Introduction To Boating

Atlanta, Georgia is a lively city popping with activities to do. There are many popular tourist attractions such as the Atlanta History Center, Inside CNN Atlanta, World of Coca-Cola, High Museaum of Art and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Delicious world class restaurants over flow with area flavors along with great night life and shopping. But if you need an afternoon of quiet escape, visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is a celebration of life isolated from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Atlanta. Peaceful and mystical, families will lose themselves in thirty acres of magical gardens, hardwood forests, an interactive children’s garden, and a giant orchid exhibit. The Garden is conveniently located near many delightful Georgia inns.

The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory is the main attraction. This giant enclosed structure takes one through 16,000 square feet of plant life from around the world. Walk in the Tropical Rotunda under the quiet shade of cycads, ferns and palms cultivated from far away places like the Madagascar, Seycelles, Comoros and Mascarene Islands. Don’t be surprised if poison dart frogs scurry away or if birds fly close by. Continue to the Desert House, where the flora and fauna of the desert are celebrated and where old world succulents and spiny plants take root. There is a huge organic fruits display, an exhibit of carnivorous plants, and one of the largest orchid collections in the world at the Fuqua Orchid Center.

Children, and adults, will have a super time in the interactive Children’s Garden. The diverse gardens in this area include Laugh, Live, Dinosaur, Creek Indian, Beehive Meadow, Soggy Bog, Treehouse, Rocky Pointe, and Grandma’s Gardens. Become dirty learning how caterpillars become butterflies, how native plants were used for cooking and medicines, how trees grow from seeds, and participate in fossil digs.

A variety of out-of-doors gardens are accessible, including the tiny but captivating Japanese Garden, the Woodland Garden, Rose and Camellia Gardens, and Herb Garden.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9AM to 6PM. Admission is $12 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $7 for students. Children under three are admitted at no cost. Admissions are discounted every Tuesday. A Garden Cafe on the premises serves snacks and refreshments to hungry tourists, but operates on restricted hours. Atlanta Botanical Gardens is found at 1345 Piedmont Avenue, conveniently situated near delightful Georgia vacation rentals.

James Harden is part of the travel team at FindVacationRentals.com and FindBedandBreakfast.com. These directories provide detailed information on Georgia vacation rental deals and things to do.

Half way between Savannah and Jacksonville, is a glorious island retreat, Jekyll Island, Georgia. Georgia’s smallest barrier island is 5,700 acres of bike trails, scenic shoreline, historic mansions, delicious restaurants and more. Jekyll Island is right in the middle of a revitalization project to improve it’s eco-system and tourism and is one of the largest revitalization projects in the Southeastern United States.

The eight hotels on Jekyll Island include comfortable economy, internationally recognized resorts, suites and beach villas. Vacation cottages are available for short and long-term rental. Also, a secluded campground welcomes tent campers and motor homes. Jekyll Island vacation rentals are dispersed throughout this lovely island, so it is convenient to get around from any vacation rental you choose to stay at.

Jekyll Island was purchased from John Eugene duBignon in 1886 by some of the richest men in America as a hunting resort. The names of the owners are familiar to most, and include J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, Marshall Field, John J. Hill, Everett Macy, William Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Richard Teller Crane. As Florida was not developed yet, these men designed their own clubhouse and througout the years, expanded the clubhouse to include cottages. Many of these magnificent cottages (mansions) have been restored or are currently a work in progress. The main “cottage” is almost 8,000 square feet. The Jekyll Island Clubhouse is now a romantic Victorian hotel.

Millionaire’s Village is a great attraction to see on Jekyll Island. A lot of the historic cottages described above have been restored, and tours are available. If you arrive by small cruise ship on the Intracoastal Waterway, you will dock at the same Jekyll Island Wharf where a number of the most luxurious pleasure crafts ever constructed are presently docked. From the wharf, you can see the entire Millionaire’s Village. If you do not plan to stay overnight on Jekyll Island, there are several lovely Georgia vacation rentals all along the coast.

Bike riding is a great way to see this spectacular island. There are numerous bike rental shops on the island and a great bike path that encircles the entire island. It will take about 2 hours to get around the entire island, but there a few paths to take that cut across the middle to shorten your trip if you need it. From these paths are numerous sites to see.

On the other side of the waterway is the famous Georgia “Marshes of Glynn” made famous by the poet Sidney Lanier. “The Marshes of Glynn” became a highly acclaimed poem and Sidney Lanier made plans to write a series of poems entitled Hymns of the Marshes. Only a few in the series were actually composed. Through the 1900s, Georgia students were required to memorize the poem. Tours run from 10 am to 3 pm at the National Historic District Welcome Center, which is located on Shell Road a short walk from the wharf.

Jekyll Island is located just off the Georgia coast. A six-mile land bridge separates Jekyll Island from the mainland. Jekyll is convenient to I-95, take Exit 29 and follow the signs east on U.S. 17 for just about 10 miles. For more information about Jekyll Island, please call the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center at 1-877-453-5955.

Wesley Mathews is part of the travel team at FindVacationRentals.com and FindBedandBreakfast.com. These directories provide detailed information on Georgia beach rentals and things to do.