Emerald waters lap the shore as sunbathers stretch out on lounge chairs on the sugar sand beach. The sun beats down with an intensity that has everyone slathering on another layer of SPF 30.

A scene from the Florida Gulf Coast? No way. The ocean is several hundred miles away — and pines, not palms, are swaying in the breeze.

PAULA CROUCH THRASHER/AJC (ENLARGE)
Brightly striped umbrellas say 'summer' at the beach at Lake Lanier Islands.
Photos from Lake Lanier Islands (ENLARGE)
A splashing good time awaits at the water park's Fun Dunker.
(ENLARGE)
LakeHouses offer a homey feel with fireplaces and decks outfitted with grills and hot tubs.
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IF YOU GO • Getting there: Take I-85 north to I-985, then take Exit 8 (Friendship Road/Lake Lanier Island), turn left and travel 4 miles to entrance. • Family Fun Package: From $179 per weekday night or $199 per weekend night at Emerald Pointe Resort or $339 per night at the LakeHouses. Tax and resort fees are additional. Through Sept. 18. 770-945-8787. • Houseboat Package: For up to 10 friends or family members. Includes a choice of a three-night weekday houseboat rental or a two-night weekend houseboat rental starting at $999. Houseboats from Harbor Landing are equipped with a full kitchen, 1 1/2 baths, four private bedrooms, a TV/VCR, living area, gas grill and an upper deck with a water slide and heated spa. Valid through Sept. 30, excluding Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends. Reservations are required. Rentals are from 3 p.m. on first day until noon on last day. Does not include tax, fuel or refundable security deposit. 770-932-7255. • Georgia Wine Package: Available at $275 per couple June 25 and July 30. Includes transporation to the winery for a guided tour, wine tasting, catered lunch and transporation back to Emerald Pointe Resort for a champagne cruise and four-course wine dinner. (The wine dinners alone are $65 and include the pre-dinner cruise; add accommodations at Emerald Pointe for $99.) 678-318-2043. • Beach & Water Park: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays, through Aug. 14. One-day admission: $26.99 (42 inches and over); $16.99 (under 42 inches and age 55 and older); free for age 2 and under. Season passes available. 770-932-7200. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.lakelanierislands.com. • Golf: Golf club rentals available at the pro shop. The Golf Club Grille is a casual bar and restaurant with outdoor dining patio. Tee times, 770-945-8789. • Boating: Rentals are for two, four or eight hours. Sample all-day rates for summer: ski boats, $369; pontoons, $299; deck boats, $439. Houseboat rentals range from $599 for 24 hours Mondays-Thursdays to $1,899 for three weekend nights to $2,399 for six nights. Prices do not include sales tax or fuel. 770-932-7255. • Horseback riding: 45-minute trail ride, $35; 30-minute pony ride, $15; riding lessons, $25 (half-hour), $40 (full hour). 770-932-7233. • Seafood buffet: The Succulent Seafood Buffet is offered at Windows Restaurant on Friday evenings through Sept. 30. The all-you-can-eat buffet features Maine lobster, peel and eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, steamed crab legs, pan-seared tilapia, seafood étouffée, fried shrimp, Louisiana crab cakes, and prime rib, plus side dishes and desserts. $59.95, $20.95 ages 6-12, under 6 free. Plus tax and gratuity. 678-318-2043. • Parking fee: $7 per vehicle; $30 annual pass. • Information: 770-945-8787, 1-800-768-5253; http://www.lakelanierislands.com. 'Dr. Beach' picks Hanalei Bay nation's No. 1 beach  Spring break airfares decreasing

This is North Georgia. Lake Lanier Islands to be precise. And on a lazy Monday before the summer crowds mob the beach and water park, it seemed like a faraway tropical isle. Three rising seniors at East Coweta High School had joined my daughter and me to chill lakeside on their first free Monday of the summer. We were taking a break with the Lake Lanier Islands' Family Fun Package.

Earlier, the girls went thrill-seeking on the Chattahoochee Rapids water slide and romped like kids in the Fun Dunker, with its gushing geysers, misting jets, waterfalls and hand-operated valves.

Later, they hung out at one of the LakeHouses at Lanier, stewed in the hot tub, grilled Bubba burgers and hot dogs on the back deck and watched "Empire Records" on the TV/VCR.

Even a 24-hour vacation can be rejuvenating.

If you haven't the time for a vacation on the coast, a lake getaway 45 minutes north of downtown Atlanta is a great alternative.

And with the Family Fun Package, it's an affordable alternative. The deal, good through Sept. 18, covers a family of five and includes accommodations at Emerald Pointe Resort or the two-bedroom LakeHouses on Lanier, two-day Beach & Waterpark tickets and a full breakfast buffet.

Each of Emerald Pointe's 216 guest rooms offers a private balcony with a view of the lake or terrace facing the woods. The resort has an outdoor swimming pool, walking trails, spa services, Windows Restaurant and the poolside Bullfrog's Bar & Grill.

The nostalgic decor of the 30 wood-frame LakeHouses evokes coastal New England of the 1940s and '50s. Central living areas — with hardwood floors, fieldstone fireplaces and vaulted ceilings — separate the two bedrooms with private baths. Each bedroom has a TV, and there's a TV with VCR in the living room. One bedroom has a king bed; the other, twins. A pullout sofa accommodates two more.

The kitchen and dining area features a microwave, stovetop, refrigerator and dishwasher; and — a boon for families — a washer-dryer. The wooden deck with a heated spa and gas grill affords plenty of privacy — and views of the lake through the trees.

A visit to the 1,100-acre resort can be laid back or as active as you want it to be.

Golfers can hit the links at Emerald Pointe Golf Club, a par 72, 18-hole championship course designed by Joe Lee with 13 holes on the waters of Lake Sidney Lanier. Signature hole No. 2, surrounded by water, is the course's most scenic — and most ambitious. Sightings of deer and native wildlife are common from the tree-lined fairways.

Want to explore Lake Lanier's 38,000 acres? Harbor Landing offers rentals of ski boats, pontoons, deck boats and luxury houseboats. Or saddle up at the Equestrian Center for a scenic trail ride through the forests surrounding the lake. The center also offers horseback riding lessons and pony rides for children younger than 6.

Wine lovers can celebrate the fruit of the vine from Georgia vineyards in June and July as part of the 2005 Wine Tasting Dinner Series. The June 25 dinner will offer wine pairings from Tiger Mountain Vineyard in Rabun County and July 30 will feature wines from Wolf Mountain Vineyard & Winery in Dahlonega.

The wine dinners are preceded by a one-hour cash-bar cruise on the lake in one of the resort's excursion yachts.

It's the perfect transition from fun-filled day to leisurely meal, with wines to complement each course. Because no matter how busy your day, the nights at Lake Lanier Islands are definitely made for kicking back.