With the exception of going to a concert or having a connecting Delta flight, my family has never had a reason to travel to Atlanta. But this past month I had an appointment in ATL that fell at the start of the kids’ fall break, so we decided to make it a family affair and go together. So we were headed for Atlanta and because we wanted to see the mountains again, we added on a little side detour to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg, TN.
So here is a recap of where we went, what we did, and which visit (Atlanta or Gatlinburg) we are already planning to do again!
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The Fernbank museum felt to us like a history museum and a children’s museum all wrapped up in one. The exhibits were amazing and there was so much for the kids to touch and engage including an entire upstairs children’s section which could of been an entire separate museum all to itself. But the highlight was the outdoor Wildwood forest complete with elevated walkways through the tree tops, dinosaur statues, and a dinosaur themed playground all included with admission. We went on a Friday afternoon and this must be the sweet spot as we had most the museum all to ourselves. There is also a 3D theater that is included with admission but our crew didn’t have the patience for this but I heard it is really nice. The only con: the price is kinda steep. $26 for adults, $24 for the boys, twins were free.
the Georgia Aquarium
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
If you come to Atlanta for any reason and don’t visit the Georgia Aquarium you are doing it all wrong. This is the largest aquarium in the country and the second largest in the world. And because of its size alone, you could truly spend an entire day in Atlanta just at the aquarium. There is a dolphin show and a sea lion performance that are both included in admission but you have to sign up for a time spot early to get a seat. Seeing the whale shark swim above us in the tunnel, watching the dolphin show, and visiting the beluga whales while we ate lunch in the ballroom were our highlights.
A few tips: pack a lunch if you can. The food options are all very overpriced for what you get and its not convenient to leave to get food. Also I highly recommend being parked and in the door at 9am when they open to beat the crowds, especially for the views of the Ocean Voyager tank. We went as early as possible and only one or two other families were there with us. We checked back later around 2pm when we were leaving and it was shoulder to shoulder to walk through and impossible to get close to the great tank. Also make sure you buy your ticket online in advance to save a little money. Still pricey at $42 a ticket but I felt this experience was worth the cost!
other Atlanta tips
driving through Great Smoky National Park
CHEROKEE, NC- GAITLINBURG, TN
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States and the largest on the east coast. We couldn’t believe we live relatively close to this park and have never visited, so after Atlanta we drove 4 hours north to enter the park through the North Carolina entrance.
The drive through the park is beautiful, and an adventure in itself. We didn’t see any wild life on the drive but the there were signs everywhere for deer and elk. (the next day we did see a family of black bears and several turkey!)
The drive on Hwy 441 is about an hour long between Cherokee and Gaitlinburg but you want to give yourself time to stop at the overlooks and vistas and even more time if you plan to stop on the drive and do hikes on the trailheads. A side detour we recommend is to head to Clingman’s Dome with amazing panoramic views.
a cozy cabin in the woods
The pinnacle of every mountain trip to coming back to your cabin after a long day of hiking and soaking in the hot tub before getting cozy next to the fireplace in your jammies. On our last day we hiked day with a picnic lunch thrown in. After our last hike we went back to this little cabin in the words which was our home base for this leg of the vacation. Located in Sevierville, this town has lots of options for cabins right outside of busy Gatlinburg and the park.
As for hiking, we hiked Cataract Falls and the Cove mountain trial and then headed to Grotto Falls. The best tip for hiking with young children is throw out the notion that you will be “hiking” and realize it’s actually just walking at their pace. We always make sure the trials are safe without any cliffs or dangerous areas and then we do as much as everyone can tolerate.
Each hike and place we went to was so beautiful but we barley skimmed in the surface of this amazing park and are already trying to decide when we can return!
That’s a wrap on our quick but delightful fall break in Atlanta Georgia and Great Smoky National Park in Gatlinburg TN. Let me know if you have any questions or needs any recommendations that I haven’t included. see you next time!
