Thursday, August 17, 2017

Summer 2017 Wrap-Up

The kids are back in school, which means the summer is officially at its end. I hope you all had a wonderful summer, I know I did! Summer 2017 was great for me, as it provided me several opportunities to travel and spend time with family. Here are a few of my summer adventures: 

Memorial Day in Milledgeville, GA
I met up with my beautiful cousins for a girl's trip over Memorial Day Weekend! We toured the campus of Georgia College (stunning campus, makes me wanna go back to school!), then we headed over to Andalusia, the home of Flannery O'Connor. This breath-taking farmhouse was converted into a museum and gift shop. The farm also has a few hiking trails, barns, and a flock of peacocks! We had a lovely time!
Lovely old barn at Andalusia. 


Georgia College, home of the Bobcats!
We wrapped up our weekend with a visit to the spooky, abandoned Central State Hospital. Closed in the early 90s, there are over 200 buildings just sitting there, empty and decaying. Why haven't the paranormal shows checked this place out? It definitely looks and feels haunted! Check out these creepy photos:

Entrance to Central State Hospital. This is where former patients would be checked in. 




Grayton Beach, FL
In June, I went with my husband and his family to Grayton Beach. Located between Panama City Beach and Destin, this beach is the perfect spot for a quiet getaway. There are tons of shops nearby (heads up, they are pricey), as well as several food trucks. Bike rentals are available, and there are plenty of sidewalks to ride on! The highlight of our trip was eating at Hurricane Oyster Bar, which we visited twice! The Crab Cake Po'Boy was to DIE FOR! We also made a trip to Eden Gardens State Park, which is a beautiful park located on the beach about 15 or 20 minutes from where we were staying. Overall, I still like Panama City best, but this was a great beach if you are looking for a smaller place to stay. 


Callaway Gardens
For my final summer trip, my mom and I went to Callaway Gardens at the end of July. If you have never been to Callaway Gardens, you have missed out on a treat! There are over 10 miles of walking and biking trails, zip lines, shows, gift shops, restaurants, and more. We caught the "Birds of Prey" show, which was fantastic. Then, we rented bikes and rode on the trails for about three and a half hours, and STILL didn't visit everything! I can't wait to go back and hope to make a return trip in the fall. While you are there, be sure to check out the Butterfly Garden and eat at The Country Kitchen located inside the Callaway Gardens Country Store! 



Thank y'all for reading! Be sure to follow me to get updates on all my newest adventures by entering your email address in the box located on the left! :)