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Georgia Aquarium {Spring Break Field Trip}

Posted on April 24, 2011

After shooting three weddings in nine days, it was time to take advantage of spring break with the kids! We packed up and headed to Atlanta to frolic with grandparents and cousins and took in some big-city fun. Having worked for the South Carolina Aquarium as a new mom, I’ve been wanting to check out the supersize Georgia Aquarium, but we didn’t want to brave the crowds over a holiday visit the past few years. Finally, we made it, and it is impressive!

Eight million gallons of water, and almost as many people. Still, the new AT&T Dolphin Tales show, the belugas, the colorful tropical fish, whale sharks and the impressive tunnel o’ swimmers made for a successful field trip. We purchased the Dolphin Combo tickets with a 10am entry time. After waiting in the Will Call line for 40 minutes, we made it to the 11am Dolphin Show with 15 minutes to spare. Pro: we snagged good seats on the aisle; Con: the kids had to sit still another 25 minutes before seeing any action (show started late, and they’d been standing in line with the masses). My kids handled the waiting okay, but I sympathized with the families toting their babies and toddlers into the dark, occasionally loud show that included a few Broadway-style numbers and some scary storminess. My first-grader really enjoyed it, and my four-year-old looked a bit overwhelmed during parts of the show but gave it “two thumbs up” afterward. My mom and I were very impressed and recommend it!

We made it to several exhibits before popping into Cafe Aquaria to grab some lunch. My veggie wrap was tasty, but the lines were long. Cute cupcakes helped us forget the lunch room traffic and supplied energy for the last two exhibits. We headed out by 2:30 and exited the garage using our prepaid parking pass. I’ll order online next time, too, but I’ll print out the tickets in hopes that skipping Will Call will save some time at the entry. Here are some highlights from our visit:

Blissful Getaway {Field Trip | Little St. Simons Island}

Posted on June 7, 2010

So just yesterday, I was biking along a desert-hot path after shell collecting on a remote beach with my family, when a greenish-black mass in the middle of the narrow sandy road opened its jaw and hissed at me. A beach cruiser has never done a 180 so fast — especially one toting a 40-pound kid!

As a Lowcountry resident, I’ve pedaled past and ambled by gators before — on Charleston plantations, Hilton Head golf courses and boardwalks in the Okefenokee swamp. Usually they’re just taking in some sun, oblivious to passersby. But the large hissing gator was another thing entirely! I let my daughter hop in the bike trailer, too, and I cruised past while Dad engaged the protective gator-mom in conversation long enough for us to dash by without her taking my children for Scooby Snacks. Whew!

Just another day in paradise. Really, Little St. Simons Island is a paradise. We spent 24 kid-free hours there celebrating our 11th anniversary, and the kids joined us for day two so we could share the island with them. Everything about this too-quick mini-vacation was perfect (except its brevity) — the intriguing history of a pencil resource turned boys club; the gracious, easygoing staff; and the phenomenal meals shared with fun people from Georgia, Tennessee and the more-crowded island of Manhattan. Normally, I don’t have the pleasure of frequenting resorts lauded by Conde Nast, but this all-inclusive escape is well worth it. Everything you could possibly need, without fuss or pretense, provided by people who absolutely love sharing a piece of their world with a handful of guests at a time.

10,000 gorgeous acres of watery green grasses, home to European fallow deer (we saw both spotted and white ones), marsh bunnies, armadillos, painted buntings, and roseate spoonbills (and I thought flamingos were the only pink birds). The solitude was an event in itself, inspiring me to just put down my book and embrace the breeze that whooshed grasses, leaves and fronds as it rose over the bluff. Taking in an afternoon storm from the screened porch of our cottage was another highlight. Fast and furious, the winds whipped, the horizontal sheets of rain pelted the ancient oaks, and the sun reappeared, turning the last drops into rising steam that cast a dreamy haze… then, the bell! Flashbacks of summer camp came and went as the fishing guide/bartender welcomed us to cocktail hour before a delectable dinner of beef tenderloin and green beans plucked from the organic garden. Mascarpone cheesecake enhanced with a touch of goat cheese and gingered Georgia peaches was one of many tasty desserts from the bakery. (Come to think of it, maybe I should’ve frantically pedaled my 80-lb kid trailer a few more miles to compensate for the homemade granola bars, brownies and warm cookies I indulged in.)

I could ramble on, but this is a photo blog, right? Plus, I have to save some descriptors for my forthcoming Garden & Gun assignment on my next trip to the island. (Pinch me, just dreaming!)

We cannot wait to go back! With friends, family, kids… anyone who can appreciate beauty, tranquility and a staff willing to pack your day with adventure or let you lounge. We’re lucky we can fish, paddle, beachcomb, read and nap in Charleston (or any number of other places), but the laid-back luxury of Little St. Simons is too close to ignore for long.

Anniversary Escape {St. John}

Posted on June 10, 2009

To celebrate our first decade of wedded bliss, Pearsall and I took a quick trip to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Other than an overnight jaunt to a fabulous inn last October, this was our first time away from the kids together. We were grateful to have some willing kidsitters among family members in Atlanta, where we hopped on MARTA, a plane to St. Thomas, a ferry next door and Jeep to our spot in the hills.

It was so luxurious to have time to ourselves in such a beautiful place. Two-thirds of hilly St. John is U.S. National Park, so it is chock full of lush trees that resemble broccoli mountains. Turquoise waters lap quietly onto the dozens of beaches, both rocky and sandy. You might see donkeys, goats or Kenny Chesney, plucking a tune. Hiking, snorkeling, reading, lounging. Fresh fish, the occasional boat drink. Pure bliss.

I should dig up a wedding pic to post alongside this one…

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