On the Road Again With Angie

05/14/2023

08/04/2019

Lots of great produce at Osage Farms!

05/04/2017

Plan a trip to Greensboro for the buttermilk pie

It’s a custard pie with a caramelized top and a creamy center. It’s sweeter than it sounds. And it’s worth the drive to Greensboro to get a slice of the delicious Buttermilk Pie from Yesterday Café, the dessert that has been featured in “Southern Living” and was reportedly served to country star Carrie Underwood’s guests when she married at the Ritz-Carlton at Lake Oconee. In fact, the story goes that Underwood ordered 300 of the Southern pies delivered to the resort for her wedding weekend.

A few years ago, I ordered one of the pies and had it shipped to my office. I didn’t plan too well because I wasn’t in town when it was delivered. My sister picked it up for me. She called to tell me she had it and she tried a bite and loved it. Then she sends a text that she ate a piece of the pie. The next message is that half of the pie is gone. Then, she tells me she saved me one piece. I think there may have been one bite left when I got home. It really is that good.

On a recent trip to Greensboro and the Lake Oconee area for the weekend, my first stop was in downtown where I had a piece of the buttermilk pie. It’s a must stop when in Greensboro. While you might go for the pie, you will find so many more reasons to visit.

Another must stop is Genuine Georgia, a shop in downtown that features Georgia made products. Jewelry, pottery and candles are just a few of the hand-crafted items offered.

For history and architecture fans, be sure and stop by the historic jail, known as “Old Gaol,” on East Green Street. The jail is built of granite from a local quarry.

Also in downtown you will find a great use of a historic property at 202 North West Street, where Oconee Brewing Company, recently opened in a 6,000 square foot former mill warehouse. It’s great when historic properties are renovated for a modern use. The back patio is a great space to gather.

We stayed at The National Village Collages, a great place for families to stay on their weekend (or longer) getaway to Greensboro and Lake Oconee. Our cottage’s balcony overlooked the golf course, a wonderful place to sit in the morning and watch the sun come up before heading out to explore or unwind at the end of the day. We had breakfast at The Landing, located on the property, where you can get omelets made to order and a buffet with southern favorites.

While in Greensboro, stop at the Lake Country Discovery Museum, located in BankSouth. It gives a great overview of the area.

You can’t leave the area without getting out on the water. We enjoyed a pontoon boat on the pristine Lake Oconee, catching it from the docks at the Ritz-Carlton. It’s a wonderful feeling to cruise along the lake, checking out the beautiful homes.

It was so relaxing and peaceful being out on the water. It was definitely a highlight of our visit.

Afterwards, we stopped at Gaby’s by the Lake at the Ritz-Carlton for lunch where I found the grilled cheese lobster sandwich to be a delight. Add a side of sweet potato fries and you have a great meal.

The Ritz is a beautiful property. It’s easy to understand why Carrie Underwood rented out the entire hotel for her wedding and wedding party.

White it’s definitely worth the trip to Greensboro and Lake Oconee for the buttermilk pie, there are so many more wonderful reasons to go. The friendly folks who love sharing stories about the area they call home, the unique shopping and other special finds in the downtown area and the water activities that make Lake Oconee a destination are just a few of the reasons to visit.

For more information, go to www.downtowngreensboroga.com and www.visitlakeoconee.com.

Downtown Greensboro Visit Lake Oconee Explore Georgia

12/15/2016

My nephews, Jake and Grayson, slid down the huge hill on inner-tubes with smiles and laughter, while my sister and and I played in the snow nearby and checked out some of the wonderful food offered.

Watching Grayson laugh and dance in the bubbles and then Amanda and Grayson team up against Jake for a snowball fight.

These are just a few of the highlights of our evening out at LanierWorld Winter Adventure 2016, which is bigger and better than ever before.

It all began as a light drive-through attraction 24 years ago and it has grown into a winter wonderland adventure. It’s a wonderful night out for families. Adults and children alike with delight in all of the Christmas cheer and fun at Lake Lanier for the holidays.

We started our winter adventure off with the seven-mile ride through the property to check out the lights.

The 12 Days of Christmas come in life in brightly colored twinkling lights...Snowflakes dance across a bridge...Toy soldiers march alongside the road. …Scenes from the Wizard of Oz.

These are just a few Christmas scenes that will delight visitors to the Magical Night of Lights at Lake Lanier Island.

Children and adults alike will love the displays as they drive through the property. “This is so cool” and “Look” were said over and over by Grayson who laughed and clapped his hands as we drove through Lake Lanier Islands Resort.

After enjoying the lights, we stoped at Santa’s Village where we enjoyed Christmas shopping, carnival rides, holiday shorts on the 5-story screen and marshmallow roasts over a huge bonfire an old-fashioned skating rink.

You can spend hours at the Holiday Village enjoying all that is offered.
A live nativity is offered through Dec. 23 by Crosspointe Church inside the Grand Hall.
We also spent some time at the snow play zone enjoying some winter adventure. Snow play zones, speed slides and skating are offered.

This holiday season, admission to the Magical Lights Tour at Winter Adventure is $45 per car. Advance purchase on the LanierWorld website is $36 per car.

Those who wish to add a little more ‘adventure’ to their Winter Adventure can purchase wristbands for unlimited carnival rides, access to the snow play zones and slides, and bubble skating.

To view hours, check out the entertainment schedule, learn more about holiday packages or purchase passes to Winter Adventure, visit the website,
www.LanierWorld.com or call 678-304-3120.

Lake Lanier Islands LanierWorld

08/26/2016

Exploring Western North Carolina
Scenic views, outdoor adventure, apples all
part of weekend get-away to Hendersonville

A short two-hour drive from North Georgia is Hendersonville, N.C., a charming mountain town with amazing scenic views, plenty of outdoor adventure, apple orchards, boutique shopping, great restaurants and quaint bed and breakfast inns. There is also a thriving cider movement with several businesses offering tastings and special events at their venues, found in the scenic mountain areas and on the streets of the thriving downtown.

Head to downtown first and stop off at the visitor’s center where you will find plenty of brochures, friendly staff to answer your questions, bathrooms and a few souvenirs. Wander around downtown, checking out the unique shops and dining options. Be sure to notice all of the one-of-a-kind bears around town that will be auctioned of Oct. 22 as part of the 14th annual Art Walk.

A must stop in the downtown area is the Curb Market, which has been in place since 1924 and where you will find local produce and hand-made items. I got some great relishes and jellies, as well as fresh vegetables and fruit.

Hendersonville offers a fun Music on Main program in downtown in the evenings. Everyone brings chairs and gathers around the band stage for some great local entertainment. Concessions are offered. It’s a great way to hang out with old friends and make new friends.

We had two meals in the downtown area and both were great. At Mezzaluna, we had a great Italian meal. I started with a Caesar salad and then had the house-made fettuccini with asparagus, pine nuts, crisp pancetta and parmesan cheese. It was delicious!

Another evening, we had one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever had at The Lantern at the Charleston Inn, which is a bed and breakfast. The restaurant is open to the public and Chef Casey is wonderful.

We sampled several of the items on the menu and it’s hard to say which was my favorite. Charleston cheese dip, spicy BBQ shrimp, Louisiana gumbo, crab cakes and shrimp and grits were all delicious. Each dish has something special about it that made it stand out from other recipes. For example, the shrimp and grits were cheesier than others I’ve tried and certainly the best I’ve ever had. This is quite a statement because I have had many shrimp and grit dishes. Then, the crab cakes had lots of flaky crab in them. Much better than other crab cakes that are more bread than crab. We ended the meal with pecan pie in a small Mason jar with vanilla ice cream on top and it was a sweet ending to a wonderful dining experience.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
For some outdoor fun, head to DuPont State Recreational Forest, located between Hendersonville and Brevard. We hiked to a waterfall and had a picnic lunch, watching people playing in the water and enjoying the scenic surroundings. The 10,473-acre state forest has four major waterfalls on Little River, five lakes and 82 miles of trails and road.

One evening we went to one of the most scenic spots in the Hendersonville area and certainly the most photographed, Jump Off Rock. We went over at sunset and enjoyed the magnificent view, as well as taking a few photos of our own. Located less than 10 minutes from downtown Hendersonville, it has great views of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains. On a clear day, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee are visible from the rock.

Sky Top Orchard is a “u-pick” orchard and we headed out one morning to fill our bags with Early Mac apples. These delicious apples are great for making pies. While at the orchard, be sure to try the apple donuts and fritters, which are delicious.

Henderson County has long been top on the list of apple producers in the state and it now becoming known for its production of hard cider. Cideries in the county are: Bold Rock, Flat Rock Ciderworks and Appalachian Ridge Artisan Ciders.

If you are planning a fall trip to Hendersonville to check out the views and get some apples, you might want to plan your visit around the 70th annual North Carolina Apple Festival. It will be held Sept. 2-5 in downtown Hendersonville and the surrounding area. For more information, check out the website, www.ncapplefestival.org.

A beautiful spot in Hendersonville to stop off or plan a special event is Burnshirt Vineyards. You can have lunch with a group overlooking the vineyards or even plan a special proposal on the grounds.

FLAT ROCK
While visiting Western North Carolina, be sure to spend some time in the lovely town of Flat Rock.

In Flat Rock, you will find the home of Carl Sandburg, known as Connemara, a 246-acre rural estate and Greek revival summerhouse built in 1839 that is now a National Historic Site. The park service superintendent of the property, Tyrone Brandyburg, spoke to us outside the home on the renovation that is under way. In 2018, the 50th anniversary of the home being named a National Park Site will be observed.

Inside the home, education coordinator Ginger Cox gave us a tour of the home of the “Poet of the People.” Sandburg and his family moved to Flat Rock in 1945 and he wrote one-third of his work there in the home that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. His wife raised award-winning goats on the property and sold milk to the community. After his death, she turned the property over to the park service to keep her husband’s legacy alive. Plays are presented in a building in back by apprentices from the Flat Rock Playhouse. You can also walk to the nearby farm yard and see the descendants of those goats Mrs. Sandburg raised.

At the Flat Rock Playhouse, you will find Broadway-style entertainment, where nine shows are presented on main stage each year, as well as four in the downtown location. We saw a hilarious production of “9 to 5” that has a great cast. It’s a nice-sized theater without a bad seat in the house.

Within walking distance to the theater is a great dinner spot, Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, an authentic wood-fire smokehouse that offers casual outdoor dining with free-range chickens running around. The pork plate was great. Be sure to have succotash as a side. Thursday is tamale night and a few in our group had rave reviews for the pork tamales.

MILLS RIVER
In nearby Mills River, we stopped at Sierra Nevada one day for lunch. The duck fries were delicious I could have made a meal off of them. I had a burger too and it was perfect with the fries. Tours and a gift shop are also on the site.

Where to stay: Some options on where to stay while visiting the area are two bed and breakfast inss, The Waverly Inn and The Charleston Inn, both located within walking distance of downtown Hendersonville, and Mountain Inn & Suites in Flat Rock.

To start planning your trip, check out the website at www.VisitHendersonvilleNC.org. The toll-free phone number is 1-800-828-4244.

05/18/2016

On the road with Angie.....

Where am I?

First one to guess correctly wins a prize!!

04/22/2016

Escape to Lodge and Spa
at Callaway Gardens for
relaxing, rejuvenating getaway
BY ANGELA GARY

Nestled among beautifully landscaped grounds in Pine Mountain, Georgia, is a wonderful lodge where you can get spa treatments, relax at the pool, enjoy fine dining and stroll through the nearby Callaway Gardens. The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens is a paradise spot where visitors don’t even have to leave the grounds to have a relaxing and rejuvenating get-away.

The lodge is the perfect girlfriend get-away destination for North Georgia residents, as well as also being a great place for families and couples. It’s only a few hours drive away and it offers a great weekend or week-long get-away.

After checking in on a recent Friday night, we headed to the Piedmont Grille, located adjacent to the lobby. The Piedmont Grille offers fine dining with the Friday night seafood buffet being the perfect choice to kick off your visit.

The highlight of the seafood buffet is the amazingly succulent and tender crab legs. We couldn’t stop eating them, although we also managed to try the shrimp and grits, grilled fish, raw oysters and a few more delicacies. The shrimp and grits were the best I’ve ever had with scallops adding a nice touch.

While the seafood buffet was a feast, we managed to save room for dessert with the offerings including bread pudding, strawberry shortcake and pecan pie. It was a feast fit for a king (or a queen, in this case).

For a more casual evening, the Ironwood Lounge is also offered near the lobby area. On Saturday night, we enjoyed the local band performing in the lounge. It’s a great place to hang out with friends after your day exploring the area.

The grounds are perfectly landscaped with several waterfalls adding to the peaceful, serene atmosphere. The outdoor fire pit was also popular with groups and couples. You can even order the fixings for smores and enjoy them at the fire pit.

The spa at the lodge an oasis of relaxation, offering wonderfully soothing services that will leave you rejuvenated and relaxed. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. Tamika greeted us at the desk and led us inside where the attendant, Suzy, catered to our every need.

The hot stone massage is a great choice to get rid of all your stress and tension. My massage therapist, Katherine, was wonderful, while my friend said that Samantha was also amazing. We both left the spa with a peaceful smile and feeling very tranquil.
The treatment began with a hot towel being placed on my back and then a soothing foot massage. It was very relaxing and a great way to unwind. With the soothing oils and eucalyptus face mask, I was in bliss. After your treatment, check out the sauna or head to the relaxation room where comfy lounge chairs, a fireplace and snacks make it a wonderful spot to end your spa day.

As for the accommodations, each of the rooms has a private balcony overlooking the grounds. It’s a great place for a cup of coffee in the morning or to unwind at the end of the day and enjoy the sunset. The rooms are spacious and the bedding is so comfortable.

One thing that makes the property stand out is the warm hospitality given by the staff. Every employee you encounter offers a friendly smile and greeting. The front desk staff, gift shop employees, room attendants and restaurant staff all offered top-notch service.

While you may not want to leave the lodge, you should plan to spend some time checking out the nearby Callaway Gardens, where something is always blooming. Touring the gardens, bicycling, boating and fishing, hiking, golfing and a treetop adventure are among the options.

To start planning your trip, go to www.callawaylodgeandspa.com or call the reservation desk at 1-706-489-3300.

The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens

04/17/2016

Fun for everyone at Stone Mountain Park
BY ANGELA GARY

My 8-year-old nephew’s favorite part of the day at Stone Mountain Park was the stop in the farm yard. He loved petting the goat and sheep and exploring the farm and barns.

As for the 14-year-old, his favorite part of the day was the sky ride up to the top of Stone Mountain, where we had amazing views of the city and the countryside. Visitors can take a ride on the high-speed cable car as they soar 825 feet in the air for great views as you head high atop the mountain. From the top, you see views from as far away as 60 miles on a clear day.

My sister and I both had a blast on the Duck Boat Ride, where we joined the kids in “quacking” on the whistles they hand out as you board. You will take to the land and water in the exciting “Ride the Ducks” experience. You will climb aboard a 1945 era Army vehicle for a real adventure, as well as some fun facts about the park. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed getting out on the water and hearing the history of the former military vehicles that served as our transportation.

Stone Mountain Park is a treasure filled with something for everyone in the family. It’s also great that it’s only an hour’s drive away. We plan a trip each spring and always find something new to explore, as well as checking out some of the favorites that we have been enjoying since we were children.

One activity that we all enjoy is climbing aboard a 1940s train with open cars for a five-mile journey around the mountain. It’s a great way to experience the fresh mountain air and lovely scenic views.
Stone Mountain Park is Georgia’s most visited attraction, drawing nearly four million visitors each year. The activities listed above are just a few offered at the park. With over 3,200 acres of natural beauty, the park is a unique and fun destination where families and friends can enjoy the outdoors together, while experiencing an exciting variety of attractions, entertainment and recreation.

Stone Mountain is a great day trip that is an easy drive from this area of Northeast Georgia. There is also so much to do, that you could easily spend several days at the park. For those who want to spend more than a day at Stone Mountain Park, a campground and two hotels are offered.

Stone Mountain Park is located off of exit eight on Highway 78.

For more information on the park, call 800-401-2407 or visit the website at www.stonemountainpark.com.

Stone Mountain Park

Buy a full price Adventure Pass online and get a FREE meal and unlimited drink refills! Includes access to all of your favorite attractions.

03/31/2016

‘Kinky Boots’ to be presented through April 3

Kinky Boots, the smash-hit musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Tony Award-winner for Best Score for Kinky Boots), will be presented at the Fox Theatre through April 3 as part of the 2015/2016 Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta series.

Tickets start at $33.50 and are available at by visiting www.FoxTheatre.org, calling 1-855-285-8499 or visiting the Fox Theatre Box Office (660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308). Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000. For more information on tickets, visit www.BroadwayInAtlanta.com.

You don’t want to miss this one. Everything is wonderful--from the amazing musical numbers, to the fantastic cast, to the elaborate costumes and those red high-heeled boots. At the end, you will find yourself on your feet dancing along and wondering if you should invest in a pair of red high-heel boots. I have to admit to briefly wondering if I could walk in them and whether they would be appropriate for the office.

Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

Kinky Boots took home six 2013 Tony Awards, the most of any show in the season, including Best Musical, Best Score (Cyndi Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus) and Best Sound Design (John Shivers). The show also received the Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Broadway.com Awards for Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album, along with many other accolades.

BRAVE PR



Broadway In Atlanta

03/17/2016

Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS at
Atlantic Station through May 8

Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities is being presented at Atlantic Station through May 8.

Cabinets of curiosities are the ancestors of museums, also known as cabinet of wonder in the Renaissance Europe. Aristocrats, members of the merchant class and early practitioners of science formed collections of historical relics, works of art or mysterious travel souvenirs or artifacts.

KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities is Cirque du Soleil’s 35th production since 1984. The production has a cast of 46 artists from 15 different countries. About 60 percent of the artists have worked with Cirque du Soleil before.

Some interesting facts about the production:

•To make the Accordion Man’s attire, the costume-maker spent an entire week sewing inside the costume.

•Antanina Satsura, the artist who plays Mini Lili, is 3.2 feet tall and weighs 39 pounds. She is one of the 10 smallest people in the world.

•The mechanical hand weighs 750 pounds and measures 15 feet by 6.8 feet.

•More than a hundred costumes were created to dress the cast of KURIOS.

•There are 426 props in the show, the most of any production in Cirque du Soleil’s history.

•Some 65 trucks transport close to 2,000 tons of equipment for KURIOS™ – Cabinet of Curiosities.

•The 116 tour members come from 22 different countries. Some have been touring with Cirque du Soleil for more than 20 years.

•This is the first time that Cirque du Soleil presents a welcoming act on top of the big top before the show starts. When weather permits, three artists climb up the big top and greet the guests from above while playing music and acting. Guests get a taste of the KURIOS experience as soon as they enter the site.

•It took the team of props makers approximately 250 hours to build Mr. Microcosmos’ round belly.

•All performers are responsible for applying their own make-up every show, which can take them between 40 minutes to two hours.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.cirquedusoleil.com/kurios.



Cirque du Soleil

KURIOS by Cirque du Soleil

Turn your world upside down with KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities. Discover this unbelievable Cirque du Soleil show!

12/30/2015

Find out the stories behind the
songs at legendary Bluebird Cafe

It’s about the songs. It’s about the stories behind the songs. It’s about the friendships of the people who brought the stories to life through song.

The legendary Bluebird Café, which has become even more famous since being featured on ABC’s television series, “Nashville,” is not your typical concert venue or music club. It’s a listening room where songwriters sit in a circle, surrounded by tables and chairs with guests who are there to really listen to the words of the songs and the stories behind them from the people who write them. The “shhhh” policy is enforced and people are quiet, actually listening to the music from the songwriters.
It’s a very intimate setting with less than 100 seats open for each show. The seats are in old church pews and a scattering of tables and chairs surrounding the featured songwriters, who sit in a circle and take turns singing their songs.

On a recent Thursday night, the featured songwriters for the 9 p.m. show included Alan Rhody, Wood Newton, Aaron Barker and Rafe Van Hoy, who have written songs for George Strait, the Oak Ridge Boys, Lonestar and Tanya Tucker, among others.

It’s a special experience to hear the songwriters sing the songs they wrote and tell you what led them to write the songs.

One of the stories Rafe Van Hoy shared was the first hit song he wrote, “Golden Wedding Ring,” which George Jones and Tammy Wynette made famous. He said it was a story of “extreme luck” as it became a number one hit only four months after he wrote it. Before singing it, Van Hoy said: “Thank you, George and Tammy…Thank you ‘Golden Ring…”

Wood Newton wrote several songs for the Oak Ridge Boys, including their most well-known hit, “Bobbie Sue.” Before singing it, Newton shared, “They still close their show with this every night.” Wood also introduced Karen Waldrup and invited her to join the circle to sing a song he wrote with her.

Aaron Barker wrote “Baby Blue,” a hit for George Strait, and he told how it introduced him to the world of song-writing. “This one changed my life,” he said. “It got me to Nashville. It introduced me to a wonderful community of songwriters. I got it all for a song—basically, this one.” He shared a funny story of how he took the check he received in the mail for the song and showed it to his step-dad, who said, “I get those too. You never win.” Barker laughed, “You can’t make this stuff up,” as he began strumming on his guitar and then sang the song.

Barker also wrote Love Without End, Amen,” which was also a number one hit for George Strait. Before singing it, Barker said, “I wrote this song for my boy. I was 17 when he was born. I thought, ‘This is cool. We’ll grow up together.’ This is a song about when that all came to an end and I realized I needed to be a dad. My question was, ‘how can you be that mad at someone and still love them?’ This song is my answer to that.”

Alan Rhody shared “Somebody to Care,” a song he wrote for Tanya Tucker that was never a single. Thirty years later, he recorded it for his own CD.

At the end of the show, Barker told the crowd, “Come back. The Bluebird is always here and it’s always good.” After the show, the crowd visited with the guests, taking photos and talking more about their songs.

An evening at the Bluebird Café is a celebration of songs. Make sure to make it a part of your visit to Nashville, Tenn. While it used to be Nashville’s best-kept secret, it is now the hottest ticket in town. You have to plan ahead by going on the website as soon as the tickets go on sale (usually one week before the show).

While it used to take a few days to sell out the 90 seats, they often go in just minutes now. If you aren’t lucky enough to get reservations, show up the night of the show and wait in line to possibly get a seat in one of the unreserved seats.

The Bluebird Café is located at 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville. For tickets or more information, check out the website at www.bluebirdcafe.com.

The Bluebird Cafe

12/09/2015

Lanier Islands offers a winter wonderland
BY ANGELA GARY

Visitors to Lanier Islands can experience a winter wonderland where they can build a snowman, go sledding and have a fun snow ball fight with friends and family.

This year, the new Winter Adventure offers a snow-packed winter get-away that is a perfect outing for a family. Adults and children alike will find plenty of thrills and snow-fun activities.

On a recent visit, my older nephew was zooming down slides on sleds and snow tubes, while the younger nephew was playing in the snow and bubbles.

We also enjoyed two exciting new attractions you won't find anywhere else around: Bubble Skating and Knockerball. In the Bubble Skating rink, you can glide across the synthetic rink while having a bubble party. At the Knockerball court at Sunset Cove, you can experience a crazy game where players each wear a giant inflatable ball.

Winter Adventure visitors will enjoy the most prominent new addition of all, set high atop Big Beach - the Spectacular Screen. The Winter Adventure programming for this new 46’x 80’ high definition digital screen has been produced for maximum entertainment – complete with a fantastic sound system and seating on the beach area. The program includes traditional holiday shorts, family fun, music and all sorts of Christmas and adventure experiences. Nearby, vendors offer everything from hotdogs and hot cocoa to pizza and popcorn.

While our time in Winter Adventure was a highlight of our visit, we also loved the annual Night of Lights. After we spent hours enjoying all of the new winter adventures, we all loaded up in the car and drove along the lake and through the countryside surrounded by thousands of sparking lights and Christmas scenes. You will be delighted with falling snowflakes, marching toy soldiers, the Wizard of Oz characters, a train and many more displays.

To enhance the Magical Nights of Lights even further this year, a new app has been created that turns each in-car experience into an evening of Christmas fun. Trigger points throughout the drive will engage guests with music and a custom story for each light display section. Also included within the app are family car game suggestions, special coupon offers, a map of the islands and more. To download the app prior to your arrival at the Islands, guests can visit the App Store or Google Play and search ‘Lanier Islands: Magical Nights of Lights.’”

During your visit, also be sure to spend some time the Holiday Village to shop, get a photo made with Santa, hop on the carnival rides and roast marshmallows at the fire pits. The carnival area features rides for the more adventurous ones in your group, as well as some kiddie rides.

The Magical Night of Lights and Winter Adventure at Lanier Islands is a wonderful night out for families and friends. You will delight in all of the Christmas cheer and fun at Lanier Islands for the holidays.

Members of military (active duty/veteran) and law enforcement who show valid id at the gate receive free admission.

For more information, tickets and pricing, go to www.lanierislands.com.

Lanier Islands