What: Westville, an 1850’s living history museum
Where: Lumpkin, Ga.
When: Thurs. – Sat. 10 – 5 pm and Sun. 1- 5 pm
Cost: Adults $10, Seniors, College Students and Military $8, Students K-12 $5
Click here for a $1 off admission coupon

Westville is a working 1850’s town located in Lumpkin, Ga., not far from Providence Canyon . The museum is a collection of 30 historic buildings assembled from across the state, and arranged as a typical 1850’s town layout with commerce buildings in the center and residences on the outskirts. Buildings include various trades, a school, courthouse, church, store, carriage house, gardens, slave quarters, upscale residences and a farm.

We visited on a random rainy Thursday. Two costumed interpreters lead three different tours explaining various aspects of 19th century life. I found the cotton gin and press to be most interesting. Our guide demonstrated a hand crank cotton gin and showed us a more advanced model that spit the cotton out into a barn. The massive cotton press was quite impressive. Mules were used to turn a huge pole that “pressed” the cotton into 500 lb. bales which were then tied by hand.

Westville alone was interesting, but unless you plan to go more than once, I would recommend timing your trip around the various special weekends on the Westville event calendar. During special events, there are more costumed interpreters and activities making it a more enriching experience. For example, staffers told us during the Civil War Days program in October, there is a soldier encampment in addition to numerous demonstrations of life in 1850. Interpreters spend the weekend at Westville and remain “in character” from Friday evening through Sunday night.

What: Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club
Where: Innisbrook, Fla. (near Tampa)
Cost: Special $695 for a week in a 1-bedroom suite, $995 for a 2-bedroom suite
Photos: For photos of the resort, go to photo album on Field Trips with Sue’s Facebook page.

We spent Memorial Day weekend enjoying the Florida sunshine at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club near Tampa, Fla. Innisbrook is best known as a golf resort, hosting the Transitions Championship, part of the FEDEX Cup, on the Copperhead course. There are three other courses on property with the most scenic being the Island Course. Golf is still a big draw, but for families there are lots of wonderful activities in addition to hitting the links. For Summer 2010, Innisbrook is offering a great deal, $695 for a week in a one-bedroom suite or $995 for a two-bedroom suite. All suites offer full-sized kitchens, a real plus when traveling with kids.

The resort encompasses 900 acres, has four golf courses, six pools, a playground, mini-golf course, shuffleboard, nature walk and four restaurants. There are lots of activities for families including complimentary junior golf and tennis lessons on specific days. Daily from 4 – 7 pm, families can golf together at the 9 hole, par 3 Fox Squirrel course for free.  The Loch Ness Pool is the center for family fun and has two water slides, zero entry with sandy beach and fountains, good for little ones and crawlers, and beach and water volleyball for older kid fun. There are also poolside crafts for an extra charge. During our visit, family programming included a dive-in movie and family whiffleball tournament.

If the kids like to fish, poles and gear are available from the tennis center. While you fish, look for several of the native Florida birds that live on property. Pick up picture cards at the Loch Ness Pool and head out on an early morning bike ride for the best viewing and bring some bread to feed the turtles along the Nature Walk. In the evenings, the golf courses are open as walking trails. The Island Course is the most scenic of the four.

If you want more excitement, Innisbrook is near Busch Gardens Tampa or take in a Ray’s baseball game at Tropicana Field. Although the resort is not along the ocean, they offer shuttle service to nearby Honeymoon Island. Guests can then take a ferry to Caladesi Island, recently voted as a “best beach.”

On your way home, have a Greek lunch at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs.

Although we were provided a complimentary room for the purpose of reviewing it (as is common in the travel industry), we only recommend places we would stay and products we would use.

What: A list of Summertime Activities
Where: Atlanta Area
When: Summer 2010
Cost: Free and Cheap

Last week Field Trips with Sue posted Cheap things to do in Forsyth County, Ga. and a list of Summer 2010 activities. Here’s another list of cheap and inexpensive things to do with kids for the Summer of 2010.

Thanks to Donna Blanton, the resident storyteller at 45 South Café in historic Norcross, for sharing this wonderful list. And thanks Heneghan’s Dunwoody Blog author John Heneghan, for sending me the list.

I’m especially excited about the Sunflower Farm where you can pick your own bouquet for $5. Sunflowers are my favorite. You can’t help but smile when you see a bouquet of sunflowers. I can hear my boys groaning already about the pictures I’m going to take in that field.

What: Providence Canyon
Where: Lumpkin, Ga.
When: Open Daily
Cost: $5 parking fee

Providence Canyon was the impetus for our recent spring break trek across west Georgia. Years ago I had cut out an article in Southern Living on “Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon” but life and then children got in the way of a trip. So when I found myself with an uninterrupted week to explore, I decided to build a vacation around a visit.

Providence Canyon, also known as “Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon” is a group of massive gullies, as deep as 150 feet that were caused by poor farming practices in the 1800s. There are 16 different canyons, exposing 43 different shades of soil ranging from light orange, salmon, red and scarlet to white, purple and pink. If you only have time to hike a few, canyons 4 and 5 are the most spectacular. Be sure to wear old shoes too. The canyon floor is below sea level and you’ll be walking through streams running through nice red Georgia clay.

Make sure to get a map at the top of the trail to navigate your way and leave time to hike the outer rim of the canyon for a bird’s eye view. Along the rim’s path, you’ll encounter old cars that once belonged to owners of a homestead that is now park land. Removing the deteriorating vehicles would have caused too much damage to the environment and animals that made homes within the junk, so park officials have left them for posterity, kinda adding an interesting twist to the wooded paths.

The park has several picnic areas, including covered tables and a playground. Make sure you bring whatever you want to eat, there isn’t any place remotely close to pick up food. If you plan to visit Providence Canyon, make time to visit Westville, (LINK TO WESTVILLE POST) an 1850’s living history museum too.

Be Aware: The Canyon’s visitor’s center is closed due to budget cuts and although there are special ranger-led programs from time-to-time, there are no park rangers on duty consistently at this park, so make sure someone else knows you are going and will expect you back.

What: Kids Love I-75 Travel Book
Where: From Michigan to Florida
Cost: $16.95

As we get into summer travel season, you may want to check out my twitter friend, Michelle Zavatsky’s new book “Kids Love I-75.” It’s a great guide for families traveling along I-75, which runs from Michigan to Florida and through Georgia and Atlanta. Michelle, her husband and two children have logged more than 30,000 miles along the route and stopped at most of the locations mentioned in the book, an impressive feat.

The book is well organized by state and offers maps of the route. There is also a list of what is available by exit. Attractions are all within 10 miles of I-75. Although some lodging is mentioned, most of the entries are attractions. I’ve visited several of the places on the Georgia list and based on my knowledge of those, Michelle and her family do a great job of letting you know what to expect, in terms of hours and prices, as well as what families will be most interested in seeing. There are even fun facts about many places. New this year is an online companion guide to keep travelers updated on the latest.

If you are planning a trip to Florida, a trip up North or just a day visit along I-75, this is a great travel companion.

Field Trips with Sue is excited to introduce you to another great family blog and local blogger. Jenni Hilton is the author of Forsyth County, GA for Families, a blog about things to do with kids in the northern Atlanta suburb of Forsyth County. The following is an excerpt from a recent post. Thanks Jenni for sharing.

By Jenni Hilton, Forsyth County, GA for Families
I was a working mom until about a week ago and now am transitioning to a stay at home mom. It is an odd but exciting feeling to be able to stay home with my daughters for the summer. So now I am planning on things to do that are low or no-cost in North Atlanta.

I will share the places I find and hope it helps you add to your summer adventures. I live in Forsyth County, GA so this will focus on this area for the most part. I will also update this as I go. Happy trails!

Forsyth County Parks – we are fortunate to have a wealth of parks available for our leisure. Here is a list with plenty of resources. Central Park is a favorite hangout.Poole’s Mill has a wonderful creek and shady playground.

Movies 400 – free summer movies on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10:00 am. The concession stand offers a special size $1.00 Popcorn and $1.00 Soda for these showings only. Join us this summer for free movies. Bring a can of food to support our can food drive and receive a free popcorn! (Free Family Film Festival Size only, Limit One Per Customer)

Forsyth County Public Library – activities, puppet shows and a calendar for story time keep the library a fresh fun place to go. Plus checking out books keeps our reading library replenished at no cost!

Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center- Autrey Mill, located in Alpharetta, has miles of walking trails, a Heritage Village with original buildings and artifacts from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, animal exhibits and replicas of Native American dwellings. All activities on the grounds are free.
9770 Autrey Mill Road, Johns Creek, GA 30022.

Chattahoochee Nature Center – walking trails and educational sessions with a low cost admission is fun for the whole family.

Wills Park Wacky World and Disc Golf is a 110-acre park featuring baseball fields, a disc golf course, lighted tennis courts, picnic pavilions, walking trails and two large playgrounds, including “Wacky World,” a unique kingdom that kids rave about. Situated at the edge of the park is the Alpharetta city pool, which has a diving well with three boards, a shaded kiddie, shaded and open deck areas and a concession stand.

Suwanee Town Center Park and Playtown Suwanee – a little bit further away but adventure awaits with an interactive fountain, lots of greenspace and a great playground.

For more great ideas for families in Forsyth County, go to Jenni’s post on Free and Cheap things to do in Forsyth, Ga.

What: Georgia State Park Junior Ranger Program
When: Anytime
Where: Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
Cost: Free

Once my kids are engaged with an outdoor activity, they can be busy for hours. However, sometimes it’s not as easy as you might think to get them engaged. Enter the Georgia State Park Junior Ranger program. It’s a fantastic book filled with a variety of activities children can do at any of Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites or even in their own backyard. As a parent, it helps me lend some structure to our outdoor adventures and gives us a place to start. Similar to scouting, Jr. Ranger’s receive badges based on the activities they complete. Here’s a segment I did for CBS Better Mornings Atlanta that shows the booklets and the badges.

Jr. Ranger activity books are available at any Georgia State Park. Activities in the book range from a water study to a historical timeline. Children can do the activities by themselves or with an adult helper and they’re appropriate for any age. Several State Parks offer ranger led programs around the various activities as well. To see the calendar of events for each park, visit the Georgia State Parks website. We’ve participated in activities such as tree climbing, fishing, historical demonstrations, and of course guided hikes.

If you’re looking for more guidance on what to do in the state parks, try the new Geo-Challenge.

Family Vacation
Atlanta

Things To Do
Atlanta

A friend once told me she was surprised I could keep this blog going for over a year. “I would have thought you’d run out of things to write about,” she said. Well I am continually amazed at how many cool, fun things there are to do in Atlanta. I’m even more amazed that there are so many free and inexpensive things to do.

Here is a fantastic list of free and inexpensive summer activities for families from Amy Ryan and Amy Rice. We’ve reviewed many of these activities on this blog, so if you want a little more info, use the search box on the right column of the blog to find the post. There are also several videos we’ve reviewed at www.youtube.com/suerodman.

Thank you to Brandi Diamond, Pam Hansen, Patty Harris and Jaime Lackey who forwarded the Amy’s email to me. As summer begins, be sure to tell your family, friends and caregivers to subscribe (it’s FREE) to Field Trips with Sue via email, or Facebook and follow @suerodman on twitter for fun activities throughout the summer.

What: American Graffiti
Where: Stifly Piazza at the High Museum
When: Friday, May 28, 2010, 9 pm
Cost: FREE

This one isn’t for the kids, but I thought is sounded like so much fun that I had to pass it on. Bring your own blanket or seating. Outside alcohol is not permitted. In the event of rain the film will be moved to the 400-seat Rich Theatre. Come a little early and check out the Allure of the Automobile exhibit.

A bonus: Local car clubs will be on hand to show off gorgeous vintage cars from the 1960s.

What: Kids Fishing Festival
Where: Panola State Park, Stockbridge, Ga.
When: Sat., May 29, 2010 9 – 3 pm
Cost: FREE ($5 parking fee or check out a family parks pass from any Georgia public library)

Last year my family went to Panola State Park for the Kids Fishing Festival. The video above chronicles our day. My middle son is a fisherman, so I thought it would be fun for him. Turns out, it was way more than fishing and it was fun for all of us. My favorite was tree climbing. Not tree climbing like I remember as a kid, but tree climbing in harnesses with thick ropes. The boys liked the fishing and the archery. From the archery lesson, I learned that two of my three are left eye dominate. Good to know, especially since one of the left eye dominate boys plays baseball right handed.

If you don’t have plans this weekend, this is a really good one. Here’s the official info from the website. Kids 15 and younger are invited to our lake to hook a catfish or bluegill while learning about aquatic habitats, fish identification and fishing skills. Also, an archery range, fly-fishing, tree climbing, Georgia Wildlife Encounters, and other activities will be available. Bring your own bait and rods. Meeting at the Alexander Lake Parking Area. We recommend arriving 30 minutes before each program.Register in advance. $5 parking. 770-389-7801.

Don’t forget about the Georgia State Parks Junior Ranger Program or the new Geo-Challenge, here’s a link to my CBS  Better Mornings Atlanta segment that featured the contents of the Geo-Challenge. Both will make your park adventure even more fun.