With summer almost over, it was time for us to go on a summer vacation. Like Clark Griswald, I packed up the G Taxi, made sure everyone was buckled up and we were on our way up to see Augi (grandpa) and G.G (Grandma Gwen) in Waleska, Georgia, and Taylor and Gabby, Tiffany’s and my soon-to-be brother and sister-in-law in Woodstock, Georgia. We were all eager to get to their houses, but first, with the help of the Roadtrippers app, Tiffany plotted out a route with a couple of stops, which provided another incredible part to our adventure that I can’t wait to share with you.
We always have a plan for our trips, but there are always a few wrinkles, a crossroad-like decision of what way we’ll go that we usually decide a few days before we leave. It always seems to work out and this trip would be no exception.
Our first stop was Top Mountain Inn and Resort atop Pine Mountain. It was the bulk of our drive and broke up our journey perfectly. We stayed in a single room, which had plenty of space for the four of us to enjoy. The room was very clean and felt like we were in a log cabin. Speaking of which, they also rent private cabins and have a great venue for wedding ceremonies with enough accommodations for even the largest of parties. We did a light unpack and enjoyed the swimming pool before it was time to get an early dinner.
The restaurant we decided to dine at was a cute cafe that was in the downtown area of Pine Mountain called Eatz on the Corner. American food with a tropical twist is how they describe their cuisine and it did not disappoint. I’m telling you, everything was so fresh and made from scratch. The hummus was so perfectly balanced and packed with flavor, the curry chicken was delightful and the jerk chicken, although extremely spicy, was still enjoyable. I handled it like a champ, after downing several glasses of water! There’s plenty of options including kid-friendly cuisine like a bacon cheeseburger, which Porter was raving about to everyone in the restaurant and all the way back to our room and into the night.
The next morning we woke early and set our sights on a culinary treasure of another kind, The Waffle House; shout out to T Dawg for the selection! Then we set off to the Great Wolf Lodge in LeGrange, Georgia.
We arrived at the Great Wolf Lodge excited to get out of the car and inside the water park. That’s right, they have an indoor water park with rides for every age including a wave pool and lazy river. It was really a great start to the day especially because it made the wait for our room feel like no time at all. The water playground was where, if timed right, a giant bucket of water would spill all over whoever was underneath it (that would be me in case you were wondering). We laughed so hard on the ride Triple Thunder that almost tipped me and Tiffany out of our raft. I can still picture her screaming as we ripped through the tunnels.
The grounds and hotel itself were amazing! A ropes course, miniature golf, rock climbing wall, arcade, an interactive wizard adventure, and even a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop. I could keep going but I won’t – you’re welcome! The stay was great. The kids felt extra special with their themed bunk beds and we all were very comfortable in our room. We snuck out just before sunset to pick up a pizza and to check out downtown LeGrange, which was actually really cool.
The next morning we gathered ourselves and headed up to Waleska, Georgia at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains to visit Augi and G.G.
The community surrounds Lake Arrowhead boasting beautiful mountain side views, an abundance of different trees and deer – lots of deer. They coexist in the community and even take time out of their day for photo opportunities.
We golfed on their very scenic and challenging course, which gave the adults (yes, I consider myself an adult) time to connect and enjoy one of our favorite activities together. Balls were flying everywhere on the course as per usual.
Tiffany is from the Great Peach State, so we set up a day to reconnect with some of her friends. We went to the Siman’s homestead and had a chill day with Jenna, Jan, Johnathan and Juliet. We let the children play, laughed, reconnected and devoured some of the best barbecue chicken we’ve ever had thanks to the BBQ grill master, Jan. I even got to meet the other part of 2%… if you know, you know.
We always enjoy hanging out with Uncle Taylor and Aunt Gabby, as the kids call them, but this time we got to visit them at their new home in Woodstock. The kids loved it because it’s filled with video games, squishmallows and two of their favorite people in the world! The kids were content so Tiffany and I decided to check out downtown Woodstock and give the kids some time to connect one-on-one with their aunt and uncle.
The downtown area of Woodstock is about 30 miles outside of Atlanta and was transformed around 2002. The result was a beautiful area of funky shops like Blue Frog Imports, eclectic restaurants and my favorite, The Pie Bar, a place serving sweet and savory, made from scratch, pies all day. It was a sweet way to end the day.
We have great adventures together as a family and it is always so much fun for me to share those experiences with all of you! I wish you all great adventures of your own that you too can share and enjoy with your friends and family as I do with mine!
Hope you had a great summer… Bobby G out!
