More Summer Fun

Discount Movies at Carmike in Dalton
Every Thursday at 10am starting June 5!
All seats are $4 ($4?! That's still $20 if I take all 4 kids!) Yes, but the price also includes a small popcorn and small drink so everyone is happy!

 

Also this summer you can go to Downtown Dalton and enjoy some fun and a free movie:

Costco

Costco?!
Yes, Costco.
I suggest going when samples are amply available (usually after 11am to early afternoon). But that's not the reason I am posting about Costco. I love it because of all the free recyclables you can find!
Let your kids pick out some funny shaped boxes. Let them create a castle with them. Paint them. Turn them into stuffed animal furniture! Whatever you want. Last time we went we found these big cardboard panels. They are usually between layers of toilet paper and paper towels.
One of my kids turned it into a huge treasure map:

He did it in pencil so you can't really see all the detail. But it did take up a whole afternoon!
It would be fun to finger paint on something that big too!

The Jump Park - Chattanooga

No, this is NOT budget friendly at all. And I have not been able to find any discounts or coupons anywhere. But the kids do love it.
It costs $12 an hour or $20 for 2 hours. We only needed 1 hour before the kids were tired and really, really sweaty!
I did not have to pay for myself but was able to hang out in the jumping area. Kids under 6 have a special area just for them and they pay less than the amount above.

http://thejumppark.com/

Make sure you sign a waiver online and bring a print out of it before you come! (They have 2 computers there for you to fill out the waiver but it's a lot faster if you have it done already) (Also the parent of the child has to fill it out - not just any parent. So if you are bringing other kids, plan ahead!)

You have to either jump barefoot or have grip socks ($4 at The Jump Park)

It is really busy on Fridays-Sundays. It is dead on Mondays or any other weekday. You can reserve a spot by paying ahead of time online.

Coolidge Park

It has been a couple years since we ventured over to Coolidge Park. But it's a great low-cost adventure! The only cost is parking (2 hours for $1.50) and the carousel ($1 per person).



 We go to Coolidge Park to cool off in the fountain. It gets crowded so we always like to come in the mornings and bring a picnic lunch. We usually just eat there at the fountain.

After eating and water play we would get dried off and changed in the bathrooms that are right there and open for public use.
Then we'd head to the carousel (which is right there) and take a spin for $1 each.
If you want to make a day of it, pay some more parking walk up to Frazier Ave and explore some of the stores or eateries. Our favorites:
Clumpies Ice Cream
Sweet CeCes (frozen yogurt - you add toppings)
GiGis Cupcakes
Julie Darling Donuts (LOVE this place!)
Good Dog (Wed night is family night - I believe kids eat free!)

Glen Falls Hike

Another hike! This one we did last year when my youngest had just turned 4. It was quite do-able with 1 parent and 4 kids. It is only 1/2 mile one way. Then you trek back the same way. The only thing I did not like about this trail: you go down FIRST. So the hike back to the car is UPHILL.

There was plenty of water in the creek when we hiked in April. I thought it would be fun to go when it's dry so the kids could play on the rocks without me nervous someone would fall in.

There is also a spot near the end that is a little (and I mean 8 foot) long cave that you have to walk through. It's a bit of a tight squeeze but I made it fine.

 

There is no bathroom facility nor picnic area and no drinking water. But this is not in the middle of the wilderness so you wouldn't have to go far to find some food.
Directions:
Head up Signal Mountain on Ochs Highway (I think you'll be heading south)
The trailhead is a pull-off from that highway on your LEFT. You might miss it if you aren't looking. There's enough room for 3-4 cars on the pull-off.



Keown Falls Hike

I took my 4 kids (ALONE!) on this hike earlier in the year. We really enjoyed it.
Keown Falls in Walker County, GA - Free (no park fee)

This is a 1.8 mile loop. Unfortunately, it had rained earlier in the week and we tried and tried to figure out where the trail continued on from the falls. Thinking back, I know where it is, but it was too muddy to go that way at the time.

This trail is also at our upper limit in difficulty as a family. Mainly because of my then 4-year old. It is up a mountain and there are some spots that if you trip you will be tumbling down for awhile. But it wasn't too scary.

Also, at the time, there must have been a recent forest fire as a lot of the trees were scorched. But the trail is well-kept and all fallen trees had been cut away from the trail.

Beautiful views too!

Above you can see the trail. That was about as scary as it gets. The trail does go over a tiny trickle of a creek (which was bigger because of the rain) and the kids thought that was great!

You begin the trail by following 1 path. After just a few minutes it forks. It is the same trail (loop). We opted to go right. It wasn't too tough to get to the falls. Actually, that's a lie! I'm not a great hiker. There was one spot that we could not, for the life of us, find where the trail went up the mountain! We ended at the creek and looked everywhere! Finally, we decided to head back. And that's when we saw the trail leading UP the mountain. It was hidden behind a big boulder.
We made it to the falls:

Once at the falls you can climb a whole bunch of rock stairs to a look-out point. There is another trail heading off at the top of those stairs, but that is another trail and not part of the loop.

As you can see above, the lookout "deck" was the place to rest. It was a lot of stairs.

Go back down the stairs and under the waterfall. That is where the trail picks back up and will loop you back around to where you started. Like I said before, when we went the rain had made it not look like a trail.

Other info:
Vault bathroom available at trailhead (still a hole in the ground!)
Lots of picnic tables at the trailhead. I cannot remember if there were grills.
I don't believe there was water available.
Going after a recent rain would ensure water at the falls.

Directions:
From Chattanooga Road, turn south onto highway 201 (I think this is also called Lafayette Rd)
Follow it for 11 miles (it will end there)
Take a left (onto GA 136 E)
And then a quick right onto Pocket Road. Go 5 miles and then turn onto Forest Service Road 702 (it is marked). Follow it all the way down and you are there!

The Folk Art Project

Holy Cow! What a fun little place!

 

I heard about this little gem in the Georgia magazine that is sent to us by our power company. It is a 2 acre park that has a whole bunch of buildings made out of pebbles (and glass, sea shells, etc). I believe there are over 60. Some are small (fairies would like in them!) and some are big (like the one pictured above). My boys really enjoyed exploring this mini kingdom. 

My favorite was the Cathedral of Notre Dame

The park is fairly small. My kids (all boys mind you!) were done exploring after about 30 minutes. But it is beautifully kept with lots of flowers, trees, and shrubs.  There are 2 picnic tables and a small gazebo. We happened to bring a picnic so we stayed almost 1-1/2 hours. There are no garbage cans so be prepared to take your garbage with you. The park is also mostly in shade which is lovely! That being said, there are a lot of bugs since the little park is located on a pond. None of us got bit by anything, but there were ample bugs, including dragonflies!

One thing my kids noticed before me that made it that much more magical:
The rooms were sometimes occupied by dancing princes and princesses or a stagecoach or a regal dinner session. It was fun to peak into all the windows!

How to get there:
Take exit 312 off of I-75. Head west on Highway 53 for almost exactly 4 miles. Don't turn right or left (There is a cross street right before you get there that might confuse you, just keep on straight!)
On the right you will see the Seventh-day Adventist Church:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Calhoun+Seventh-day+Adventist+Church/@34.463002,-84.982466,2a,90y,90t/data=!3m5!1e2!3m3!1s-Wl5-Qi4FPVY%2FUswgykJJyXI%2FAAAAAAAAaac%2Fh0wdMj9M6eo!2e4!3e12!4m5!1m2!2m1!1sseventh-day+adventist+church+near+Calhoun,+GA!3m1!1s0x0:0x5cfb489e3929e9c7!6m1!1e1

Turn INTO their parking lot. Head to the back of the parking lot where there will be a gravel driveway. Follow that driveway (only 50 feet or so) and park. There is only room for about 4 cars. If it's full, park in the church lot.

The park is FREE. There is a place to put donations if you wish. Enter at your own risk sign is there. I take it mean you could stumble and get hurt. Or get stuck in the mud if you get too close to the pond. Or even cut yourself on some glass or shell. All three of those things happened to one of the kids we were with! :)

It is a long trek from Dalton/Cohutta. But there are a lot of restaurants if you want to eat out. It is also the same exit as the Outlet Mall. Or you can visit Payne Farm and Produce
https://www.facebook.com/paynefarmandproduce
Right now they have U-pick strawberries for $1.75/lb. I go there every year! I don't know how long they will have strawberries though. Just check their facebook page.

I saw this in the church parking lot and it gave me a laugh:

The "Water Stairs"

We have been doing this for years. Between the Tennessee Aquarium and Market Street (the east side of the aquarium) lies the Trail of Tears Memorial. This is a long cement staircase and during the summer months river water is pumped down the stairs making a fun place for kids to play and cool off.

At the bottom of the stairs the water gathers in a shallow pool under Riverfront Parkway.
You can also play in the water features in between the two aquarium buildings.

By around noon, the water features get crowded. We usually show up around 10am and bring a picnic lunch. The kids are then ready to leave when the crowds show up.

We like to park on Riverfront Parkway since it is only $1.50 for 2 hours.

I also suggest bringing water toys like pool noodles, balls, water guns, buckets, etc.

As a warning: this is river water. It is not chlorinated. Don't let your kids drink it! It also sometimes stinks.

 

If you are not up for bringing a picnic, there are tons of places to eat within a block:

TGIFridays

Cheeburger Cheeburger

Mellow Mushroom

Buffalo Wild Wings

Chilis

Ben & Jerry's

 

$1 Movies every Wednesday at Regal Hamilton Place 8

The Regal Theater by Hamilton Place Mall shows older movies (usually not yet out on DVD). Normal ticket prices are $3.75. But on Wednesdays, every movie is only $1!  Even we can afford that. Concession prices are still high like other theaters, but I still have money in my pocket after buying 5 tickets to splurge for some popcorn!
Here's the link to showtimes.
http://www.regmovies.com/theatres/theatre-folder/Regal-Hamilton-Place-8-1541

Right now the G-PG movies playing are:
Rio 2
Muppets Most Wanted
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
The Lego Movie

The theater fills up on Wednesdays during the summer! Plan to be there at least 15 minutes before showtime unless you like sitting in the front row!