Celebrate fall @ Poppell Farms in Odum Ga. which opens Sept. 30 2023 for fall weekends through Oct. 29 2023.
General Admission Includes: Tractor-Drawn Wagon Hayride Ride (Last hayride runs at 4PM) Pumpkin Patch Corn Maze Lots of Photo Props GIANT Jumping Pad Hay Jump Goat Walk Petting Zoo Farmer Brown’s Playground Cow Train And MORE!
Poppell Farms will open September 30 2023 for fall weekends through October. Enjoy giant bubbles, animals at their petting zoo, apple-cider slushies, pumpkin hunting.
The annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival – which will be Fri & Sat Oct. 6 & 7 2023 – features a Run Forrest Run 5K, a charity shrimp race with rubber shrimp, unique shrimp dishes, live entertainment, arts & craft market & more.
The Beaufort Shrimp Festival is @ the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort SC
In celebration of the October release of Reba’s upcoming lifestyle book Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots and companion album Not That Fancy, Poppell Farms honored the long-time legend in their 10-acre maze.
Poppell Farms in Odum Ga. will open Sept. 30 2023 for fall weekends through October. Enjoy giant bubbles, animals at their petting zoo, apple-cider slushies, pumpkin hunting.
Getting ready for opening day Holiday Farms Great Pumpkin Patch in Ridgeland SC. Dates/Hours: Sept. 30-Oct. 29 2023 Thursday-Saturday 9-6 and Sunday 12-6
CLOSED Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
Military Appreciation Day ~ Sat. Oct. 7. Admission is half price on this one day only for those with valid military ID and their immediate family. Please make plans to come spend the day with us!
Holiday Farms will be open to the public Sept. 30-Oct. 29 2023, Thursday-Saturday 9AM-6PM and Sunday 12-6PM.
Military Appreciation Day ~ Sat. Oct. 7 2023. This is a favorite day on the farm…honoring those that serve to protect our country. Admission is half price on this one day only for those with valid military ID and their immediate family.
Holiday Farms features a pumpkin patch, hayride, barnyard animals plus: Duck Races, Haytona Speedway, Corn Grinding, Steer Roping, Cow Milking, Corn Maze, Barrel Car Rides, Jump Pad & more.
Who’s ready for some haystack-jumping, wagon-riding, pumpkin-patch picking fall fun?
We are. We’re thrilled to partner with fall favorite Poppell Farms in Odum Ga. again this year to celebrate their beloved pumpkin patch farm – complete with corn maze, hayrides, crop-hoppers, farm games & more.
Poppell Farms will open September 30 2023 for fall weekends through October. Enjoy giant bubbles, animals at their petting zoo, apple-cider slushies, pumpkin hunting.
We’re still swooning from our summer visit to Greenville SC & simple hikes in Blue Ridge Mountains as well as ones closer to Greenville.
Here are our favorite kid-friendly spots:
*Sam Knob Loop, a meadow-laden hiking loop in the Pisgah Ranger District. Turn onto Black Balsam Knob Road (Mile Marker 420 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) go until you reach a dead end and park at the parking lot. You’ll see the Sam Knob trail to the right of the public bathrooms. From there, it’s 1.8 miles to the summit of the 6050 foot Sam Knob.
*Black Balsam Knob Take the Art Loeb Trail a half mile until you reach the knob. The parking area for Black Balsam Knob is at mile marker 420.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
*Tennant Mtn Combine the above Black Balsam Knob hike with a climb up Tennant Mountain for even better Blue Ridge views.
*After any of those above hikes, head south on the Blue RIdge Parkway to eat & savor even more views @ The Pisgah Inn.
* Three waterfalls hike in DuPont State Recreational Forest near Cedar Mountain including to High Falls, Triple Falls & Hooker Falls ( kid-friendly trails with restrooms at the DuPont State Forest Visitor Center. picnic tables )
See our Ode to Greenville SC reel here& ode to Blue Ridge Mountain hikes here.
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Posted in Family Vacations, Hikes, Travel/Weekend Outings | Comments Off on Family Travel: Things to do with kids in Greenville SC & kid-friendly hikes in Blue Ridge Mountains & DuPont State Forest
You don’t have to travel far from Savannah to find a prime family-friendly vacation. Hilton Head Island is teeming with fun ways to entertain the kids.
SEE SOUTHERNMAMAS.COM LATEST HILTON HEAD REEL HERE.
Hilton Head Island’s beaches are the No. 1 way. You can bike on this beach. You can play in the tidal pools at low-tide. Swim. Sand castles. Ride the waves.
FOR MORE KID-FRIENDLY LOCAL ACTIVITIES, VISIT THE SOUTHERNMAMAS.COM EVENT CALENDAR HERE.
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Bicycling on Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island offers over 50 miles of public bicycle pathways and nature trails. The hard-packed beaches are also popular for bicycling at low tide.
Also bike the self-guided Legacy Oak Program tour, which consists of 20 landmark Live Oak trees in Sea Pines Resort which range in age from 100 to 320 years in 15 locations. Each designated tree is on an easily accessible public property. Most are identified with a wooden bench engraved with the name of the tree, its estimated birth year and the program logo. Learn more here & download a pamphlet and trail map highlighting the history, location, size and age of each of the Sea Pines Legacy Oaks.
The park off Pope Avenue near the Coligny Beach parking lot and Coligny Beach Park features: *The Adventure Playground, named after the ship Captain William Hilton was on when he discovered Hilton Head Island. It features a reimagined design of the ship, playground, wading pool/splash pad and more. The ship includes: cannons that spray a light mist, crow’s nests, swing bridges, port holes, rope nets, periscopes. *An open pavilion and lawn for events. *A perimeter walk *Two fitness stations *Wi-Fi *Public restrooms
Take a free, self-guided tour of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park. Established in 1862 on Hilton Head Island, Mitchelville is the first place in the United States where African Americans, out of slavery but not yet citizens, self-governed. This first self-governed town of freed slaves is commemorated in the historic site of Mitchelville Freedom Park on Beach City Road. Learn more here
A mere hour drive from Savannah, Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is an easy getaway from Savannah to bike amid nature on 14 miles of hiking and biking trails. The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset daily. (Not located on Hilton Head Is. but between HHI and Bluffton)
The free animal farm includes goats, sheep, chickens, turtles, cows and alpacas. Kids can also pet a friendly retired Clydesdale, Woody, at the stables. Pony rides and horseback riding available for a fee.
The animal farm is free; there’s a $9 Sea Pines gate fee per auto. More info here. 190 Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head Island, 29928
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Free Skate Park
Free Skate Park @ Bristol Sports Arena. Free outdoor skate park. Ramps & rails for skaters of all abilities. Restrooms. Pads required. Details here. 4 Helmsman Way, Hilton Head Is. SC 29926.
Educational natural history and animal programs at a venue that includes salt marsh board walks, open fields, gardens, trails and a 1200 square foot butterfly habitat that is home to some 13 species of native butterflies to the Lowcountry. Explore natural history and cultural heritage on the 68 acre Honey Horn property. The Museum’s trails, gardens, live oaks, butterfly enclosure and Marsh Tacky horses are just a few of the fun experiences you will encounter during your visit. Mon. – Sat. 9-4:30 and Sun. 11-3. *Perfect rainy day activity. More info here. 70 Honey Horn Drive Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
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Sea Pines Forest Preserve
The 605-acre Sea Pines Forest Preserve includes easy trails to various points of interest including the 4,000-year-old Indian Shell Ring, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a wildflower garden that’s amazing when in bloom. The walks range from 25 minutes to one hour. Bicycles are not permitted on the nature trails, so please park your bicycles at the locations provided. Open from sunrise to sunset. The Forest Preserve is free; there’s a $9 Sea Pines gate fee per auto. More info here.
The Gregg Russell Playground at Harbour Town is one of the top playgrounds in our area. Fenced, somewhat shaded playground that includes a treehouse; swings; numerous slides; lots of climbing bars, jungle gym bars, monkey bars. Just outside the fenced-playground is a water fountain; picnic tables; bathrooms; and plenty of spots for lunch, drinks or coffee and of course, the famous Harbour Town lighthouse which is open to climb for a fee plus $9 Sea Pines gate fee per auto. Harbour Town, Hilton Head, SC 29928
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FREE historical Stoney-Baynard Ruins, Sea Pines
The ruins of the old Baynard estate, the main house as well as attendant slave quarters, are permanently preserved within six-acre Baynard Ruins Park. The home was raided during the Civil War and Union forces made it their headquarters. Details here. The ruins are free; there’s a $9 Sea Pines gate fee per auto.
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Seasonal
Spring & summer events
Free family-friendly outdoor Gregg Russell concerts at Harbour Town, Sea Pines
A classic on Hilton Head Is. for almost four decades, Gregg Russell Concerts under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town happen regularly during summer (weather permitting) & periodically during spring.
This family-oriented singer/storyteller performs sing-a-longs, ballads & silly songs with audience participation. Kids in the audience try to get Gregg to pick them to sing a song to the crowd, often using creative pick-me posters etc. Concerts are free; there’s a $9 gate fee per auto. Celebrating 40 years in 2016, Gregg has become a Sea Pines classic. Under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town is where you’ll find Gregg Russell entertaining adults and children alike. His concerts are not to be missed. Find the concert schedule here.
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Free Sea Pines Trolley
Take the free Sea Pines Trolley to Sea Pines locations during summer months & some holiday periods. This is a way to entertain kids who are still thrilled by “bus rides etc”. The trolley offers an easy way to get around Sea Pines. Schedule info here. Trolley rides are free; there’s a $9 Sea Pines gate fee per auto. Good rainy day activity
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Beach access at Sea Pines Beach Club.
Sea Pines Beach Club has convenient access to the beach, Surf Shop, restrooms, shower facilities & Surfside Market featuring to-go sandwiches, salads, snacks & cold beverages. Details here. 87 North Sea Pines Drive, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29928. The beach club is free; there’s a $9 Sea Pines gate fee per auto.
Located off Pope Avenue on the south end of Hilton Head Island (about a 60 min. drive from Savannah), this interactive museum provides a place for educational play between children and their caregivers.
For ages infant to eight. 18A Pope Ave, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 (843) 842-7645 Daily rates & membership rates here. The Sandbox Children’s Museum, 18-A Pope Avenue, next to St. Andrew’s by the Sea United Methodist Church, Hilton Head Is., 29928 www.thesandbox.org
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FOR MORE KID-FRIENDLY LOCAL ACTIVITIES, VISIT THE SOUTHERNMAMAS.COM EVENT CALENDAR HERE.
Take a ride in a glass elevator 723 feet high to the observatory View Level atop The Westin Peachtree Plaza, the tallest hotel in the Southeast. Children ages 6 & younger can ride the elevator for free. Tickets & hours here.
Fun Zone in Pooler is the perfect place for a day of family fun this summer! Fun Zone has a combination of indoor and outdoor activities including two 18-hole Miniature Golf Courses, Go-Karts, and an Arcade. With so many things to do, you’ll be sure to find something fun for everyone.
Looking to spend time outside? Try out Fun Zone’s newly renovated Miniature Golf Courses. Complete with footbridges and waterfalls, our adventure-style courses are great for a laid-back afternoon or a high-stakes competition. You can also get your heart and kart racing on one of Fun Zone’s four Go-Kart tracks. From the Kiddy Track to the high-speed Hi-Bank Track, your whole crew can put the pedal to the metal.
Cool down inside and play one of Fun Zone’s new arcade games including King Kong VR, HYPERpitch Major League Pitching, Minecraft, and Hungry, Hungry Hippos! Win awesome prizes from Fun Zone’s newly restocked ticket Redemption Center as you play. When you need to recharge, check out the Concessions for delicious summer treats like pizza, nachos, ICEEs, funnel cakes, and more!
Head to Fun Zone for endless summer fun! Enjoy plenty of ways to play with bundle options including annual passes, value bands, reloadable arcade cards, and individual tickets. Fun Zone can also help you celebrate any occasion with party packages and party rooms.
Fun Zone is conveniently located at 1040 US-80 East, Pooler, GA 31322. See you and your family soon!
Our summer vacation trip started on the first day school was out with a pre-dawn flight from Savannah to NYC. We hit the Manhattan sidewalks by 9AM that first day and the rest flew by in dreamy 15,000+ steps-per-day blur. Our stay went too quickly.
Here are a few NYC spots, activities & programs we loved that you might savor, too, with your kids when visiting.
* Citi-Bike: if your kids are old enough to bike with New Yorkers who bike like they drive, download the Citi-Bike NYC app and ride as much as you can. We rode Citi-Bikes in: Central Park twice; from Boerum Hill in Brooklyn across the Brooklyn Bridge to Union Square Park; from Little Island & the High Line north along Hudson River Park then walked the bikes along W. 72nd Street to the infamous The Dakota apartments and the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park – eventually docking our bikes near Central Park South.
* Book a walking tour of Central Park with Central Park Conservancy. The guides know everything you want to know about this public-use landscaping masterpiece.
* See the Delacorte Clock’s musical animals announce the time every half hour between 8AM & 6PM between the Central Park Zoo & Tisch Children’s Zoo (near 64th Street). Think penguin on snare drum, hippo playing violin. (Free)
* While near Central Park, embrace your inner John Cusack and celebrate with a Frozen Hot Chocolate @ Serendipity 3 on East 60th Street. Reservations help.
* Van Leeuwen Ice Cream – any of the many locations but we loved the sweet one in Boerum Hill on Bergen Street in Brooklyn. If in that area for lunch or dinner, check out Taqueria Al Pastor
* Bring a meal to one of the many free tables in Madison Square Park then watch dogs play on a dog park with hills @ the square’s Jemmy’s Dog Run.
* Manhattanhenge – when the sun settles perfectly along the city’s west-east corridors – on only four days from May-July 2023. See the dates & more here. (Free)
The Savannah Scottish Games is a grand celebration of Scottish heritage complete with music, dancing, athletic games, children’s activities, food and fun. With more than 3,000 people participating in this special event each year, Savannah’s Scottish Games is one of the largest and fourth oldest Games in the Southeast.
The Savannah Scottish Games welcomes the return of athletes, pipe bands, highland dancers, border collies, historic reenactors, Scottish vendors, Celtic musicians, and clans back to Bethesda Academy @ 9570 Ferguson Ave.
Looking for a fullfilling full-day summer camp for your child? Check out the much-beloved, well-established JEA Camp Savannah. Check out the camp schedule here.
Different, spirited weekly themes, field trips, special events are all part of the JEA camp tradition. Speciality camps and add-ons are also available.
JEA Camp Savannah is open to everyone entering grades K-10th grade.
For more information or questions about programming, please contact DJ Horton by email Camp@savj.org or Jackie Laban by email Jackiel@savj.org or by phone: 912.355.8111.
If you have questions about registration or financial assistance, please contact Camp Registrar, Sarah Docar by email Kids@savj.org or by phone: 912.355.8111 Ext 308.
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JEA Camp Savannah is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
UPickDaffodils.com is family owned and operated on what was once the family dairy farm. Chuck and Diane have planted several varieties of daffodils, not all of which bloom at the same time, according to their Web site.
You’re invited to the third annual Savannah River Fire Festival at the Mary Kahrs Warnell Forest Education Center, 10 AM-2 PM on Sat. March 4 2023, in Guyton.
Adults and kids will enjoy a fun day outdoors celebrating how prescribed fire is good for Georgia’s forests and meet some of the organizations using it to support healthy wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of wildfires.
This is a FREE festival for the whole family with fire equipment, food trucks, face painting, and games!
Rain date: In case of inclement weather, the rain date for the festival is Sat. March 11 2023.
Come climb on and explore the vehicles that build and protect our community at Pooler MOPS 5th annual Touch a Truck, Sat. Feb. 25, 2023, 10AM-2PM at the Pooler Recreation Center. (Raindate is Sat. March 4, 2023) Admission: $5 per person with a maximum of $20 per household. Children younger than 2 are free.
There will be bounce houses and a raffle table with various items from many local businesses. Raffle tickets will be available at the event for $1 per ticket. Every family will receive one free raffle ticket with admission. (Cash and Card accepted at the raffle table). All proceeds benefit Pooler Mothers of Preschoolers.
Food trucks will also be in attendance. Expect some special surprises this year for this big 5-year celebration.
“Horn-Free Time”** will be from 10-10:45AM. You can experience all the fun of Touch a Truck without loud music, horns and sirens. (Please note organizers work hard to keep this first 45 minutes as quiet as possible; however, there are things beyond their control that still lead to noise. Be aware and take the necessary precautions.)
Ticket(s) cover entrance fee and everything inside the festival EXCEPT food trucks and raffle tickets.
Explore more than 100 sites in person and online during Super Museum Sunday 2023 on Feb. 5.
Enjoy free admission to participating historic sites, house museums, art museums, and other points of interest throughout Georgia open their doors for an exceptional opportunity to experience the history in our own backyard.
Participating sites include SCAD Museum of Art, Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center, Wormsloe State Historic Site and more.
Georgia’s State Historic Sites are offering free admission on Sun. Feb. 5 as part of Super Museum Sunday.
That includes:
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site, Brunswick: A forgotten empire comes alive at this scenic rice plantation set among live oaks near the Altamaha River. Tour the antebellum home furnished with antiques and the museum showcasing fine silver.
Fort McAllister State Park, Richmond Hill: Nestled among giant live oaks, this is the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy and the end of General Sherman’s March to the Sea.
Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site, Dallas: Pickett’s Mill is one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in the nation, highlighted with a museum, earthworks, and wooded trails. The 1864 battle was one of the few Confederate victories during Gen. Sherman’s Georgia campaign.
Magnolia Springs State Park, Millen: During the Civil War, this site was called Camp Lawton and served as “the world’s largest prison.” Today, little remains of the prison stockade; however, the earthen breastworks which guarded it may still be seen. The park’s Camp Lawton Museum tells this gripping story.
Fort King George State Historic Site, Darien: From 1721 until 1736, this fort was the southern outpost of the British Empire in North America. Climb into the reconstructed cypress blockhouse, explore the palisaded earthen fort, and tabby ruins, tour the museum and hike a short nature trail.
Fort Morris State Historic Site, Midway: This earthen fort on the Medway River protected Georgia against the British in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. A museum describes the colonial port of Sunbury; a nature trail and picnic sites are available.
Wormsloe State Historic Site, Savannah: A breathtaking avenue lined with Live Oaks leads to the tabby ruins of this colonial estate. A museum houses artifacts excavated at Wormsloe and a film about the founding of the 13th colony.
Find your Island Treasure now through February 2023.
Every year, Jekyll Island commissions a group of highly skilled artisans from across the U.S. to create exquisite, handworked glass floats for Jekyll’s annual Island Treasures event.
(Jekyll Island is an easy, roughly 90-minute drive down I-95 from Savannah. See our list of things to do with kids on on Jekyll Island here. )
The glass floats are part of a hide-and-seek style game played on Jekyll Island throughout January and February. Each day, volunteers called Beach Buddies hide clear globes around the island for lucky guests to find and redeem for a real glass float. Gather your friends and family to search for globes that can be exchanged for dazzling handcrafted glass floats.
Posted in Daytrips from Savannah, Travel/Weekend Outings | Comments Off on Savannah Daytrips: Hide-and-seek game for handmade glass floats on Jekyll Island during Jan., Feb. 2023
Poppell Farms – a daytrip from Savannah- includes a pumpkin patch, maze, hayrides, farm fun, giant outdoor jumping pillows, barnyard & farm games & activities.
Get lost in Poppell Farms’ tall sorghum maze, enjoy wagon hayrides and the Pumpkin Patch! Stay after dark on Friday and Saturday nights to explore the maze with a flashlight (it’s NOT haunted). Beginning October 7, brave the Haunted Trail through the woods after dark.
Open every Friday night, Saturday (day and night) and Sunday from October 2-30, 2022.
Poppell Farm gates will open at 10AM this Sun. Oct. 30 to accommodate children with special needs and their families. Farm and hayride music will be turned off and all loud noises will be minimized. There will be no large crowds or long lines. The hayride will be constantly running to avoid wait times.
