there are talks of closing the fernbank science center. at the least it will likely be scaled back quite a bit. just so you know, this is not the fernbank museum of natural history, which we often write about on the website. it’s still a great atlanta attraction though and it would be a shame to see it close.

the fernbank science center is only a mile and a half from our house and is free to the public. it has lots to offer both adults and children, so you can’t go wrong. there are outdoor activities like a huge canopied forrest with paved walkways and a composting area with helpful tips and pointers. there are also indoor activities, including an exhibit hall with the apollo 6 capsule, an observatory and a planetarium!

the exhibit hall and observatory are both totally free! the exhibit hall is open monday through friday from 9am to 5pm and saturday from 10am to 5pm. the observatory is open for public observations on thursday and friday nights from 9 to 10:30pm, weather permitting. an astronomer is on hand to answer questions and position the largest telescope in the southeast. we definitely want to check this out!

the planetarium has adult and children programs from thursday through saturday. there is also a saturday morning program called the night sky, which goes through the current constellations, planets, etc. in the current evening sky. shows are $4 for adults and $3 for children, students, & seniors and free for fernbank museum of natural history members.

although it may not be as exciting as the fernbank museum of natural history, the fernbank science center is both fun and educational and is totally worth keeping open!

check out our post on the fernbank science center from a couple of years ago!

– ryan & gub

fernbank science center

156 heaton park dr.
atlanta, ga 30307
678-874-7113

the star jasmine on our front porch has been blooming recently and smells amazing!

we heart spring!

– ryan & gub

we just became members at the atlanta botanical gardens and totally love it! there’s lots to do and see, especially with this beautiful spring weather. it’s the perfect place to go on walks with clementine, including on the new canopy walk.

the orchid house is really amazing, you should check it out while everything is still in bloom! there are way more varieties than i expected, including lots of exotic colors and sizes. the misty, tropical atmosphere in the orchid house made you forget you were in middle of the city. i kept thinking of the movie adaptation while walking through the rare display of orchids.

last month was my first time ever to the gardens, i’m not sure why it took so many years to check it out. if you’ve never been, you should definitely make a trip before it gets too hot.

– ryan

atlanta botanical gardens

1345 piedmont avenue northeast
atlanta, ga 30309
404-876-5859

our japanese magnolia had some amazing blooms this spring, although a late freeze shortened their visit.

– ryan & gub

gub planted some daffodil bulbs right before clementine was born. she acquired a bucket full of them from a pottery student at the art center, so she planted them in our backyard.

this spring they finally bloomed when clementine was 9 months old!

– ryan & gub

our cherry blossom and weeping cherry trees had some beautiful blooms this spring! it’s also finally warm enough for clementine to enjoy more outdoor time.

– ryan & gub

i took some photos of our japanese magnolia through the beveled glass on our front door. i think they turned out pretty cool!

– ryan

here are some photos of our christmas tree all decorated!!!

– ryan, gub & clementine

here’s to decorating the christmas tree and listening to loretta lynn’s a country christmas!

– ryan & gub

kinsey family farms

7170 jot-em down road
gainesville, ga 30506
770-887-6028

we went in search of the sterritt family christmas tree a few weeks ago and ended up here: kinsey family farms in gainesville, ga. the drive wasn’t too far… about an hour outside of atlanta. we drank hot cocoa, made s’mores by a warm fire, visited a goat that tried to eat clem’s hat and then rode a tractor out to the far away trees. to say the least, we had a blast! it was great to share the experience with clementine (even though she slept through a large part of it) and start some fun holiday traditions for our family.

we found kinsey family farms on the ga christmas tree growers website. it lists all of the different farms you can visit in georgia that grow their own trees.

– ryan & gub

kinsey family farms

7170 jot-em down road
gainesville, ga 30506
770-887-6028