travel
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Picnic by the River
On my birthday weekend in Ellijay, GA we spent a few hours by the river having a picnic, relaxing and jumping in the river. The subdivision we were staying at was very large and included a campground by a river. My son and I walked down and discovered how pretty the area would be for lunch and after changing into clothes that would work for our activities, we returned with food and the rest of the gang. This was the sign by the entrance. This area was well maintained with sites for camping or RVs hookups and a large bathroom/shower area. There was a playground and some picnic areas too.…
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Flower and Apple Picking in Ellijay, GA
While enjoying a weekend in Ellijay, GA with my family as well as my brother and his family, we decided to go apple picking at the orchard we usually visit, R&A Orchards. When we arrived we were told that there would be only one kind of apple to pick (there are usually 4 or 5 different ones you can pick) because a late frost in April had affected the trees and 60% of the future crop was lost. To offset some of the loss, the orchard created a U pick flower area with zinnias, wildflowers and earlier some sunflowers. We chose to pick two cups of flowers: you could fill…
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Ziplining with Screaming Eagles Adventures
I didn’t plan much for my little anniversary getaway with my husband a couple of weeks ago. I knew I wanted to have an overnight trip without children, something in the mountains and thought that ziplining would be fun as it was right there at Amicalola Falls. I did not book ahead of time as they have a no refund policy but knowing that we would do it on a Monday, I figured there would be some spaces available that day. Thankfully there were a couple of spots at noon. I wore my zella joggers (several years old) that had zipper pockets which allowed me to take pictures in addition…
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Amicalola Falls: A Romantic Getaway
It had been way too many years (my best guess is 5 years) since my husband and I had planned an overnight trip without the children. With my youngest being almost 4, I knew that it would not be difficult to leave him and his brothers with my brother for a short 24 hours or so getaway. Once I made that decision, I told my husband to take a vacation day and started to look for lodging options. I originally wanted to stay at a bed and breakfast but they all required two nights stays and that was not the plan this go around. I also wanted to go to…
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The Rain Brings out the Mushrooms
Last week, my brother and I visited the nearby Indian Mounds and I couldn’t believe the number and variety of mushrooms we saw. I started taking pictures and then decided it would be fun to share those pictures. I used my google feature to identify the mushrooms so hopefully it is fairly accurate. These are Lepiota, a gilled ground dwelling saprotrophs that enjoy rich, calcareous soils. Here is another shot of them. It was interesting to me to see where the mushrooms chose to propagate as there were some species at the base of trees, some in piles of mulch. and of course in the middle of decomposing piles of…
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Booth Western Art Museum
On Monday, I share an outfit that was inspired by my cowboy boots and Pinterest and since it was the end of summer, I decided that the perfect location and outing for me and the boys would be the Booth Western Art Museum. We have visited several times but still enjoy the couryard with the large sculptures, the museum with the visiting exhibits as well as the permanent ones. Anytime I visit an art museum, I am just in awe of the talented artists! Whether is is clay work, wood art, paintings, any media from used has my appreciation! The museum’s permanent collections include a presidential gallery, a cowboy gallery…
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A Visit to the Georgia Aquarium
The week before the boys went back to school, we decided to have a couple of day adventures so the day following our trip to the Atlanta Zoo, we went to the Georgia Aquarium. It had been several years since our last visit so we were excited to go back. Admission is $36.95 for ages 3 and up but it does include the different shows and 4D theater. I originally just bought our tickets (with timed entry) but while we were there I decided to go ahead and get the family year membership since I figured I could take my brother and family as well as at least go a…
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Zoo Atlanta: the Elephants
We ended our summer with a bang: the last week before school started I took the boys to both Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia aquarium. We have been to both before but it had been probably 2 to 3 years since we had been to the zoo and longer for the aquarium. We did not pack our lunch this time, only snacks and waters but I did buy the membership since it was only 15 dollars more than the price of admission for the 5 of us. The main thing that has been added in the past few years in the African Savanna area where the elephants have a bigger…
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Odysea Aquarium, Scottsdale, AZ
Well, this is the second time if not the third I am writing this post! My internet went out the first go around and I hadn’t save anything past the first picture and then I am not sure what has happened to my post when I finished writing it. Did I not save it at all? Who knows? Anyhow, when we were in Scottsdale, we decided to visit the Odysea Aquarium since it was an indoor activities and our family love animals! The globe tank below is one of several that welcomes you at the entrance of aquarium. I was prepared to be wowed since the price was pretty steep…
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McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trail
While on a walk in the condo’s neighborhood, a lady who saw me taking pictures of the cacti suggested going to the nearby Gateway Trail. We would then get a taste of the desert without seeing all the neighborhood houses and without having to go on a long drive since it was only 5 minutes away. When we arrived at the the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trail, we saw right away that we would enjoy this walk despite our late start. I didn’t realize how close the hills were from the neighborhood. I really wished we had left earlier though as the sun was already high in the sky! We…