By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Northeast Georgia Mountains > Rabun County > Dillard

Riding horses in the Northeast Georgia Mountains is just one of the many activities – besides eating – that you can enjoy at the Dillard House in Rabun County.

Eating at the Dillard House is a true Southern culinary event. But did you know there are a number of activities that you can enjoy at the Dillard House before or after your meal?

Since the 1930s, the Dillard House Stables has offered trail rides through the beautiful and tranquil Northeast Georgia Mountains. Experienced Dillard House guides will take all levels of riders along well-maintained trails, with breathtaking scenic overlooks, lush forests and majestic waterfalls.

Try your hand at fly fishing in one of the area’s mountain streams, lakes or rivers with a Dillard House pro, who will teach you how to “cast the line and land your fly with a gentle touch” in your very first lesson. Take a half-day or full day Wild Trout Safari, a fly-fishing guided package designed to provide you with a great experience, or sign up for the two-day Dillard House Fly Fishing School. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

First stop for kids at Zoo Atlanta is Flamingo Plaza, where the long-legged birds show off their wading skills and beautiful pink plumage.

From the awesomeness of elephants and gorillas to the antics of panda bears and lemurs, there is nothing like a trip to Zoo Atlanta with kids. Just last week, I made my first trip in a good number of years with Brianna and her kindergarten class—twenty kids, who excitedly spent a couple of hours seeing as many of the zoo’s 1,300 mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians as possible!

Zoo Atlanta, which celebrated its 120th birthday this past March, is pleasant, clean and has lots of shady areas so that you can enjoy it even on Atlanta’s hotter days. Once you leave Flamingo Plaza, you can visit the African Plains with zebras, giraffes and lions; the African Rain Forest, where monkeys swing from tree to tree; and the Asian Forest, where orangutans, otters and tigers reside. Exotic birds, kangaroos and a petting zoo can be found in the KIDZone as well as the zoo train, carousel and a rock climber wall. Although not my favorite, my group of children went wild in the World of Reptiles building. Besides all that, you’ll find plenty of things to climb, places to eat, and great photo-ops at Zoo Atlanta. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Mingling with the Royal Court, plus jousting, feasting, and shopping, are all part of the fun at the annual Georgia Renaissance Festival. 

I really enjoy the Georgia Renaissance Festival. In fact, the only bad thing about taking six-year-old Brianna is that I have to do what she wants to do, rather than all the things I want to do!

Once you enter the Festival grounds in Fairburn, you are immediately in a world where it’s natural to address others as “my Lord and my lady” or join in a Maypole dance with the forest fairies. You are part of a 16th-century European country faire where costumed visitors blend right in with the cast of nearly 1,000 costumed revelers and shop owners.

What can you do? Watch acrobats, swashbuckling sword fights, a children’s knighting ceremony, the Nickel Shakespeare Girls, or the Lipizzan Stallions perform dressage. There’s jousting, gypsy storytelling, birds of prey show, and plenty of Renaissance music and revelry. There is something constantly happening on the village greens and on each of the 10 stages scattered throughout the fairgrounds. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

The gopher tortoise, which lives in dry, sandy regions and is native to Georgia’s coast, can be see in the wild at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.

American bison, white-tailed deer, gray wolf, red fox, nine-banded armadillo, peregrine falcon, sandhill crane, gopher tortoise and bald eagle—these are just some of the natural wildlife of Georgia and the nation that you can see at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center of Savannah.

Located less than five minutes from Savannah’s historic district, the wildlife center has over 100 acres of maritime forest and exhibits 50 species of animals. Outdoor exhibits include the Wolf Wilderness, Alligator Wetlands, Predators of Georgia, and Birds of Prey. Goats, pigs, donkeys and sheep are just some of the animals found in the Georgia Farm area. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Visit Tanglewood Farms in May for some woolly sheep shearing or any other time to see and pet 100 miniature animals in a Wild West Town atmosphere.

If you are looking for a place to spend a day with your kids in the North Georgia Mountains, try Tanglewood Farms. This 10-acre Wild West Town in Cherokee County has more than 100 miniature farm animal residents. You can walk through the town’s bank, saloon, jail and trading post and meet a slew of miniature animals—cows, sheep, horses, donkeys, and goats to name a few.

The farm, which has been in business in Georgia for 10 years and involved with raising farm animals for more than 40 years, offers a whole range of experiences, from riding lessons for children ages two and up through adult to cowpoke classes where kids can learn basic horse grooming and handling. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

From precious bunnies and baby chicks to obnoxious kid goats and tame white-tailed deer, the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn is home to lots of “people-friendly” wildlife just waiting to be fed and petted by little kids.

This fun place is also the home of groundhog General Beau Lee, who not only gives his spring predictions for the South at his leisure on Groundhog Day but also has a Twitter account where he delivers updates about what’s happening at the ranch. (more…)