Read more about the article Quarantine Quest – Sweetwater Creek State Park, GA
Sweetwater Creek State Park

Quarantine Quest – Sweetwater Creek State Park, GA

One of my favorite state parks close to Atlanta is Sweetwater Creek. I’ve written about it for RootsRated, the now-defunct Touring Bird and here on this blog. Now that traveling has stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve ventured to several nearby outdoor spots for early morning hiking.

Fees & Parking

Although Georgia’s state parks remained open during the shelter-in-place order, we waited until the restrictions lifted in May to venture 30 minutes to the park located west of Atlanta, just a few miles off of  I-20.  The visitor center is still temporarily closed, but bathroom facilities are open. Fees are $5 per car which can be purchased online to avoid dealing with cash at the pay stations. 

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Read more about the article Quarantine Quest – Red Top Mountain State Park, GA

Quarantine Quest – Red Top Mountain State Park, GA

Life was going along smoothly with several college visits planned during the spring of 2020. In mid-March, the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to all travel plans as shelter in place orders dominated the global landscape. Seven weeks later, the state of Georgia is opening up and we’re slowly venturing outdoors to enjoy hiking near the Atlanta area. 

Located about 45 minutes northwest of Atlanta, Red Top Mountain State Park had fallen off of our radar. Before having children, we took our dogs on frequent hikes there with a dog hikers group. For whatever reason, we hadn’t been to the park in many years and felt this was the best time to explore the area. 

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Read more about the article An Overnight Stay at Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain, GA

An Overnight Stay at Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain, GA

One of my favorite getaways is Callaway Gardens. People sometimes laugh when they hear this as it’s only 90 minutes from Atlanta. However, in the mid-1970’s and early 80’s my parents took me there (over 600 miles from my hometown of Shreveport, LA) for a one-week vacation every summer for many years. I loved it because they offered a day-camp for kids led by Florida State University (FSU) students. The students also participated in the FSU Flying High Circus which performed during the summers. My parents joined planned activities for adults including water skiing, sailing, a trip to near-by Warm Springs, fishing, tennis and golf. We stayed in cottages, rode bikes everywhere, made new friends and ate delicious food. It was the southern (and mostly non-Jewish) version of the Catskills resorts in New York. Because it holds many fond memories, I often return for a respite from city life.

A few azaleas remain from the spring.

I needed such a respite last May so I booked a solo overnight trip. However, I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d visited until I noticed half of the Mountain Creek Inn disappeared. (more…)

Read more about the article Kennesaw Mountain Hike

Kennesaw Mountain Hike

Thing 2 wanted to hike Kennesaw Mountain at sunrise. Since it was right after we’d changed our clocks forward, we thought it would be a great idea. Although we woke up a bit late, we hustled out the door and onto the highway in record time.

The Hike

From the parking lot, the 1-mile trail to the top of Kennesaw Mountain begins to the right of the visitor center. The path is wide and ascends quickly. I hadn’t stretched before taking the trail so I was trying to catch my breath.  Thing 2 was trying to reach the summit by sunrise so we hiked at a fairly fast pace. I should also mention that I was lugging the nicer camera with me, adding to the weight on the trail. Fortunately after one-third of the way to the top, the path flattens out for a short while when it follows an old road bed. Here the width of the trail spans at least 8 feet wide.

The trail begins

The entire trails climbs up the eastern side of the mountain so we had the beginnings of the sunrise at our backs. A hiker with two dogs passed us when the trail steepened again. This time, several stairs appeared. At about two-thirds to the top, a bench with a view of the sunrise met us. We sat down for a while and rested. (more…)