Unique Things to Do in the Southeast: 11 Unforgettable Experiences Worth the Trip
There are only so many times I can read another list of the best places to visit in the Southeast before I start wondering what we’re actually supposed to DO when we get there. Don’t get me wrong, I love a charming mountain town, a beautiful beach, and a good restaurant as much as anyone. But sometimes I want to come home from a weekend getaway with a story that starts with, “You’re not going to believe what we found.” Living in the Atlanta area, we’re fortunate to have so many incredible destinations within driving distance. My husband and I have always loved exploring, whether that means hiking through the…
Best Romantic Mountain Getaways in the Southeast: Hiking, Spas, Wineries & a Little Luxury
If you read this blog based solely on my Google traffic, you would probably assume I am a beach girl. And I do love a beautiful beach, especially if you give me clear water and somewhere to snorkel or dive. But mountains have always been home for Heath and me. When we lived in Colorado, we spent pretty much every free weekend hiking. We put thousands of miles on our boots, climbed several 14ers and thought absolutely nothing of disappearing into the mountains for an entire day. Then we had Coop and apparently decided a baby wasn’t going to interfere with this plan because he was in a hiking carrier…
Best Romantic Beach Getaways in the Southeast: Luxury Resorts Worth Leaving the Kids Home For
If you’ve spent any time around here, you already know I spend a ridiculous amount of time talking about beaches we can drive to from Atlanta. Usually I’m looking at them through the lens of a family trip. Where can Coop snorkel? Is there enough to do? Is the beach nice? Can we get there without spending an entire day traveling? But Heath and I celebrate our 14th anniversary next month, and this time I’m looking for something completely different. I don’t want the cooler, beach toys or a condo with a kitchen so I can somehow find myself making breakfast on vacation. I want someone to hand me a…
Best Waterfall Hikes Near Atlanta: Georgia Trails Worth Getting Your Feet Wet For
There are approximately 400 million “best waterfall hikes in Georgia” lists on the internet, so I wasn’t particularly interested in making another one based on trails somebody else said were pretty. These are waterfall hikes we’ve actually hiked. Long before our family vacations started leaning heavily toward the beach, Heath and I were hikers. We’re talking thousands of miles on trails, weekends planned around where we could hike next and several Colorado 14ers under our boots. When Coop came along, we didn’t stop. We strapped him into a carrier when he was barely four months old and kept going. Now he’s nine, carries himself and occasionally even carries his own…
Fall Trips From Atlanta: Getting Back to Our Mountain Roots
If you’ve spent any time on this blog, you could easily assume I’m a beach girl. There are certainly enough beach posts around here to make a pretty convincing case. The truth is, I’m a mountain girl through and through. Before we had Coop, Heath and I spent thousands of miles on hiking trails. When we lived in Colorado, we were gone almost every weekend. We hiked 14ers, explored trails all over the state and basically planned our free time around where we could hike next. Some couples had brunch plans on Saturday mornings. We were usually somewhere on the side of a mountain. Then we had a baby, and…
Where to Find the Clearest Water Within Driving Distance of Atlanta
If you’ve spent any time around here, you already know I have a slight beach obsession. Okay, maybe more than slight. I have written about beaches close to Atlanta, quiet Florida beach towns, hidden beaches, 30A, Sarasota, Key West and probably enough sand at this point that Google has figured out exactly where my happy place is. But there is one thing I will absolutely drive a little farther for: clear water. You know the kind. The water where you can stand waist deep and still see your feet. Where the kids can put on a mask and spend an hour looking for fish. Where the Gulf turns from pale…
Best Fall Mountain Getaways in Georgia & North Carolina: Festivals, Waterfalls and Small-Town Charm
There is a point every summer in Georgia when I am just done. Done with the humidity, done with sweating while walking from the house to the car, and definitely done with getting into a vehicle that feels like it has been preheating at 425 degrees. Then we get that first cool morning and suddenly I want coffee on a porch, a cabin in the mountains and absolutely nowhere I have to be. After our recent weekend in Ellijay, I may have entered my mountain era. We rented a cabin right on the river, hiked 7.3 miles, watched lightning bugs at night and basically let our nine year old and…
Georgia’s Hidden Islands: A Different Kind of Beach Vacation
It hit me after our weekend in Ellijay that Georgia really is spoiled. One weekend we’re hiking seven miles through the mountains, watching lightning bugs dance through the trees after dark. A few hours in the opposite direction, we’re hopping on a ferry to an island with wild horses, untouched beaches, and hardly another soul in sight. We really don’t have to travel far to find somewhere that feels completely different. I’ve written a lot about beaches over the past year because, let’s be honest, I love them. Give me soft sand, salty air, and a sunset over the water, and I’m one happy mama. But lately I’ve realized I’m…
Secret Beaches Within 8 Hours of Atlanta (That Most People Skip)
Everybody knows Destin. Everybody knows Panama City Beach. And if you’ve ever tried to visit either one during summer, you know exactly why I started looking elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong—there’s a reason those beaches are popular. They’re beautiful. But over the years, I’ve realized my favorite beach memories haven’t happened at the places with the biggest crowds. They’ve happened where my son could spend hours chasing ghost crabs instead of waiting in line for ice cream, where my dogs could nap on the porch after a long walk, and where the loudest sound was usually the waves rolling onto shore. Living in Atlanta gives us an incredible advantage. Within…
Georgia’s Mountain Towns: The Perfect Escape When You Need a Break From the Beach
If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know I love a good beach trip. Give me white sand, a colorful sunset, and the sound of waves rolling in, and I’m perfectly content. Living in Georgia means we’re lucky enough to have some incredible beach destinations within driving distance, and I certainly take advantage of that whenever I can. But every once in a while, I need a completely different kind of getaway. This past weekend, we packed up the car, loaded the dogs, and headed north to Ellijay for a few days in the mountains. Our cabin sat right on the river, and within about an…
