelity Bank Parking Lot

Saturday, 9am – 9:30am

Visit the tractors and then march in the Otis the Tracker parade with parade marshal and author Loren Long…more details

Skippyjon Jones at El Tesoro

Sunday, 10:30 – 12:00

You can have brunch with Skippyjon Jones with proceeds going to build libraries in Oaxaca, Mexico – sponsors Little Shop of Stories and Mingei World Arts…more details

Mariachi band and promenade from El Tesoro to the Target Children’s Stage, 12:00 – 12:30, following the Skippyjon Jones brunch

Pete The Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Sunday, 5:30 – 6:00

Reading and updates on Pete’s latest adventures…I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes…sorry, couldn’t resist.

If you have teens, you will want to be sure to check out all of the events for teenagers this year, especially the Teen Literary Salon. Click here to find out more about events for teens.

To plan your activities for the Decatur Book Festival weekend you can click here for a full schedule of events. Or, you can visit the Decatur Book Festival web site.

See you there!