Fall Break 2015: Ellijay, GA

It's Fall, y'all!

All weekend it was cold and rainy and felt like fall. On Monday we woke up to sunshine and warm weather again.

Even though it was warm, we decided to head to Ellijay, Georgia to visit the Hillcrest Apple Orchards and Burt's Pumpkin Farm. We did a weekend trip with my siblings a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the area.

This year we visited on a Monday and the experience was a mixed bag. Hillcrest Orchards was a bit of a disappointment. I thought the website had said that the main thing we would miss out on during the week was apple picking. But in reality, there wasn't much going on at the apple orchard.

The playgrounds were fun, of course. As was the petting zoo, but the wagon ride was better at Burt's and everything else was closed (no food, no jumping pillow, no pig races, no music). The best part was definitely no crowds. That, and Jack was pumped about his apple cider cup (and we did come home with a gallon of apple cider and some local honey). 

After the orchard, we headed over to Burt's Pumpkin Farm and had a great experience. Maybe it just fits us better? 

The hayride was peaceful, and visiting on a Monday was perfect because there were very few people there (nobody accidentally photobombing my photos).

We picked out a huge (to us) pumpkin and Jack insisted on helping Daniel carry it to the wheelbarrow. 

Jack also wore himself out running through the rows and rows of pumpkins (and we didn't have to pay extra for that perk!).

After our busy day, we looked up a local place to eat. 

We decided on Appalachia Grill and followed our phones directions to the restaurant... only to discover that it didn't exist. Instead we ended up at Reverend BBQ Billy's where we partook in some excellent BBQ. Some times it pays to get lost.

We had a wonderful day and I'm so glad we had a chance to do something fun as a family.

Blog post of our previous visit to Hillcrest Orchards and Burts Pumpkin Farm.

Fall Break Recap:

Ellijay, GA   |   Stringers Ridge, TN   |  Wakulla Springs, FL   |  Tallahassee Jr. Museum, FL   |  St. George Island, FL

Northwest Georgia: Canoeing

I am a sucker for first-time experiences. I like to go new places and experience new things. There is so much to see and do in this world that I guess I feel that I will miss out if I just spend my life repeating the same experiences over and over.

One of the great things about having kids is that not only can you have great experiences, but regardless of whether the experience is new or not, it is new to the child and you get the privilege of experience it FIRST HAND through the child. It is truly amazing.

After a busy Saturday of visiting Burt's Farm and Hillcrest Orchards, we slept in, had a late breakfast and then decided to take our canoe out on the little lake behind the cabin. We thought it would be easier to launch from a put in point up the road, so we loaded the canoe and piled into the Subaru.

 

 
This was my niece's first canoeing experience. She was so excited. She really wanted to swim and was not keen on wearing a life vest. Her mom gave her a pep talk – mostly about not tipping us over in the middle of the lake. None of the adults wanted to take a swim in October!

Then I demonstrated the vest – which ended up being too small, so we upgraded her.

Then we loaded up and were off.

The last time I was in a canoe with my brother and sister, I was in college. We went to the Spring River in Arkansas as a family. We managed to flip our boat on a rather large rapid. This was a very different experience than that!

The lake was calm and beautiful. It was a perfect fall day.

Izzy had a blast. We circled the lake, then came back so Daniel could go out. Then we swapped one final time before heading in.

I think Angela was paranoid about Izzy, because every little movement elicited a, "Don't move Izzy!" Which I thought was funny since Daniel and I take Sophie out with us and she jumps from side to side and front to back and has never flipped us. We just have to pay attention and shift our weight to compensate.

After we came in, Daniel took the boat across the lake to the dock at our cabin while I drove everyone else back.

Jack woke up from his nap and we headed down to the dock for his first time in the canoe.

He was very laid back about the whole experience {pretty typical of our little guy}. 

Though he is not a fan of having sun in his eyes. Next time we will have to remember to bring his sunglasses.

His first time in our canoe was a success!

We are so thankful for opportunities like this to share our passions and experiences with others – especially our family and the kids.

If you are interested in going canoeing sometime or would like to introduce your kiddo to this type of experience, let us know – we are always up for a new adventure.

 
Next time we'll have to persuade Robert and Levi to go out with us :)

Northwest Georgia: Hillcrest Orchards

After Burt's Farm, the next stop on our list was Hillcrest Orchards.

This stop was fun but definitely the best stop for Miss Izzy. She had a blast.

From the Jumping Pillow...

to the live music...

to the petting zoo...

to the big slides...

to the zipline...

my little niece was in toddler heaven.

It was fun to watch her. I look forward to going back when Jack and Levi can participate in all of the fun as well.

We skipped on watching the pig races -- the crowd was a bit much. We also skipped the tractor ride and getting to milk a cow. Though Daniel and Jack did watch some other kids take their turn.

For lunch, I managed to waste spend $28 on food. Don't get me wrong, it was great food. Daniel was a trooper and stood in a long line to get us a hamburger {him}, BBQ sandwich {me} and a bottle of water to share. For a cost of $12. I took two bites out of my delicious sandwich, then set it in my lap to take a picture and promptly knocked my sandwich out of my lap onto the ground. Daniel said that I couldn't apply the 10-second rule since were at a farm. So. That meant I got the pleasure of getting back in a {really, really, really} long line to spend more money on food. Another $16 and we had ripple fries, chicken on a stick and roasted corn on the cob to round out my rather expensive lunch. All of it was good, I just wish I hadn't dumped my sandwich on the ground.

After such a busy day, the adults and babies were starting to get tired. Izzy, on the other hand, was still going strong. Daniel, Mark, Jack and I took advantage of having a second car to make an early exit.

Thankfully we beat the afternoon crowds -- by the time we left it was quite the madhouse. We enjoyed our day and I look forward to going back... maybe when it isn't so busy?