This Week's Top Five Destinations:

Friday, May 25, 2012 (better late than never) 1- Chester Frost Park - Hixson (Chattanooga), TN 2- Chattahoochee Bend State Park - Newnan, GA 3- McKinney Campground - Cartersville, GA 4- Ridge Ferry Park - Rome, GA 5- Doll Mountain Campground - Ellijay, GA The weekly "Top 5" is defined by the number of visits for each particular destination page on the PB&J Adventures website. This data does not indicate that these destinations are better, just more searched. Performance data is provided by Google Analytics®.

Tanglewood Farm - Canton, Georgia

Miniature farm animals are so lovable! Tanglewood Farm is located less than and hour north of Atlanta near the town of Canton, Georgia. The two key attractions of this destination are the animals and the atmosphere. The proximity to Atlanta also makes this an easy afternoon trek for many fun seeking families. Admission is $10 to enter the park (as of May 2012) and if you love cute huggable farm animals, it's a fair price. Just inside the entrance of Tanglewood Farms is a nice little picnic area with shade trees, a fort with a tower, and a mechanical bull, all kid-size. Pony rides are also available in this area. It looks like an excellent place to have a birthday party. This is also the location of the first of a series of "green gates" that guide you through your miniature animal adventure maze. The first miniature animals you encounter are the Nigerian Dwarf  goats. The adults can be viewed, and the babies can be petted and held. From there, just follow the green gates. There are miniature Babydoll sheep, turkeys, calves, donkeys, bison, guineas, chickens, alpaca, lambs, rams, horses, and more. If you fall in love with an animal and want to take it home, just ask, it may be for sale. Their website has a whole section on which animals are available, but you'd better bring your checkbook. Miniature animals are usually pretty valuable. The buildings emulate a miniature version of an old wild west frontier town. Kids like it, and it's a perfect disguise for a bunch of old farm buildings and animal habitats. The facility really very clean considering the number of animals they have. We noticed no significant odor problems during our visit. In conclusion, Tanglewood Farms is a worthwhile destination that's pretty convenient. There are many other attractions in the area like Lake Allatoona where you can camp at Red Top Mountain State Park or McKinney campground. It's also just a short drive over to Amicalola Falls State Park, and the goldmining town of Dahlonega where you can pan for gold at Consolidated Goldmine. If panning for gold is what you like, check out Gold n Gem Grubbin' over in Cleveland. Of course, if you go to Cleveland, you might as well visit the alpine village ofHelen. The options are endless Note: When we paid our admission, we had to sign a liability waiver. I can certainly understand this considering the occasional unpredictability of animals. Farm animals are typically pretty docile, but accidents sometimes happen. Watch smaller children, especially around the larger animals. An alpaca kicked John Micah (no damage), and a sheep with horns butted me three times trying to get my attention (I had a pail with bread in it). I suggest leaving the bucket outside the habitat areas.

This Week's Top Five Destinations:

Friday, May 18, 2012 1- Chester Frost Park - Hixson (Chattanooga), TN 2- Ridge Ferry Park - Rome, GA 3- Fall Creek Falls - Pikeville, TN 4- Chattahoochee Bend State Park - Newnan, GA 5- Fort Mountain State Park - Chatsworth, GA This week, one of our favorite destinations is in the top 5. Fort Mountain State Park is an incredible place for camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and so much more. . The weekly "Top 5" is defined by the number of visits for each particular destination page on the PB&J Adventures website. This data does not indicate that these destinations are better, just more searched. Performance data is provided by Google Analytics®.

This Week's Top Five Destinations:

Friday, May 11, 2012 1- Chester Frost Park - Hixson (Chattanooga), TN 2- Ridge Ferry Park - Rome, GA 3- Doll Mountain Campground, Ellijay, GA 4- Chattahoochee Bend State Park - Newnan, GA 5- Lake Allatoona - Cartersville, GA #1 Chester Frost is no surprise, but we think it's awesome Ridge Ferry Park is in the #2 position. The searches are probably a result of the big  Roman Roast on the River event. We love Ridge Ferry Park for the bike path, the river, awesome playgrounds, and much more!   The weekly "Top 5" is defined by the number of visits for each particular destination page on the PB&J Adventures website. This data does not indicate that these destinations are better, just more searched. Performance data is provided by Google Analytics®.

Rocky Mountain Recreation Area - Armuchee Georgia

Peace, quiet, fishing.  -  More

Rocky Mountain Recreation Area is located off the beaten path in Northwest Georgia near Armuchee (pronounced ar-mer-chee). The 5,000 acre park is the product of a partnership between Oglethorpe Power and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Rocky Mountain Recreation Area is a wonderful local resource that is almost free ($5 parking fee) for the public to use. There are two lakes, a beach, a playground, and a beautiful campground with water and electricity.

The campground is filled with tall hardwoods and pines that go right down to the edge of the water. As can be expected lakeside camping sites are not very level (typical for lakeside campsites), but they are large and shady. Non-lakeside campsites seem much more level. One of the best things about Rocky Mountain Recreation Area is the ability to pull your fishing boat (or canoe or kayak) right up to you campsite. You have to make sure to secure your watercraft though because water levels fluctuate based on electricity demand. Water is pumped into a reservoir on top of the mountain during low-demand times, then released to generate electricity as the demand increases. It's like a battery.

The fresh lake water provides more than just electricity, it's also a cool refuge from the heat of the day. The beach is big and sandy, and the water is cool and refreshing. The park's beach is pretty popular with the locals, so it can be just a little crowded on holidays and weekends. Fishing is another way to enjoy the lake, and fishing is great here. Antioch lake is known for largemouth bass and sunfish, but there are plenty more species than that in the lake. Rocky Mountain Recreation area's second body of water is Heath Lake. Heath Lake is open the first ten days of each month.

 
Rocky Mountain Recreation Area is a great place to get away and relax. All activities here lend themselves to peace and quiet. If you want some additional adventure, the park is planted in one of the best areas for adventure. It's near Rome, Taylors Ridge, James H Floyd State Park, Ridge Ferry Park, the Chieftains' Museum, Cave Spring, Cedar Creek Park, Rome Braves Baseball, the Heritage Park Bike Path, and so much more. This is one of our all-time favorite areas in north Georgia.

Click here for pictures and details about Rocky Mountain Recreation Area.