It's fall break around Atlanta. That means lighter traffic and quiet neighborhoods as families take off for a long weekend in the mountains or along the coast. If you stayed home with the kids because of your job or simply didn't want the hassle of packing up for a short trip, there are many staycation options to keep your youngsters entertained -- and your nerves intact.
Apple picking at Mercier Orchards and downtown Blue Ridge
What could be more quintessentially fall than apple picking in the North Georgia mountains? Grab the camera and head to Mercier Orchards in beautiful Blue Ridge for a day of memory-making. Due to last weekend's washout, Mercier has extended its U-pick days over the holiday weekend, so take in those breathtaking mountain views from the orchard Friday through Monday. Make sure to hit the orchard store for cider, fried pies and those addictive cider doughnuts before you leave.
Your family has worked up an appetite after all of that apple picking. Although the store has a cafe, long lines and waits for tables are almost certain this time of year. So take your personal harvesting team down the road to the quaint center of town for dining and shopping. Whether it's a quick lunch of sandwiches and treats at Blue Ridge Grocery or a dinner of fresh, seasonal fare at Harvest on Main, no one will go hungry. Afterward, head over to Huck's General Store, where barrels of candy, toys and games will serve as sufficient payment for a hard day's work — and good behavior.
Tellus Museum and the Etowah Indian Mounds
If you're looking for something fun and educational that will completely wipe out your kids, this day trip should do the trick. Start the day off with indoor amusement at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville. Check out the mineral and fossil galleries with their large quartz and T-Rex displays. Then get revved up for the science-in-motion exhibit and learn about everything from the first flight at Kitty Hawk to the first manned ships to zoom away from Earth. Finish up with gem mining and fossil digging before hitting the Tellus Cafe for lunch.
It's still early in the day. Your kids are full of beans. What do you do? Just south of the museum on I-75 lies an archaic land with a storied past. The Etowah Indian Burial Mounds is a 54-acre historic site, which served as home base to thousands of Native Americans from roughly 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D. It consists of earthen mounds, a village and borrow pits, and it is said to be the most "intact Mississippian culture site in the Southeast." The site of that magnificent mound rising up from the flat land is awe-inspiring — even for the youngest in your party — not to mention a great place to let the kids run off all of that energy while you explore Georgia's ancient past.
Delta Flight Museum
Can't travel out of town over the holiday weekend? Take the kids to the Delta Flight Museum and explore the world of aviation. Learn about the history of Delta and flight while investigating restored planes such as the Waco 125 biplane. Kids can take part in a scavenger hunt through the exhibits, or they can run down a Boeing 767 checklist and earn their wings. If you suffer from wanderlust or your kids are just really into airplanes, this museum is your family's ticket to sky-high fun.
Robots Day at Fernbank Museum
Leave it to Fernbank to come up with new, exciting programs for kids to learn about technology, science and history. Get ready for a robot invasion in the Great Hall with programs such as mini-robots, printable 3-D robots, drones, robot claws, Frisbee-throwing robots and K'nex activities. When you're done exploring the bionic possibilities, head over to the IMAX theater for the 40-minute National Geographic film "Robots" and learn how robotic's innovative technology is continually changing.
A Celebricktion
Do you have the next Frank Lloyd Wright on your hands? Does your little person build amazing structures out of tiny, hard plastic pieces and parts? Here's an entire weekend dedicated to LEGOs, master builders, games, competitions and free builds. It's a LEGO fanatic's dream world — because really, are you ever too old for LEGOs?
Hike, bike, geocache at Arabia Mountain
If your kids crave adventure, but you simply don't have the time to drive the hour-plus to North Georgia, set your sights on Arabia Mountain. Just east of I-285, this 2,000-acre park is teeming with lakes, trails and hidden treasures. Folks of all ages can hike, bike, kayak and do a bit of geocaching. Your family can climb to the top of the tree canopy, hone your archery skills and then camp overnight with Fido in tow.
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