Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Braselton, Ga

What a gorgeous place! We went on a Monday night to walk around and grabbed a bite to eat. We didn’t have a reservation, just drove up, parked and walked around until we found a restaurant.

May is such a beautiful time to visit. Just look at these stunning flowers and landscaping!

I’m happy we live reasonably nearby so that we can visit as often as we’d like. We’ll definitely be back for their memorial weekend activities.

There weren’t many visitors on this particular Monday evening which was fantastic. We took a leisurely stroll throughout.

In between the grapevines there were these two hammocks. How sweet!! All you need is a good book and a glass of wine, or take a nap. Absolutely loved these hammocks!

Headed inside for a cocktail. It wasn’t the best, and especially for the price ($15) for this I expected a bit more pizazz. I got the Aqua de Fuego.

The ambiance was great tho! Lots of patrons around. And yes, we were the only ones with kids. We ordered drinks and food to go and ate it outside. Food was a 7/10 IMO. Would I come here to specifically eat? No. I would come back just for the ambience.

This was the downstairs with another restaurant. It was so beautiful.

They have these cute nooks all over the place. I especially loved this one because of the color combination.

Taking you back outside. I mean, how fun is this?? There are various outdoor games throughout. Guests are quite entertained if you’re staying there.

Another look at the grapevines. I could just sit here all night and stargaze.

All in all we had a great time. There was no entry fee. We just drove right up, parked and went about our adventure. As you can probably guess, everything is more expensive. For instance, my small Caesar salad was $37 . You’re paying for the atmosphere and amenities. Parking was also plenty.

Driftwood Beach aka Botany Bay

Edisto Island, SC

What a beautiful hidden gem! If you’re in SC you NEED to visit this island. We went on a perfect day. The weather was great and there were only a few other people around. The water felt fantastic and there were lots of shady areas to just sit and relax. It was an hour from Seabrook Island. It was nothing short of spectacular!!

My son loved it. We spent about 3 hours there. Next time we will bring a picnic! All is missing is a hammock and a pina colada 😜

We went during high tide so we didn’t get to walk far, but we didn’t need to go far. There were so many driftwood trees about to explore.

This is the trail that lead to the beach. It was about a half mile walk.

The entrance to the beach.

This is where the entrance and exit is located, by this marked tree.

Notes From The Park

• Make sure to sign in at the beginning of the entrance to get your parking slip.

• 1066 Botany Bay Road, Edisto Island, SC, 29438.

• You’re not allowed to take shells or driftwood from the beach. There is a large fine, $400+.

• Parking was limited.

• No bathrooms on site.

• Be prepared to walk about half a mile to the beach. There are maps available at the check in station as well.

• Bring lots of water and your curious mind!

• It was free to enter when we were there.

Ink Interactive Neighborhood

Gainesville, Ga

Children’s museum featuring interactive exhibits, dentist office, gift shop, live size automobiles, and many other stations.

The whole place consists of 25,000 square foot of space to play and roam about. When we went it was not crowded at all on a Tuesday.

In each room there were costumes the kids could play dress up with. How fun!

The kids loved the real sized four wheeler.

In the back there was a play center with your regular slides and foam toys to play with.

A cute little grocery store for pretend shopping.

Notes From The Park

• Finding the place was a bit challenging at first since the signage was not big or conspicuous. It’s right next to the police station.

• You can park on the street or the designated parking lot and follow the sidewalk.

• Bathrooms were clean and well kept.

• Lots of sitting areas for the parents.

• Gift shop available with LOTS of various toys.

• Masking was encouraged but not mandatory.

• $9/per person. 2 and under are free.

• Two hour time slot. You can purchase the tickets at the location.

Southeastern Railway Museum

Duluth, Ga

GA’s largest collection of real, life size trains, cars and buses.

If you have little ones that love trains and cars this is a great place to take them! Our 3 year old had a blast. It is rich in history also.

The museum was founded in 1970, and it showcases over 90 pieces of rolling stock. It sits on a 30-acre site.

Train ride on the small train, it goes around twice.

Train ride. Fun for the little ones!

Notes From The Park

• Currently only open on Thursday-Sunday 10-5.

• Bathrooms available.

• Kids under 2 are free.

• Two train rides available, small and large train.

• Buy tickets at the museum.

• Stroller friendly.

Sell’s Mill Park

Jackson County, Ga

Water mill from the early 1900s.

This is a nice little park, and it is a little park indeed. The playground is not much to boast about but overall this is a great spot for the hot summer days!

We went on a Thursday afternoon. It was not crowded at all. The weather was around 75 and humid. There was a water sprout for the kids to play in to keep cool.

If you venture down near the mill there is a stream to play in as well, or have picnics and just listen to the sound of water. I saw some people trying to fish upstream.

This was a fun climbing experience with the bare rocks. I imagine once the water starts flowing it’ll look really pretty cascading down the stream.

There’s a pavilion for shade and eating, and it overlooks the stream.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves. We will come back during the summer to play in the water. If you’re in the area you should definitely check it out.

Notes From The Park

• Small bathroom available.

• Limited parking.

• Easy to get to. The drive there was pleasant with lots of mature trees and farm animals.

• Small playground with a water sprout.