travel

  • museum,  travel

    Booth Western Museum

    The boys and I wanted an indoor activity on a hot summer day, so we headed out to the Booth Museum. We have visited it several times and even had a membership for a year, but it is always interesting to visit because they have some visiting exhibits several times a year. The current exhibits were the Many Metals, Many Fires: Strauss, Ivy, Rogers with contemporary sculptures using metals, and an exhibit where the artist Heide Presse studied the journals written by Keturah Penton Belknap between 1839 -1848 and created an exhibition about the families Westward journey. Sculptures I think we enjoyed both exhibits equally but this one was definitely really…

  • outdoors,  travel

    Lavender Farm on a Summer Day

    Lavender! Sunflowers! Those are two of my favorites and this year as I searched for a local blueberry farm, I came across a local lavender farm! I was excited and told the boys, we would have a little field trip one morning. Thankfully the weather was agreeable and we planned to arrive to beat the crowds and the heat. I was very impressed with the property: the lavender was plentiful, the area picturesque and the owners very friendly. The family  bought the property this winter, and this was their first year hosting an event. The lavender was part of the property when they bought it so this was their first…

  • outdoors,  travel

    Lake Chatuge, Hiawassee, GA

    One of our favorite vacation days was the day we rented a pontoon and spent half a day on Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee. We packed some snacks, wore our bathing suits and made sure we had our sunscreen on. It had been quite a few years since we had been on a lake and probably 17 years or more since we actually rented a pontoon ourselves (we typically visit my husband’s uncle who has a lake house in Alabama). At first the boys were not sure their dad could drive a boat, but they soon realized they were safe. We also rented a tube and my oldest had a blast…

  • hikes,  outdoors,  travel

    High Shoals Falls, GA

    The same day we visited Hamilton Gardens in Hiawassee, GA, we drove about 20 minutes away to visit High Shoals Falls. We had seen pictures of the pretty falls so we knew we would enjoy the hike. The dirt road up to the fall hike trailhead was very manageable and there several parking spaces. Since the first week in June was still fairly cool for Georgia and the hike had lots of tree coverage, it was a very pleasant hike. Hiking with children ages 5 to 16 also insures that we are not walking too fast. The hike is 2.6 miles total (in and out) and starts high up going…

  • outdoors,  travel

    Hamilton Gardens in Hiawassee, GA

    Hiawassee is just 15 minutes or so from Hayesville, GA and home to a beautiful lake, Lake Chatuge. We first caught a glimpse of the lake on our way to Hamilton Gardens. The gardens are free except during the Rhododendron festival which had actually just ended a couple weeks before our visit. Sadly, most of the blooms were gone but the views were still beautiful and we did find a few bushes with colorful blooms. The garden has several trails that loop and we made sure to follow one that went all of the way down to the lake. On the way, we stopped to admire the sights and relax.…

  • hikes,  outdoors,  travel

    Fire Creek Falls and Recreation Area

    Our Airbnb host had emailed me a list of activities nearby before our trip and this spot caught my eye as she said we could tube down a natural water slide. In anticipation of this possibility, I had packed some river tubes we had, as well as our pump which could be plugged in the car to inflate the tubes quickly and effortlessly. We also packed water shoes for everyone. Fire Creek Falls was about 20 minutes from our rental and we enjoyed it so much the first time, we returned for a second afternoon of fun. To get a decent view of the falls, you must cross the river…

  • budget,  historic,  travel

    Hayesville, North Carolina

    I had never heard of Hayesville, NC until I booked our rental, but the area turned out to be a delightful area to spend a week in summer. The weather was pleasant, nature was just beautiful (that combination of mountains, trees and fields is gorgeous) and there was lots to do. Today I am sharing the tiny town of Hayesville and a few pictures of our cabin and surroundings. Hayesville is a small town with a population of about 450 and is about 20 min from Hiawassee, GA and Murphy, NC. While waiting for our pizza to be ready that first evening, we walked around the square and admired the…

  • travel,  zoos and aquariums

    Another Zoo Outing

    We took advantage of our zoo membership for a visit a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to share some of the animals I haven’t shared before. I bought a family+1 membership when we visited with my brother as the line was incredibly long for people without membership (never go to ZooAtlanta during spring break!), so on this past visit, I invited my 2 nieces to tag along. The prices have really increased at the zoo, so a membership is definitely the way to go! I’ve actually shared this elephant before but he greeted us with doing his business when we arrived. I tell you, the smell was pretty…

  • historic,  outdoors,  travel

    Corra Harris House, Etowah Valley Historic Society

    Last week, our local running group met up at the Corra Harris House for a run, a tour and dinner! This was a trial run for a possible race here to spread the word about this beautiful place that hopes to host limited event venues as well as teach others about who Corra Harris was. Most of us did not know about Corra Harris and this beautiful spot, and enjoyed every minute of our visit. The property is 57 acres and we started our run up the hill, past the spring house and through the barn. There are some trails on the property and our run took us through one…

  • outdoors

    Half Marathon Recap and Training

    Well, my first half marathon is under my belt! While I actually mostly enjoyed the training leading up to it, I absolutely hated the half itself as the weather changed for the warmer and the morning was a southern Georgia morning at its best with a very high level of humidity. I have never drunk so much during a run (I typically don’t unless it is full summer since I do get dehydrated) and I have never walked so much during a race. My first reaction when I was done was that I wouldn’t never participate in half marathon again. The training I am part of our local running club…