A Peaceful Weekend – Priceless!
Posted by Chad on February 1, 2009
Autumn at Callaway
Yesterday, I took advantage of a great deal with some of my family and headed to one of my favorite places free of charge! Many longtime Atlantans may have forgotten about Callaway Gardens, or maybe you just haven’t been in years because you didn’t think it had changed much. Newcomers to the area may have never even heard of Callaway Gardens. Whether you’ve never been to Callaway before or you just need a nice, relaxing day to get away from the city, Callaway Gardens is having a great deal this winter – free admission to the Gardens through the end of February! Not a bad deal, since regular adult admission runs $15 per person. I visited Callaway for the first time in the fall of 2007 (that’s when the photograph at right was taken) as a family getaway for Thanksgiving on our way to visit family in West Central Georgia. I wasn’t expecting much, but I ended up having one of the nicest Thanksgiving’s of my life. Callaway is a very special, peaceful place. The scenery is absolutely beautiful any time of year, and the fact that you can get lost in this landscape without the distraction of highway noise or city sirens provides a much needed respite from the rat race. While Callaway’s famed azaleas weren’t in bloom on the last day of January, there’s still so much to see. Holly was everywhere, and the many attractions at the gardens are spectacular whenever you visit. Be sure to get there early and plan to spend the whole day. When we arrived yesterday, the gates were open and the admission houses were closed, inviting everyone to drive right in! Be sure to stop first at the Virginia Hand Callaway Dsicovery Center to learn about the Gardens and get your bearings (literally! – with the admission houses closed, this is where you pick up your maps of the Gardens). The Discovery Center sits on a beautiful lake, and there’s a small cafe there if you want to grab a bite to eat. From there, take your pick of what to do next! The Day Butterfly Center provides an up-close encounter with butterflies year round, and the Sibley Horticultural Center has an amazing two-level greenhouse that is really beautiful. But perhaps one of the most special places at Callaway is the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel. Set back in the woods on the edge of a lake, the Chapel and its stained glass is a great place to just sit down (inside or out) and recenter. Not too mention there’s golf and a spa, and lots of options to overnight if you like, from an inn to cottages to a beautiful new lodge. And in between attractions, wandering around a trail or two is a great way to unwind. Don’t forget to exit the back gates, on Highway 27, and turn right to go the Callaway Gardens Country Store. It’s a nice old stone building that includes a decent southern cooking restaurant with an amazing view of the Gardens, and its right across the street from an amazing overlook off of Pine Mountain. So take advantage of Callaway Gardens’ great gift to us in some rough economic times, and make the 90 minute drive down I-85 for a nice peaceful weekend.
