we recently took the kiddos on another camping adventure with some friends! we headed to lake winfield scott recreation area, which was about two hours north of atlanta. the group camp site was super nice and had plenty of room for our crew. the restrooms were clean and close, which was a huge plus, and we could pull right up to our camp site.

we really liked fort mountain state park, but the hike in to the group site was pretty strenuous for our first family camping trip. not to mention the bear siting and the outhouse!

we pretty much just stuck around the camp site during our outing. others went swimming at the lake, however it was so peaceful around the campfire with the kids napping, we decided to stick around.

i would say we got a lot better at packing and organizing for this camping trip. it’s hard to tell what you will definitely need for kid-friendly camping on your first outing, so we ended up bringing way too much last time.

we cooked group meals on this trip, which made it easy only having to plan for a couple meals versus the entire weekend. it was nice having an evening where you did not have to deal with cooking!

although we will most likely continue trying out other campgrounds, we would definitely head back to lake winfield scott!

– ryan & gub

lake winfield scott recreation area

lake winfield scott road
suches, georgia 30572
706-754-6221

we recently went to fort mountain state park for some outdoor family fun.  it was our first camping trip with the two little ones, so we definitely overpacked and were totally nervous.  in the end we encountered a bear, a (potentially) poisonous snake and a torrential rain storm and still somehow walked away wanting to go camping again as soon as possible!

clementine loved the whole outdoor experience. all she can talk about is going camping again.

‘i go camping outside!’ – clem

fort mountain had plenty of nice trails/hiking and a huge 17-acre lake for swimming in addition to camping. it was also a good 10-15 degrees cooler in the canopied mountains than the city. we weren’t expecting it to get so cold at night, we actually had to zip up our sleeping bags to stay warm!

for an outdoor getaway only two hours from atlanta, we totally recommend fort mountain state park.

– ryan & gub

fort mountain state park

181 fort mountain state park road
chatsworth, ga 30705
706-422-1932

clementine had an awesome second birthday party! she had a morning gathering at bessie branham park, which is right down the road from our house in kirkwood. we went with a krispy kreme doughnut mound instead of a cake, which was quite the hit with the kids. so was the line drawing fabric from ikea! we laid out some fabric markers and the kids had a blast drawing all over it.

– ryan & gub

bessie branham park

2051 delano drive ne
atlanta, georgia 30317

have you ever noticed the skatepark right next to the masquerade on north ave? it has a sweet view of the city and an above ground pool with a slide, although the barbed-wire fence prevented me from getting a photo of the pool.

there was also a mural by atlanta artist hense, which is pretty awesome!

– ryan

there are talks of closing the fernbank science center. at the least it will likely be scaled back quite a bit. just so you know, this is not the fernbank museum of natural history, which we often write about on the website. it’s still a great atlanta attraction though and it would be a shame to see it close.

the fernbank science center is only a mile and a half from our house and is free to the public. it has lots to offer both adults and children, so you can’t go wrong. there are outdoor activities like a huge canopied forrest with paved walkways and a composting area with helpful tips and pointers. there are also indoor activities, including an exhibit hall with the apollo 6 capsule, an observatory and a planetarium!

the exhibit hall and observatory are both totally free! the exhibit hall is open monday through friday from 9am to 5pm and saturday from 10am to 5pm. the observatory is open for public observations on thursday and friday nights from 9 to 10:30pm, weather permitting. an astronomer is on hand to answer questions and position the largest telescope in the southeast. we definitely want to check this out!

the planetarium has adult and children programs from thursday through saturday. there is also a saturday morning program called the night sky, which goes through the current constellations, planets, etc. in the current evening sky. shows are $4 for adults and $3 for children, students, & seniors and free for fernbank museum of natural history members.

although it may not be as exciting as the fernbank museum of natural history, the fernbank science center is both fun and educational and is totally worth keeping open!

check out our post on the fernbank science center from a couple of years ago!

– ryan & gub

fernbank science center

156 heaton park dr.
atlanta, ga 30307
678-874-7113

there are talks of closing the candler park golf course, which is the historical nine-hole public course a mile and a half from our house. it’s nice having an inexpensive ($10 for adults & free for kids), laid back (no collars required) option for playing golf, it would be a shame to see it close. here is a petition where you can show your support.

– ryan

candler park golf course

585 candler park drive ne
atlanta, ga 30307
404-371-1260

we recently went on a canoeing adventure while in columbia, sc! neither of us had been in ages, so it was a lot of fun. after living in florida for a good part of my life, it was nice to canoe without having to worry about alligators.

– ryan & gub

gub’s dad and his wife peggy came to visit and we went on an adventure with clementine to the top of stone mountain! she didn’t seem to mind the skyride up, however it was her first experience with real wind. she didn’t quite know what to think of it, although she definitely looked awesome on the moon-like surface on the mountain top!

it was very overcast and surprisingly cool on top of the mountain. with the wind it felt like a late fall day, which was crazy for atlanta in the middle of july. the view wasn’t as impressive as clear days, however we were up in middle of the clouds with them moving right across us on the mountain. that was exciting!

– ryan & gub

i’ve been working in senoia, ga this week. it’s fairly close to peachtree city, which is about an hour south of the atlanta. the fall foliage is quite pretty here, especially in luther glass park.

– ryan

on sunday afternoon we packed a picnic and headed up to amicalola falls state park. we soaked in the amazing autumn weather with a nice picnic near the top of the falls! after lunch we headed back to the base and hiked up the mountain for some beautiful views of the falls. although we heard the hike was fairly easy, the numerous switchbacks were definitely tiring. be sure to bring some water and stretch before making the trek.

if you are looking for a peaceful getaway from atlanta, consider the 90 minute drive to this beautifal state park. be mindful though that october is peak season for state and national parks and will be super crowded.

serenity now!

– ryan & gub

amicalola falls state park

240 amicalola state park rd
dawsonville, ga 30534
706-265-4703