Spring Break Atlanta Stay-cation

Spring Break Atlanta Stay-cation

We're staying home during Spring Break this year. Mainly because the one time we went away for the week of Spring Break the return traffic (from Florida to Atlanta) was insane - the trip home took 3 hours longer than the trip down. I know it's not a novel idea. As a child we never went anywhere for school breaks. I think sometimes as parents we feel that we "have" to make vacations special. The beauty of this plan is that it is special. It allows late mornings, lazy afternoons laying the grass looking at the clouds, ball games in the yard and al fresco dinners on our back deck. So relaxing!

I researched all sorts of things to do within an hour of our home, a suburb north of Atlanta. I debated some farther trips - like Chattanooga, TN but discarded the idea. I found plenty of free or low cost activities within an hour of home. Some of the things we did were every day things. We went to the local mall and had soft pretzels and ice cream cones. We window shopped, watched videos in the Disney Store and rode the carousel. Total cost about $20. One afternoon we went swimming at our local YMCA.

We have are lucky enough to have two nice nature centers close to home- Autrey Mill Preserve and Chattachoochee Nature Center. Located on 46 acres of ravine forest Autrey Mill is FREE to explore the historic homes and nature paths.  The Visitor Center is accessible and houses several tanks of snakes, lizards and frogs. Outside there are ducks. For a small donation you can get a cup of duck feed and the ducks will adore you. None of the historic homes or trails are wheelchair accessible but its a fun place to spend an hour - longer if you aren't mobility impaired. Some of the trails lead to a replicas of a Native American lodge and tee pee as well as a beautiful stream. They offer a number of historical and nature programs for about $5.00/person.

Chattahoochee Nature Center offers several walking trails including a boardwalk path, animal encounters and a nice play area.They a licensed rehabilitation center for native raptors, mammals and reptiles so you can see more than 50 different species that were rehabilitated, but unable to be safely returned to the wild. Chattahoochee charges $8.00 per adult and $5.00 per child to visit. We were able to bring a wheelchair to the Nature Center and along the boardwalk. The remainder of the Center wasn't accessible. Still, a great afternoon for under $30.
 
Another great FREE Atlanta destination is the Fernbank Science Center which houses a small museum, a planetarium (cost $4/adults, $3 kids ) and on Thursday & Friday nights an observatory open to the public. It is all wheelchair accessible. Nearby is the FREE Fernbank Forest which has 1½ miles of paved trails through 65 acres relatively undisturbed forest in the middle of Atlanta. Fernbank Rose Garden is also FREE and a lovely place for a quiet walk.

Because we live outside of a major metropolitan area there are a number of large tourist attractions. Our big splurge was to get annual family memberships to three local attractions. All are withing about an hour of home and will pay for themselves in 2 visits. We joined Fernbank Museum (see my previous blog)-family Membership cost $95- and Zoo Atlanta - family membership cost $99 (you can get a $10 discount online).
 
Zoo Atlanta is fully paved with (for the most part) gradual slopes. The path between the Backyard Habitat and the Children's Zoo is extremely steep and I wouldn't recommend taking it if you are pushing a wheelchair or stroller. The rest of the park is easily accessible by wheelchair. However, disabled parking is very limited - causing many visitors to become pretty aggressive about getting a space. We tried to go this week but were beat out of a parking spot despite waiting and having our turn signal on. So much for Southern hospitality!

I love Zoo Atlanta, despite the difficult parking. It is a modern Zoo with roomy naturalistic habitats for the animals to enjoy. One of the best things about being a member is free admission to the 2 member nights offered each year. Its wonderful to explore the Zoo in the evenings. The animals are often more active as the temperatures are cooler. Members Only Nights also feature live entertainment and special animal encounters- which my girls love!

For the first time we also bought season passes to Stone Mountain Park. Stone Mountain is a truly weird place - its a gigantic monument dedicated to the fallen leaders of the Confederacy. The carving depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. It is literally carved into the side of a mountain - the South's own answer to Mount Rushmore. Really - it's not my goal to glamorize the secession and all it stood for. The annual pass lets us explore the various park exhibits and rides like the SkyRide and Gesyer Towers anytime we want throughout the year.  Stone Mountain houses a petting zoo, has a petting zoo attached to the Antebellum Plantation and Farmyard attraction. The farmyard offers a live show with trained goats and sheep.

My goal in going to Stone Mountain is to desensitize Danielle to fireworks before we head to one of those overpriced theme parks later in the year. Stone Mountain has a lasershow most nights during school vacations and on weekends. Despite living in the area for 15 years, we've never been to the show. You don't have to join to see the show - its FREE, sort of. You still need to pay the $10 park admission (parking fee). You can bring your own chairs and blankets. I didn't know that when I joined...  

I would encourage everyone to follow our model if you can. Most areas have unique, fun local spots to explore. Consider searching for a nature center, a playhouse, a puppet theater or a local history or children's museum. For less than the cost of two days at a theme park we had a week of great experiences as well as opportunities for a year of family fun through our new memberships.