You’d never know by my accent (or lack thereof?) but I was born in Atlanta. Surrounded by a shockingly large number of “Peachtree”-named streets (party fact: there are approx. 71 variations), and high levels of humidity (the ATL has an annual average of 68%, whilst PHX sits at a lovely 36%), our family would escape the city from time to time and head south to Pine Mountain, GA, home to Callaway Gardens.
I had fond recollections of those trips – we’d stay in a two-level chalet and head to the ‘park’ where there was a giant fountain set in the lake, water ski shows, a pavilion where one could buy ice cream and other treats, mini golf, a big circus tent and nighttime outdoor movie viewing (to name a few highlights). My parents signed us up for a camp where kids would be occupied for much of the day – if you weren’t scared of heights you could try the trapeze at the circus, if you weren’t scared of water, they taught water skiing, it’s all a happy blur (although this kid did not try the trapeze and had too little arm strength for the skiing).
So, when I was due to be in the Empire State of the South recently for work and able to fit in a visit to see my brother, Craig, he suggested a walk down memory lane, staying the night. I hadn’t been back since childhood and he’d only taken his own brood once several years ago – so we were curious if it would match what we envisioned.
Before I share the experience, here’s a little historical background: The park was opened in 1952 by Cason and his wife Virginia (Hand) Callaway. They had been on a picnic in the 1930s and fell in love with the area, first buying 2,500 acres for a weekend retreat. They developed the land and brought in thousands of tons of white sand to create one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Cason passed in 1961 and Virginia in 1995, but the foundation only recently sold to Herschend Enterprises in 2022.
Now back to the previously scheduled recounting of the excursion: The drive was easy (especially since I was the passenger) and in less than 2 hours, we were in ‘downtown’ Pine Mountain which now boasted several local shops and eateries as well as two Dollar Generals and a Family Dollar. The chalets were priced for a 2-night minimum and most every place had an exorbitant cleaning fee, but we’d found a decent rate at a cottage on the property, which was more enticing when we selected the B&B plan including multi-day park entrance and the breakfast buffet.
The cottage was spacious and clean, providing an ample kitchen, two large bedrooms (each with their own bathroom), living room and screened porch. It also had direct access to the park.
Our first stop was to check out the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. I expected swarms to land on us as we wandered through the (quite steamy) exhibit, but while they fluttered by singly and in groups (fun fact: a bunch of them is called a kaleidoscope), none actually touched us. There were also some turtles and lots of greenery.
Next we went to the Discovery Center (which opened in 2000) but had gotten there too late for any formal tours, so there wasn’t a lot that held our interest.
It was time to go to Robin Lake! It certainly looked like the same body of water from our past, but we both felt the big fountain didn’t spout nearly as high and the pavilion seemed much smaller with a shorter roof. I guess when one gets bigger, things look smaller…
In place of the circus tent, there was a big structure due to house Halloween-themed items, with several pumpkins already in place.
To my delight, the mini golf still existed. The exact same course from our youth. It was a little forlorn, having had no updates, and the greens (is that what you call it in putt putt?) for each hole were covered in pine needles and cones, plus because school was back in session (thus less weekend guests), there was no staff at the course, but we were the only two playing so it was like our private course.
Later, we wandered around the hotel, restaurant and spa (not the same building they used priorly, as this was opened in 2006). It was nicely laid out and the spa offered typical treatments, while the gift shop carried a number of local and international products.
Neither dinner (a pizza place recommended by the spa attendant) nor the buffet breakfast were anything to write home about (or blog about). But before we left on Sunday, we stopped at the Country Store – which was the same spot that existed years ago (it actually opened in 1952, in conjunction with the park).
Perhaps we should have eaten there because the parking area was busy, the dining section was bustling and the smells coming from their ovens were enticing. But with no room in our bellies, we were just happy to browse the local offerings and each bought jams, among other treasures. I opted for pear jelly and, because I’ll always have a little bit of Georgia in me… peach preserves.
This was definitely a minibreak to cherish!