Georgia > Northwest Region > Carroll County > Whitesburg

More than a Bed & Breakfast, Historic Banning Mills is a multi-use family, corporate and adventure venue 45 minutes west of Atlanta.

Welcome to the new lodges at Historic Banning Mills! A Bed and Breakfast, Country Inn and Retreat Center, only 45 minutes west of Atlanta, but an undiscovered Georgia lodging and multi-venue that seems a million miles away.

From the moment you get out of your car, you will know you have found a unique place. Historic Banning Mills rests among 1,000 beautifully wooded acres, overlooking the scenic Snake Creek Gorge in Whitesburg, Georgia. You’ll not only enjoy the warm Bed and Breakfast romantic getaway atmosphere, but Banning Mills is a perfect family get-a-way place and corporate retreat. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Northwest Georgia Mountains > Gilmer County > Ellijay

Roadside stands filled with apples are a good reason to head to Ellijay in Gilmer County, but you will also find numerous outdoor activities to enjoy on a family vacation. 

The North Georgia Mountain town of Ellijay in Gilmer County is a perfect place to visit in the fall when the trees are in full color, area orchards are open for apple picking, and roadside stands overflow with fresh, local Granny Smiths and Rome Beauties to name a few.

But Ellijay is a great location for a Georgia family vacation anytime of year. Within a few miles of the lovely town, you’ll find several state recreation areas with fishing, hiking, breathtaking waterfalls, and trails for biking and horseback riding. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Glynn County > Brunswick

Sailing through Sidney Lanier’s “Marshes of Glynn” is just one of the recreational experiences you can have on a family vacation to Brunswick and the Golden Isles. 

Any time of year is a good time to visit the coastal town of Brunswick and the four Georgia barrier islands that are known as the Golden Isles – St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island.

Take a Georgia family vacation to Brunswick and the Golden Isles for beaches, kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, biking, deep sea fishing, dolphin cruises, historical tours, golf, camping, dining, shopping, museums, galleries and much, much more.

Below are some of the places you can visit on a trip to Brunswick and the Golden Isles.

• Brunswick’s Old Town Historic District
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center
• Jekyll Island Club Hotel
• King and Prince Resort
• Lodge on Little St. Simons Island
• The Cloister at Sea Island

Links:

• Read more about Brunswick and the Golden Isles.
• Read more about all of Georgia’s major barrier islands.
• See an interactive maps showing the Golden Island and all of Georgia’s major barrier islands.

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Northeast Region > Rabun County > Dillard

Catch a mess of rainbow trout and learn to cook it, stay in a one-room cabin, hike a nature trail, or mine for gems—there is plenty to do for a day, a weekend or more at Andy’s Trout Farm near Dillard in the North Georgia Mountains.

Four generations of the Cope family have built and operated Andy’s Trout Farm, beginning with Andy and Hazel Cope, who opened the property to the public back in 1965. Also referred to as Betty’s Creek Mountain Park, the family’s 325 acres of land sits along Betty Creek at the foot of the Appalachian Mountain range. Cold mountain stream water flowing from the mountains into the creek is used in the hatchery operation. Rent a pole, buy your bait, and pay for the fish you catch. You can also take a tour of the hatchery and learn about the life cycle of a trout.

There is plenty of room to breathe in the fresh mountain air and enjoy vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beauty of rhododendron and wildflowers in bloom. A nature trail winds through forests and crosses streams and a spectacular waterfall. Guided eco-hikes are available for learning about the area’s mountain plant life and eco-systems. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > West Central Georgia > Harris County > Pine Mountain

Walk amongst a thousand tropical butterflies fluttering freely through the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center at Callaway Gardens. 

When Cason Callaway, leading Georgia businessman and personal friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, stepped down as leader of the family mill empire, the LaGrange textile magnate decided to pursue a longtime dream to farm. His dream first took shape when his wife Virginia and he, while exploring Pine Mountain in the 1920s, spotted the deep, clear pool of Blue Springs underneath a granite cliff. Enchanted, they visited frequently; and on one summer picnic, they found a rare Plumleaf azalea. Upon investigation, they discovered that the July-blooming azalea was native only within a 100-mile radius of Blue Spring. The flower inspired them to purchase the land in Harris County adjacent to Blue Springs and later to build Callaway Gardens.

Today, Callaway Gardens is a 13,000-acre manmade landscape in a natural setting with gardens, woodlands, lakes, wildlife and recreation facilities. The Plumleaf, or Prunifolia, azalea today serves as the Gardens’ floral emblem.

You can visit the Azalea Bowl, a 40-acre garden with more than 3,400 hybrid azaleas ­– fantastic in spring; Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden, a 7.5-acre demonstration garden where the popular PBS television show “The Victory Garden” is taped; the historic Overlook Garden; and the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, a garden/ greenhouse where something is always in bloom; and much more. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

At the top of Atlanta’s Stone Mountain, you can have a picnic and get a panoramic view of the countryside, including the Atlanta skyline and Kennesaw Mountain to the west.

Any time of year you can find something to do with kids at Stone Mountain Park just east of Atlanta. It might be the Lasershow Spectacular, the annual Yellow Daisy Festival, Georgia Frontier Days, playing in the Great Barn, cruising on the Paddlewheel Riverboat or chugging the five miles around the mountain in a 1940s open-air railroad car.

But if you want to do something a little more vigorous, try hiking the 1.3-mile trail to the top of the mountain. (more…)