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DAY TRIPS: GREAT ADVENTURES CLOSE TO HOME FOR SPRING BREAK FUN!

By Becky Samford, Publisher Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, Johns Creek & Peachtree Corners Macaroni Kid March 27, 2023

THE ART BARN 
- Experience what  farm life is all about. From gathering farm fresh eggs, peeking into the gardens, to the beautiful sounds of the barnyard symphony... roosters crowing, cows mooing while donkeys and horses belt out some equine melodies, the farm offers many fun learning opportunities. Come create a memory. Register HERE for a Family Play Date on Tuesday, Wednesday or Fridays from 10am-12pm.
208 Roper Road, Canton, GA 30115

BABYLAND GENERAL HOSPITAL-  Pack the ‘Kids™ up for a trip to the new BabyLand General® Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia, voted one of the Travel Channel’s Top Ten Toylands. Beautifully situated in the North Georgia Mountains, this Southern Style home filled with Cabbage Patch Kids will capture the imagination of your entire family. FREE ADMISSION.
300 N.O.K. Drive, Cleveland, GA 30528

BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM  - This 120,000 square foot Museum houses the largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the country. Galleries feature contemporary Western American art, historic Western art, Civil War art, Presidential portraits and letters, Western movie posters, and Western illustration. Sagebrush Ranch is an interactive gallery where children of all ages can learn about art and Western America. 
501 N Museum Dr., Cartersville, GA 30120

CALLAWAY GARDENS - Enjoy a morning stroll through thousands of azaleas, an afternoon spent hiking or biking through miles of peaceful trails, soaring through the trees on a zip line, meeting magnificent Birds of Prey or visiting the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, where 1,000 or more butterflies flutter freely about in one of North America’s largest tropical butterfly conservatories.
17800 US Hwy 27, Pine Mountain, GA 31822

COCA-COLA SPACE SCIENCE CENTER, Columbus, GA- This state of the art facility houses the Challenger Learning Center, the 360 degree, 110 seat Omnisphere Planetarium, where you can experience a trip through the universe and the Mead Observatory. Visit the Plaza area for many interactive exhibits and displays such as:
  • Magic Planet : An interactive touch screen display that allows you to project the surface of any of the Solar System’s planets or moons onto a 24 inch spherical projection screen. 
  • Mars Rovers: Patrons will get the feel and excitement of maneuvering the Rovers on the Planet Mars.
  • Spitzer Infrared Telescope Exhibit: Experience the wonder of infrared light in this interactive exhibit. This exhibit will also explore the wondrous findings of the Spitzer Infrared Telescope.
  • The Weather Station: Act like a real weatherman as you get to experience “presenting” the local weather in front of a chromakey screen. Information on Tornadoes, Clouds, The Atmosphere and weather terminology.
  • The Wave Machine: Learn how waves are created as patrons get to see in real time how waves are formed.
  • Milestones in Space Exploration: This interactive exhibit shows the patron the critical events in space exploration.
  • Viewspace: Step to the back of the center and be mesmerized by the latest information transpiring throughout the universe. Provided by the Hubble Space Institute, this program provides the patron with snapshots of the latest and best news from the world of Astronomy.
  • Cyber Fighters: These linked flight simulators will give the patron the feel for real flight as they maneuver against others in this realistic simulator.
  • The Space Shuttle Landing Simulator: This will give visitors the sights and sounds of a real landing at the Kennedy Space Center. Mission Control will feed the “Pilot” information as he gets closer and closer to the actual touchdown.
  • The Gemini Rendezvous and Docking Simulator: This simulator gives visitors the thrill of rendezvous and docking their Gemini space craft with the Agena Target vehicle.
701 Front Ave., Columbus, GA 31901    Phone: 706.649.1470  Closed on Sundays

DAHLONEGA, GA
- Though you may not strike it rich, in most cases the wealth is in the experience! 
See 8 THINGS YOUR KIDS WOULD LOVE TO DO IN DAHLONEGA 
Dahlonega CVB, 13 South Park Street, Dahlonega, GA 30533

TREETOP QUEST - Located on the Gwinnett Environmental Heritage Center grounds, you can soar, zip, climb, crawl and swing through the most unique and exhilarating eco-adventure course of its kind in Georgia! Treetop Quest features zip lines, monkey bridges, Tarzan swings and flying foxes at heights of up to 55 feet off the forest floor!

HELEN, GA  - Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River, Helen is a re-creation of an alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers. Featuring shopping, camping, mountain cabins, restaurants, bed and breakfast inns, beautiful scenery, family activities, waterfalls, museums, history,  fishing, tubing, golf, zip lines, white-water rafting and more. Something for every member of the family.
Helen CVB, 726 Bruckenstrasse, Helen, GA 30545

NORTH GEORGIA ZOO & PETTING FARM - The animals we exhibit here serve as ambassadors for their wild cousins and help educate on a variety of species of animals.. From reclusive reptiles to friendly farm animals to carnivores.  The species here at North Georgia Zoo educate visitors and help zoo scientists protect wildlife and hoofstock around the world. Open April 1-9, 10am -4pm.
2912 Paradise Valley Rd., Cleveland, GA 30528

TELLUS SCIENCE MUSEUM- Tellus features four main galleries: The Weinman Mineral Gallery, The Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion and The Collins Family My Big Backyard. A 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope is also located at Tellus. Eye-popping exhibits like an 80 foot-long Apatosaurus and a replica Wright flyer excite and amaze visitors of all ages. Dazzling gems and minerals sparkle and glow alongside interactive exhibits demonstrating how the Earth moves and changes.
100 Tellus Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120

WHITE WATER RAFTING COLUMBUS -Master the longest urban whitewater course in the world! This stretch of the river provides an urban outdoor experience that you won’t find anywhere else on the planet. Choose from mild to wild.
Call 706-321-4720 to book your adventure!

WILD ANIMAL SAFARI  - Wild Animal Safari has over 65 different animal species, adding up to over 650 animals! You will get to see these animals up close from the comfort and safety of your vehicle or one of ours. You'll see lions, tigers, monkeys, giraffes and more. Our websites have more information about what animals each animal park features.
1300 Oak Grove Road, Pine Mountain, GA 31822

YELLOW RIVER GAME RANCH  - Stroll along a mile-long trail on 24 wooded acres and encounter over six hundred highly sociable birds and animals indigenous to the state of Georgia. White-tailed deer, bunnies, buffalo, sheep, kid goats, black bears and a bevy of new-born animals are waiting to be fed, admired and petted on a “nose-to-nose” basis. We specialize in “people-friendly” wildlife.
4525 U.S. 78, Lilburn, GA 30047


If you have a favorite not on the list, please email me at beckys@macaronikid.com and I'll add it!