Springtime in the Deep South means azaleas. And there's no better place to see them than at Callaway Gardens. Located only 70 miles south of the Atlanta airport, the resort…
As pandemic restrictions ease, we’ve been exploring places closer to home and thankfully, the Georgia State Parks system provides plenty of outdoor activities. This week, we hiked at F.D. Roosevelt (FDR) State Park in Pine Mountain, GA.
Ths 9,000-acre park lies 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. And since it’s near Callaway Gardens (one of my favorite spots), you’d think I’d know this park inside and out. I don’t. Up until this trip, I’d only taken the scenic drive starting across Highway 27 from the Callaway Gardens Country Store.
The drive follows along the ridge of Pine Mountain, offering several small scenic overlooks of Callaway Gardens on the left and Pine Mountain Valley on the right. But the drive only scratches the surface of Georgia’s largest state park.
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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.
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…)