Thanksgiving Day in Savannah

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  We have no family close by so we decided to spend a few days in Savannah, Georgia.  I knew by researching online that they had Christmas activities planned for the weekend including a night boat parade on the Savannah River.

We arrived on Wednesday evening & then Thanksgiving morning we went to the Visitor's Center to book a trolley tour.  The Visitor's Center was closed for Thanksgiving but the trolleys were running one tour that day at 10am. 

Our guide was very personal & it was really nice seeing Savannah when the streets were empty (almost everything was closed).  There are several trolley tour companies but the one we chose was Ogelthorpe Tours.  They were about $10.00 cheaper than the others there ($15.00 per person versus $25.00), plus you get to ride the bus transportation around Savannah for free the rest of the day.  Since they were closing early that day they gave us a bus pass for the next day.  I strongly suggest getting a bus pass to get around Savannah...even with that you will be doing some walking so wear comfortable shoes.   You can also get just the bus pass without the tour for $5.00.  They give you a map showing the bus stop locations around the city & you can call them to pick you up or wait for the next available bus...around 20 minutes.  Ogelthorpe also runs later than the other tour companies so you get extra time to explore. 

A couple of weeks ago my husband was working in Blakely, Ga. and never having been to that area of Georgia I had to go. We arrived at the Days Inn, the only hotel in town besides some non-descript motels that the townspeople themselves would not recommend. Typical hotel room with intermittent wireless service, but as I said the only hotel for 35 miles.

Blakely is a charming but not necessarily picturesque small town. It has the downtown square which I love with the courthouse right in the middle. An old theatre is boarded up & not used....a shame. However, there are some cute antique stores & local restaurants on the square worth visiting.

We were advised by a local to eat at the Fourth Out which is a sports themed restaurant. When we went at lunch it was not very busy & the service was not overly friendly. They had typical hamburgers, hot dogs, etc (not the healthiest of choices) but also advertised a special each day.

The day we went they had the hamburger steak with mashed potatoes & another vegetable that I now cannot remember...hmmm. Anyway the hamburger steak was huge but not very hot & not much flavor. The mashed potatoes were very tasty with some garlic added in but again not hot. I am a coffee drinker so I was disappointed to receive little packets of dry powdered creamer with my drink. All in all I was not impressed with my meal.

Georgia Snow Days

Thursday we went to Dahlonega, Georgia with my husband who was working there.  This was the third week in a row that we have been traveling!  I hate to complain because I realize how fortunate we are that we get to travel with my husband's job, but I was really wanting some time at home. 

However, I love Dahlonega so any chance to go I take it.  It is such a picturesque town with the historical square & downtown.  Unfortunately, we got there & found out yesterday that my husbands schedule had to be cancelled due to the impending snow storm.  We stayed overnight since the hotel was already paid for & came on home today.

After 4 inches of snow, which is a lot for Georgia, the roads were in pretty good shape. Just a few slick spots but nothing dangerous...DOT did a great job!  If we had stayed we would have been hitting the gold & gem mine.

If you have never been to Dahlonega it is worth the trip!  Quaint downtown with shops, galleries, antique stores, & restuarants.  Plus there is a gold museum to visit right on the square.  We have been to a couple of the gold mines there before & have panned for gold & gemstones.  We even went to a location once outside of town where you mined right in the river...awesome fun in the summertime!  Plus there are premier outlet stores not too far away in Dawsonville for those who love to shop.

After returning home, my son & his neighborhood friends played in the snow. My husband got out with them & built a snowman.  I happily watched from the windows of my heated house!  Looks like what is left from the snow will refreeze tonight so I don't know if we will be able to go to the church in the morning.  Plus our homeschool classes may be cancelled on Monday.  Oh well, we can always play in the snow!

Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences

Saturday we were in Macon, Georgia & visited the Museum of Arts & Sciences. We had been there before but it has been a couple of years so we decided to go one more time. They have visiting exhibits as well as their permanent displays, so there is always something new to see.

As we were paying at the admissions desk they were announcing their planetarium show, "My Backyard", which was about to begin. So we hurried in to get our seat. They had some interesting information but it was really geared to younger elementary children. My son who is now grown (in his mind) at the old age of 10, groaned through most of it. It had some snappy tunes & when I joined in snapping my fingers...well lets say he is getting to the age where your parents embarrass you. Ah...the wonderful tween years!

As we exited the planetarium they had an exhibit of minerals & sea shells. He liked this more because he loves anything that can be dug up, but he especially loves the ocean. They had a wide variety of sea shells along with some small plant & animal specimens.

We then heard an announcement for an animal show in their mini zoo (which is indoors). The volunteer brought out a cockatoo named Georgia who stole the show. Georgia refused to be quiet & really showed off by displaying her feathers & loud voice! She had the whole group laughing.

Next was an opossum that cannot live in the wild due to brain damage. The poor thing can only walk in circles! She put it down on the floor & it slowly made its way to us...made us dizzy to watch.

Next she brought out a boa that had been shot in the face & is now totally blind. It was very docile & is safe for the volunteers to handle. The kids were able to pet the opossum & the snake. My son loves animals so he enjoyed this.

There are three stories to the museum so we went up to the third level which houses the hands on art area. There are tables & supplies for the kids to draw & be creative.

Next we headed to the basement which houses the hands on science area. They have a dinosaur dig, telescopes with specimens for you to view, & other activities dealing with magnetism, gravity, etc.

We then went to view the visiting exhibit which at this time is an artists display of glass work. There is blown glass globes, paper weights, vases, & display plates. They were absolutely amazing! The globes & vases had a 3D effect & the main theme was the ocean floor. The plates looked like ocean waves...very pretty. The gift shop has some smaller pieces available for sale with the average price running around $250.00...worth it for an original piece of art. Alas, I could not afford it. The gift shop has a lot of other items for sale geared to the kids so we always have to hit it before we leave.

So the next time you are in the Macon, Georgia area stop by for a visit. The admission for the museum is $8.00 for adults & $4.00 for children. For more information & directions go to http://www.masmacon.com/

Sleep Inn...Macon, Georgia

Friday we went to Lizella, Georgia which is about 6 miles outside of Macon. We have been down in the Macon area for the last three weeks & this should be it for awhile. Lizella itself is not really a town but more a community, not even a bank or gas station....nothing but peace & beauty.

So needless to say our hotel was in Macon itself. This past week we stayed at the Sleep Inn off the Zebulon exit of I-475. This is a nice area of Macon with plenty of shopping, dining & movie theatres.

We had stayed there before so I was familiar with the hotel. I noticed when I made the reservation online that the hotel was now 100% smoke free. If you have read any of my earlier posts you know that I hate smoking rooms! So it was a pleasure to not have to worry about that. They have also gone green with some of their procedures...they give you the opportunity to use your towels more than once & will only change your sheets at your request. That way they save on water, detergent & energy.

The room we stayed in had been updated since the last time we were there. New contemporary, bistro style furniture, carpet & drapes plus they had a new 32" LCD flat screen TV. So it was nice & for the money you couldn't beat the value. Macon can be pricey but with my husbands corporate discount we were able to get it for under $50.00 a night! Without the discount it was still a good value around the $60.00 range.

This hotel as with most Sleep Inns, was an interior corridor & they had an indoor pool. The pool is very small even for an indoor pool & is not heated. My son got in for a few minutes but he could never get used to it so he got out. So if you are looking for a hotel with a great pool this is definitely not the one for you.

The other thing I don't like about Sleep Inn, & this is true for all of them that I have stayed at, is their bathroom area. The sink area is small & is part of the room. The toilet & shower are separate in a small area, there is no bathtub. I myself like taking baths & I know if you have kids that is usually the preferred method for them. However, if you like showers this is a nice big one.

The staff of the hotel were friendly although not personable...there is a difference. I was able to check in early & asked for a late check out the next day, so I was given an extra hour & planned on doing my checkout at noon. At 10:56 the maid & front desk clerk (the same one who gave me the extra hour) came knocking on my door to see if I was checking out or staying an extra day. I reminded her that I was given the extra hour & she then remembered & everything was fine. However, stuff like that bothers me...I just don't understand how they can't make a note somewhere on your reservation.

All in all though it was a pleasant stay. The updated rooms with a 100% smoke free policy were a plus. The lack of a bathtub & small pool were a minus. Hotel service was good but not great & the breakfast was OK but not spectacular. The price & location are great! So if you don't need a pool or bathtub I would give this a thumbs up.

Hotel in Warner Robins, Georgia

Just wanted to update you for the week. We checked out of our hotel in Warner Robins last Wednesday morning to come home. We stayed at the BestWestern on Watson Blvd. during our visit there. It was an older hotel with exterior entry but it was in very good condition. Everything was clean & in working order.

They had an outdoor pool that was a little on the small side but we were the only ones that used it so it was perfect for us. The deep end said 6ft. but I could stand easily so it was more like 5ft. deep. They also had an exercise room with 2 treadmills, bike, & weight machine. I could not get one of the treadmills to work & the bike was hard to operate but I was able to get in some exercise on the working treadmill & weight station.

The room was clean & had a microwave & refrigerator. They also had WiFi that I had trouble connecting to, but I was able to pick up another WiFi signal & worked my computer with no problem.

The customer service was awesome! I had put in a request for a 1st floor room but they didn't have any like the one I booked on that floor available so they offered me a more expensive room on the first floor for the same price.

The maid service was invisible...in a good way! I never saw them. They didn't knock on your door at 8am, they weren't out in the halls with carts blocking your path...they were nowhere. I even said to my husband when we left to go out the first morning that I hoped they hadn't left for the day & forgot about us. When we came back after our late lunch the room was perfectly cleaned. Even when we checked out the next morning they never knocked on the door & I never saw them...it was amazing. We stay at a lot of hotels & this is definitely not the norm - I loved it!

One of the best things about this hotel is the price. I checked out all the hotels in Warner Robins & anything that we would choose to stay at, 2 stars & up, was pricey! With our AAA discount it came to under $60.00 per night. The location was great too! It is right across from the Walmart shopping center on Watson Blvd. so it is surrounded with shopping & restaurants. It is adjacent to the Picadilly Cafeteria so you can walk right next door if you choose to eat there.

If we visit Warner Robins again this will be our first choice of places to stay, so needless to say I highly recommend the Best Western in Warner Robins if you are looking for a good mid-priced hotel.

Museum of Aviation

Tuesday we visited the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia. Our son knew we were taking him to a museum but had no clue what it was like. As we drove up on the street out front he saw the huge planes outside & said, "Whoa". He didn't realize that was the museum & as we turned in he said, "We're going here?" He was excited to get out & explore. The first thing you see is the stealth bomber outside the main building.
This plane is huge...you can see Noah standing under it here.

We then walked over to the B52 bomber. The stealth was big but the wings on the B52 were amazing. The wing span on this plane is wider than the length of the plane. A whopping 185 feet in width...almost the height of a 19 story building. The tips of the wings have their own landing gear with wheels to help land the plane.

After looking at this we went inside the first building. There are four hanger style buildings with more planes, helicopters, artifacts & information on aviation military history. My son enjoyed watching some of the documentaries on WWII.

Some of the highlighted exhibits are: "Down to Earth" in the WWII exhibit hangar, Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame, America's Black Eagles: The Tuskegee pioneers and beyond, The Robert L. Scott Jr. Story: "God is my co-pilot", Robins AFB & WWII Commemorative, 483rd Bombardment Group, & The Korean War: The Forgotten War.

I think we could have stayed there for a long time but we had a time budget since my husband had to be at work in the mid-afternoon. We breezed through the four buildings & still spent over 2 hours there, so if you go plan on spending at least 4 hours. They have a theatre as well in the WWII exhibit hangar which has a nominal fee, otherwise the museum itself is free of charge. There are also picnic shelters out front which will accommodate large groups, so pack your lunch & enjoy the day with your family.

For more information visit their website at www.museumofaviation.org

Macon, Georgia Roadtrip

Last Friday we went to Macon, Georgia where my husband was working. We took him to work & then checked in at our hotel, which was the Quality Inn on Chambers Road. It looks like the public areas have been updated & everything was very clean, but the room itself had seen better days. The furniture was worn & chipped, & the chair had a small rip in the fabric.

The room did have WiFi so I checked my messages on my laptop & then after I was done we went swimming in the pool. It was an extremely hot day with a heat index of 106 & it looked like bugs had come looking for a place to cool off as well. The pool apparently did not have a good filtration system & dead bugs floated on the surface of the water. Most of the bugs were from the beetle family, which I am not squeamish about, so we went in anyway & would push them away if they floated towards us. This has happened in several hotels that we have stayed at that have an outside pool, so I don't know if it is something that is easily cleaned.

After the pool we came back to the room, took our baths & then I talked to my mom & sister on Skype. If you have family far away you must get Skype. It is free to join & if you call other people who are also members & they are in your contacts, it is free to call anywhere in the world 24/7! In case you do not know, Skype allows you to call via video on your computer so you actually get to see the people you are talking to...it is awesome! Later that night I tried to get internet connection again but it would not let me get on. I also tried again Saturday morning before we checked out but it would still not give me access. So all in all I would not recommend this hotel because of the condition of the rooms, the WiFi, & the breakfast was not very good.

Saturday Noah & I went shopping to buy my husband a Father's Day gift & then we went to see the movie "Up". This was a really cute movie! There were some parts that were slow & a little boring for kids but most of the movie has action & a plot that will keep them entertained.

If you are ever in Macon you need to visit their Science Museum. We did not go on this trip because we have been there several times in the past, but it is a great place to take kids. We have enjoyed it each time we have gone. I wish that we would have had more time there to check out new places but we were only there one night & then back home....maybe next time!

Historical Rome, Georgia

Rome, Georgia...do you know how it got its name? It's funny that in the 11 years I have lived in Georgia I have never been to Rome, yet this past week I have been there twice. Wednesday night we went to see the Minor League "Braves" play & yesterday we went on personal business.

As we drove into the downtown we saw the Rome Area History Museum & when we finished our business decided to walk over & check it out. It happened to be Greater Rome Bank Customer Appreciation Day, so it was Free Admission & they also had free refreshments.

The workers, I assume volunteers, were extremely friendly & helpful. They gave our son a scavenger hunt paper to work on as he worked his way through the museum. I love it when museums offer scavenger hunts because it makes the kids focus on the information they are reading while they are trying to find answers to questions on their sheet. My husband loved it too, he loves absorbing new information...never play him in any trivia game!

When we were in Rome for the ball game the other night we were discussing with our friends that were with us, how did Rome get its name? Well we found out...it was drawn from a hat! The other names in the hat were Pittsburgh, Warsaw, Hamburg, and Hillsboro. Rome fits it though because like Rome, Italy it sits among seven hills.

The Museum has a wealth of information on Rome: Native Americans in Floyd County, The Georgia Land Lottery, The Founding of Rome (that's where we found out how Rome got its name), The Civil War, The Clock Tower, The Flood of 1886, Home Life, War, Education and Athletics, Cultural Life, Medicine, & Industry.

I also discovered that President Woodrow Wilson's wife was raised in Rome & that one of the writers of the popular cartoon "Popeye" was from Rome. I read about all kinds of home medicinal cures which seem funny today...moms did you know that if you had put an ax under your bed it would have "cut out" labor pains?

So if you happen to be in the Rome, Georgia area stop in for a visit. Today, June 6th is also Free Admission all day. There is also a Clock Tower tour today at 12:00 (meet at the Clock Tower).

The Clock Tower, which sits atop Clock Tower Hill, provided Rome with water from 1871 to 1960. The tower held a 250,000 gallon water tank. There is also a clock on the tower & the face of it measures 9ft in diameter. In 1883 Rome's first public school was built next to the tower, Tower Hill School. It was later named Neely School but was torn down in 1961.

Wednesday, June 10th you can receive free admission to the museum if you bring a recent church bulletin. Thursday June 11th anyone over 60 gets free admission all day. Friday June 12th is general free admission all day. So if you are in the area stop in on these days & enjoy the museum. For more information you can go to their website at http://www.romehistorymuseum.com/

Research Local History

A fun activity to do with your family is to research the history of the county that you live in. It is mostly free to do or you may pay a nominal fee to visit your local historical museum. Where we live our museum is $2.00 for adults & $1.00 for kids, so check out your area to see what is available to you.

We had three Civil War battles where we live: Dallas, New Hope, & the biggest one which was Pickett's Mill. We have old gold mines & today I discovered we also had copper mines that shut down in the early 1900's. We drove the Cherokee out of our area west along "The Trail of Tears".

Also one of our hidden treasures is a waterfall. Most people that live here have no idea it exists. We heard about it when we first moved here 11 years ago & saw old photos at the museum that showed tourists coming to visit the falls. Still it was elusive...we could never find it. We traveled little 2 lane country roads only to find dead ends...or nothing at all.

Finally my husband figured out where it was & took my son & one of his friends today to see it. It is still elusive, most people have no idea it is here. So if you ever visit Paulding County in Georgia, ask someone about the waterfall & see what kind of response you get. If you want to know where it is just ask me...until then it is a secret!

Yellow River Game Preserve in Georgia

Yesterday we went on a field trip to Yellow River Game Preserve next to Stone Mountain in Georgia (near Atlanta). We met a homeschool group there & were supposed to get a group rate which I think was $1.00 off the cost. The adult price is normally $8.00 & the child price is $7.00. There were some other customers in between parts of our group (they were really busy), & when we got up to the cashier to pay she informed us that we could not get the group rate because we did not pay all together (even though the group leader informed her that we were with them). She was really rude as she explained to us that she had informed the group leader of this & made a really big deal about it in front of the other customers. It was totally unprofessional & was obvious she could care less about the visitors. So if you happen to go with a group (15 or more) make sure that you stay together & all pay at the same time.

We were polite & determined that she was not going to ruin our day.

As we entered the park we were greeted by a lot of deer that have no fear of humans at all. They were interested in what we had to feed them! You can buy bags of food there to feed to the animals but we brought our own bag of lettuce, crackers & carrots.

The park had a large array of animals for the kids to interact with.

There were a lot of different kinds of goats & sheep. They also had bears, coyotes, foxes, ducks, geese, turtles, rabbits, hawks, owls, raccoons, vultures, some big cats, chickens, pigs, turkeys...a hugh variety of animals.

Peacocks roamed freely & displayed their feathers for us. Even the "wild" animals have become domesticated in the park....I'm talking about the squirrels & chipmunks. The come right up to you looking for food & you can feed them right out of your hand.

You can even see the home of the famous groundhog, General Lee. He is the South's version of Groundhog day & comes out in the winter to see if he casts his shadow.

All in all it was a nice day for the kids. As an adult I was not impressed with the place. It looks like it has been a long time since there has been any serious upkeep or cleaning. I was raised on a mini-farm & am accustomed to animal smells, but some of the pens I thought were really bad...terrible urine odors. The buildings & other signs, etc., could have used a good pressure washing & just repair in general. Along with the poor attitude of the cashier I would rate this 2 stars out of 5. The only reason I give it this is because the kids had a good time. So if you are planning a vacation to Stone Mountain & are looking for something extra to do give them a try (for the kids).

Trip to Hartswell, Georgia

My husband is a traveling photographer & last week was working in Hartswell, Georgia. We arrived on Wednesday evening & checked in at the BestWestern. The next morning we went sightseeing in their downtown. We went to the Holland House (I need to check my info to make sure that is correct), but it is an historical home there that houses the Chamber of Commerce & the towns historical musuem. We learned that Hartswell is named after a Revolutionary War heroine by the name of Nancy Hart. She was a spy & captured Torries that tried to take over her home. She was 6 feet tall with red hair & a freckled face. The musuem is free so stop in if you get a chance & with only 3 rooms to view it is a quick stop if you are in a hurry.

We also love antiques so we walked around the square looking for an antique store but did not see one. They also have a road right off the square (Depot Dr.) that has some interesting stores & restuarants. It looks like it used to be the old main street of the town. There is also an old train depot there, thus the name. Sorry that I do not have more details or photos but I did not know at the time that I would be blogging about this since I just started my blog yesterday. In the future I will have photos & detailed info.

We then went to Fletcher's, a local restuarant that serves a lunch buffet. It was not a huge variety but the food was fresh & really good, so I recommend you go there to eat.

It had snowed 5 to 6 inches the Sunday before we arrived & there was still snow on the ground, so my son, Noah, & my husband had snowball fights & Noah got to jump around in ankle deep snow. We then drove to Lake Hartwell at the Hart State Park, which is only maybe 5 miles from downtown Hartwell. The water is still a little low but it is very pretty there. They have cottages & campsites available for those who would like to stay at the lake.

My husband then went to work & Noah & I started our homeschool day in the hotel. We are home this week & speaking of homeschool I need to go & get prepared for the day, so I will chat more later. Thanks for reading our post!