Living in an urban area or the suburbs can leave you dreaming of a vacation that’s low key and lets your family discover nature. Lake Allatoona sits just north of Atlanta, Georgia in one of the suburbs. It offers your family the chance to relax and enjoy a slower pace with all the excitement of a big city just a short drive away. Complete your family adventure with this list of Lake Allatoona vacation rentals and find out how you could make the most out of it with the activities we recommend you below.
1. Sailing
Round up the kids and head out on the lake for a day of boating and sailing. Make sure to pack the sunscreen and camera so you can capture all the priceless memories on film. You can launch your own boat from one of the ramps or rent a boat for the day.
2. Gibbs Garden
Explore the exotic with your family at Gibbs Garden that features the AmericaÂ’s largest Japanese Gardens. Located in Ball Ground, this lush hideaway is just a short distance from the lake. Covering 300 acres, this garden offers four distinct areas: the Japanese gardens, the water lilies gardens, the daffodil gardens and the manor house gardens.
3. Fishing
Most of the lakefront is privately owned so you need to rent a home with a dock or lakefront property if you want to fish from the bank. However, there are several companies that offer guided fishing for the day or an afternoon. You can also rent a boat and explore the best fishing holes yourself.
4. Booth Western Art Museum
In Cartersville, your family can enjoy an afternoon discovering western art. Explore the artists who made the west their subject with the variety of 20th and 21st-century art on display. After wandering through the various exhibits, you can view an informational film at one of the two galleries or enjoy an afternoon snack at the cafe.
5. Hiking
Put on your boots and spend a day hiking at one of the many local and state parks. Before heading out for a day of hiking, make sure all of your family members have on good shoes and pack extra water in your backpack. Don’t forget to take a camera to capture photos of all the wildlife.
6. Tellus Science Museum
On a rainy day, load the family in the car for a short ride over to Cartersville and the Tellus Science Museum. This museum offers more than 120,000 square feet of exhibit space. For the younger family members, the museum has the Collins Family My Big Backyard play area where kids can learn science from a hands-on approach.
7. Swimming
Several of the area and state parks offer small beach areas where you and the kids can swim and splash in the water. There is a small fee to enjoy most of these areas. If you own a boat, you can also drop anchor and swim in the deeper areas. Make sure to have life jackets for younger children.
8. Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site
Spend a couple of hours learning more about the Americas during a time before European settlers found the area. This Native American site sits a short distance from the lake in Cartersville. It features six earthen mounds, village area, plaza and defensive pits. It only takes a couple of hours to explore the area so you can visit after a morning on the lake.
9. Picnic
Nothing is more relaxing than a slow-paced picnic lunch with the family. Several of the local and state parks around the lake offer picnic areas. Find one with picnic tables or toss a blanket down on the ground. You can pack a basket with simple sandwiches or pick up a bucket of fried chicken and all the fixings on the way to the picnic.
10. Rose Lawn Museum
Spend an afternoon exploring a restored Victorian mansion in nearby Cartersville. This beautiful, stately home once belonged to evangelist Samuel Porter Jones. Inside the museum, you can enjoy memorabilia and writings from Rebecca Latimer Felton who was the first woman to serve in the United States senate. The history lovers in your group won’t want to leave.