we are excited about the new hiroshima international: exhibition of japanese calligraphy and paintings at the hudgens center for the arts! it opens wednesday, july 16th and is on view through september 27th.

– ryan & gub

hudgens center for the arts

6400 sugarloaf parkway #300
duluth, ga 30097
770-623-6002

after playing 40+ festival dates without hitting atlanta, outkast finally announced a homecoming show at centennial olympic park this fall! they’ve been touring to “celebrate the 20th anniversary of their unique and influential sound.” we were lucky enough to get tickets this morning and are totally pumped.

not only did the show sell out in under an hour, outkast also added a second show and sold that out immediately. quite crazy! centennial olympic park can hold 40,000 people for concerts, so its impressive they sold out two shows so quickly.

– ryan & gub

we finally made it to the falls!

– ryan & gub

lake rabun recreation area

1963 hosea l williams drive ne r106
lakemont, ga 30552
706-754-6221

we were able to go on a hike with both grey and clementine on our recent camping trip to lake rabun recreation area. the last time we went camping, grey was still a little too small for such activities. this time we just strapped him on my back and went to check out panther falls.

both the canopy hike and the waterfalls were quite beautiful! you definitely broke a sweat getting up there, but it was totally doable for kids. the cold water was also quite refreshing when we finally made it up there!

– ryan & gub

lake rabun recreation area

1963 hosea l williams drive ne r106
lakemont, ga 30552
706-754-6221

we went on another camping trip with the kids and some friends. this time we headed to lake rabun recreation area, which was about two hours north of atlanta. the campground was very nice for sure! we stayed at group site that had plenty of room for ten families. there were clean bathrooms nearby, which was a huge plus. there were also trails to waterfalls, lake swimming and live bluegrass music on saturday night, so there was lots to do for sure.

the waterfalls were quite beautiful, however the beach at the lake was pretty weak. it was maybe ten feet deep and very cramped. the water was still quite nice though and had picturesque views. we dealt with some rain on saturday night, however we were fairly fortunate. our rain fly let a little water in through a seam, but it could have been way worse with the amount of rain that fell.

we would definitely head back to lake rabun recreation area! here is a map of the campground.

– ryan & gub

lake rabun recreation area

1963 hosea l williams drive ne r106
lakemont, ga 30552
706-754-6221

belle & sebastian just announced an atlanta date at the tabernacle on october 1st! wahoo!!! we are big fans and it’s been 11 years since they played atlanta, so we are thrilled. tickets went on sale this morning. check out the rest of their tour dates.

– ryan & gub

there was a huge storm this evening followed up with a blood red sky! i had never seen such a phenomenon before.

– ryan & gub

i had a delicous cortado this morning at the taproom. it’s my new favorite drink!

– ryan

taproom coffee

1963 hosea l williams drive ne r106
atlanta, ga 30317
404-464-5435

to celebrate memorial day, we packed our lunches and went to red top mountain state park for some lake swimming!!! the park is only about 50 minutes from atlanta and offers great hiking trails, camping, cottages, lake swimming, miniature golf and even boat rentals. there’s lots to do for sure.

the swimming was nicer than expected, although fairly busy with the holiday. the water was super green and translucent and not too chilly. it only cost $5 to park for the day, so it was a nice inexpensive excursion. we will definitely be headed back!

on a side note, there was an o brother where art thou type baptism happening when we were at the lake. it was very interesting!

– ryan & gub

red top mountain state park

50 lodge road se
cartersville, ga 30121

we are so excited that a great coffee shop opened up in downtown kirkwood! taproom coffee opened it’s doors a couple of weeks ago and is the perfect addition to our neighborhood. they serve specialty coffee, craft beer and snack foods (including charcuterie boards from spotted trotter, soft pretzels from holeman & finch and delicious pastries from mae’s bakery.)

the location is very spacious and comfortable. the vintage seating and lighting works well with the reclaimed wood and soft color palette. it was a definitely a relaxing environment for drinking coffee and/or beer.

taproom coffee started as a kickstarter project from the guy who ran the espresso bar at empire state south. we feel very fortunate they chose kirkwood to open up such a cool place. taproom is open from 7am to 10pm and serves counter culture coffee along with a rotating list of 12 craft beers on draft.

on a side note, i had never had a cortado until visiting taproom. i have to say it was one of the better coffee drinks i’ve had! it’s espresso cut with milk, so similar to a cappuccino but less milk. it was quite tasty and highly recommended!

– ryan

taproom coffee

1963 hosea l williams drive ne r106
atlanta, ga 30317
404-464-5435