One of the great things about Brian's job is that he gets to travel around the state and sometimes he can take his family along. Woo hoo! But here's a scenario that kept repeating... I'd find myself sitting in a McDonald's somewhere, trying to keep an eye on Eli at the playground while surfing the poor signal on my iPhone to find some worthwhile local fun. Quite often I'd be in an area that was familiar from growing up in Georgia or all the travel I did for work before I got married. But what was the name of that great restaurant or museum? What was the address of that park with the lovely nature walk?
After our trip to Jekyll Island last month, I'd had enough. The weather was inhospitable and all the fun places I knew about were outdoors, sending me scrambling for new ideas. I used to work in the Public Services department of a large archives and one of my tasks was to put together lists of local amenities and fun spots. That's what I needed now! When I got home I dug out folders of travel brochures but also sifted through old journal entries and the web. I made lists of nature places, indoor fun spots, sites of historic or cultural interest, favorite stores, etc. I included eateries that are favorites or were highly recommended and emailed friends for additional ideas. Each entry has an address, phone number, and web url. I worked all day. When I was done, I had lists for my hometown, Atlanta, North Georgia, South Georgia, the Georgia coast, Savannah, and Chattanooga.
I printed up my lists and organized them in two accordion files -- one for my car and one for my husband's. I added some maps and brochures. Voila! I'm now prepared for adventure when we're traveling or even to help us brainstorm ideas for fun if we're sitting at home bored. All I need is my accordion file, a phone to check on business hours, and my GPS.
I'm thankful for the friends who gave ideas or recommendations! And I'm willing to share. If you have kiddos in your life and would like a copy of one of the lists, send me an email or Facebook message (with your email address). If you see the list and see that I've missed something good, please share!
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