Great Wolf Lodge LaGrange

Wild Weekends at Great Wolf Lodge: How to Save, Splurge, and Splash

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When I first learned a Great Wolf Lodge was coming to Lagrange, a rural town about an hour from Atlanta, I was initially underwhelmed. As one who needs mega overdoses of sunshine and foliage, I figured this would be just a cheesy (think Chuck E.) version of another steamy,  packed indoor-water park. I finally agreed to go when one of my most beloved young relatives was celebrating a 7th birthday.  Let’s just say that I had such a howling good time that I’ve returned twice in the months since. Continue reading “Wild Weekends at Great Wolf Lodge: How to Save, Splurge, and Splash” →

Jekyll Island: Fall Getaway to Georgia’s Coastal Crown Jewel

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jekyll island biking
Miles of bike trails through forests, the historic district and by the beach make daily exercise effortless.

It’s no wonder that this was the chosen land for America’s wealthiest in the late 1800s until the Great Depression. With a mild climate, abundance of wildlife, and pristine beaches, the island brought retreat from the everyday stresses of a burgeoning industrial society. “The world of industry and commerce, of railroads and factories, of trusts, mergers, and monopolies, is something wholly apart from this island paradise,” said an article in a 1904 Munsey Magazine.  While it no longer takes $1 million in wealth to access the island, the magical serenity remains for new generations. Continue reading “Jekyll Island: Fall Getaway to Georgia’s Coastal Crown Jewel” →

Walking and Biking Your Way Through the Soul of Savannah: Georgia’s World Showcase

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Savannah Candy StoreAt first glance, a brief description of Savannah, Georgia sounds a little like Epcot. We’ll spend the day walking cobblestone streets, exploring nuanced cultures in romantic nooks, watching the evening lights on the water, and drinking magical concoctions and eating everything along the way. But Savannah is the real deal. In near Walt Disney fashion, it’s an idyllic planned city with every detail having a purpose. But these plans date back to the early 1700s, when James Oglethorpe persuaded the Yamacraw Indian tribe to move a little further north. Continue reading “Walking and Biking Your Way Through the Soul of Savannah: Georgia’s World Showcase” →

Princess Guide to Masters Golf Tournament: 7 Things to Know

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master's golfIf there’s something that compares to that feeling of being a child and taking that first step into the Magic Kingdom, it is being an adult and walking into Augusta National during that legendary week in April. I dare to say, it may be even better. My first visit was at the final round in April 1995, where Ben Crenshaw won his second Master’s, and Tiger Woods played his first match as a professional. Walking through the gates past the clubhouse and over the hill at hole number one is a sight like none other. Continue reading “Princess Guide to Masters Golf Tournament: 7 Things to Know” →

Salvation Biscuits from the Farmhouse at Serenbe

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serenbe biscuitsThese biscuits go beyond soul food. I believe that they potentially lead to salvation, and I can try to explain why. With only four ingredients, they  take only minutes to make. And after you eat one, you will know what heaven must taste like. It was a spring day several years ago, when I first visited the Farmhouse at Serenbe, which sits at the edge of a utopian, nature-focused community south of Atlanta. Continue reading “Salvation Biscuits from the Farmhouse at Serenbe” →

Sunday Morning with President Carter: An Extraordinary I-75 Side Trip

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Jimmy Carter

My best friend and I had just finished doing back flips on her trampoline (with no net) when she suddenly started calling her dog by the name of “Jimmy Carter.” I insisted that she had just “made this up,” and our argument continued through our dinner of Hamburger Helper. In Georgia, we thought it was a very big deal that we finally had a president, and our common residency somehow made us very special, too. The years went by, my friend moved away, Reagan was elected, and we all grew up and went off to college. In my mind, Jimmy Carter occupied the land of things influential but nearly forgotten – along with Andy Gibb, 45 records, maxi skirts, the gas crisis and my eighth-grade boyfriend. Continue reading “Sunday Morning with President Carter: An Extraordinary I-75 Side Trip” →