I've been to the mountaintop

Previously I mentioned that we were going to dive head first into everything that Georgia has to offer as far as state parks, museums, culture and history. Our latest installment of "All things GA" takes us to a hike at Panola Mountain located in Stockbridge, GA.

It has been on my list for a while but seemingly bothersome minute things like strollers, potty training, pregnancy and bed rest always got in the way of fun. Now that none of that above applies, the crew and I rose early (for a Saturday anyway) and headed for that giant beacon of granite. We walked the smaller self-guided hike that was just a little over a mile long instead of the 2.5 hour guided tour with a Ranger because our girls are still a little too young endure the terrain and the distance of a longer hike. My girls handled the 1+ mile hike like champs because that's part of our weekly workout anyway at a neighborhood park.



I love my hat because it is practical...



The weather was perfect. It was sunny with a few clouds and a gentle breeze, that was a relief when in the shade the tree's understory. The view from the summit was very pretty and I could have stayed longer to enjoy the view but I was starting to get hungry. Tonya + Hunger simply doesn't mix well and should be avoided at all cost. My girls most enjoyed watching the animals in their natural environment. Payton couldn't understand why the lizards kept running from her... that child is fearless and I like it!

After lunch we enjoyed another light trek around Alexander Lake. We watched the turtles sun bathe on a log in the center of the log. My husband was so excited that he scared the turtles back into the water to safety. Mike was convinced that he would capture a turtle and bring it home with us... Good thing for me that the turtles returned back to water in time. I am not interested in having a turtle. That's just one more thing to clean up after. No, thanks!

Next stop... Georgia's Little Grand Canyon!

Pumpkin Patch or Bust!

All is well now that I had my pumpkin patch fix. Fall just doesn't seem right without a visit to a pumpkin patch, Halloween costumes and a Fall foliage drive. I have completed 1 out of 3, not many weekends left so I need to hurry.
This past Saturday, I enjoyed the afternoon at Yule Forest Pumpkin Patch in Stockbridge, GA with a few close friends and their children. The kids had a ball! There were several activities for the children. Let's talk about a few of them, shall we? First, there was a huge bouncing pillow that was buried into the ground, which every kid loved except my youngest. Then, there was a semi life-sized pirate ship that the kids could play in, around and on, which was located near a Fun Zone. The Fun zone was a series of 3 obstacle course moonwalks and a quasi-spooky inflatable haunted house, my 3-year-old declined this activity as well :). The pièce de résistance.... the hayride through the cartoon forest, which showed the age of many parents on board and a petting zoo, which offered horseback rides for a fee.

Overall, I think the $28 for entry for 2 adults and 2 kids, activities, 2 "free' mini pumpkins and a $5 off coupon for a Christmas tree was money well spent. Warning: if your child can walk, you will have to pay full price for that child.

Let me give a shoutout to Stevie B's Pizza Buffet, that is where we had our "after party." I think we almost cleaned the place out because having fun is hard work! FYI: Kids under 4, eat free.