Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Waleska's Splash Pad is a blast!

Waleska, Georgia's Splash Pad is a hit!  The Splash Pad is located in Cline Park at 704 Bartow Street, near Reinhardt College.

Here's what you need to know before going:


  • It's FREE!!


  • The splash pad is inside a fence for safety purposes.  There are two benches, water fountains and restroom facilities inside the fence.

  • The water is chlorinated, and the same rules apply for children who are not potty trained (rubber pants/swim diapers are required.)  

When you are packing to go, you will want to remember the following items:
  • Towels
  • Sunscreen
  • Water
  • Camera (for some great photo ops)

And may want to bring a few extras such as:  
  • Snacks
  • Folding chair
  • Dry clothes to change into for the ride home

Cline park has free parking, a playground, tennis & basketball courts, a picnic pavilion, and a second restroom facility near the playground.

A few more things to know are:
There are no changing tables in the restrooms
Large groups may show up to use the park.  While we were there, a group from a local day care arrived, but there is plenty of room for everyone.

The kids all seemed to have fun and there were smiles all around!


On the way home, you might want to stop at The Front Porch Market & Creamery for ice cream:)






 Copyright, 2012, Cherokee Family Fun
All photos taken by Cherokee Family Fun

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Swan Drive-In bids farewell to old screen.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Swan Drive-In movie goers were treated to a special celebration on Saturday night, June 23rd, 2012.  It was to be the last showing on their current screen, which is 57 years old. The original wooden-based screen, built in 1955, was damaged in a storm last spring.  Today, a new metal-based structure will go up in its place.  The new screen will be the same size except will be four feet higher.  The added height will help minimize the problem of vehicle lift-gates blocking the view of guests behind.

The celebration included a DJ, games such as hula-hoop and limbo contests, and free cotton candy handed out by Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby.  A double-feature followed, which included the new Disney blockbuster BRAVE and Marvel's The Avengers.

The Swan is located in Blue Ridge, GA, and is one of only four remaining drive-ins in the state.  It is a family-owned and operated business.  A concession stand is on site, but movie-goers are free to bring in outside food. 

No down time is expected, and the first showing on the new screen will be Friday, June 29th.
For more information, see the Swan's website:   http://www.swan-drive-in.com/


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Top 3 Family-Friendly things to do Outside Cherokee County this summer

Cherokee County is a wonderful place to live and play.  But, there are so many things to do in the Atlanta area, that I've decided to spend some time before school starts checking out a few of the newest attractions OCC (Outside Cherokee County).  Check out my top 3 places to visit: 



#1)  Why not check out the Scoop on Poop, "The #1 exhibit about #2" at the Fernbank Museum?

The exhibit runs through September 3rd.  While you're there, you can see an IMAX movie as well.

Expedition Mom has a great review of the Scoop on Poop.  Check out the dirty details here.





#2)  Love Legos?  Check out Legoland at Phipps Plaza


Field Trips with Sue has a great review of how to make the most of your visit.  Check out her blog:  http://www.fieldtripswithsue.com/2012/03/legoland-atlanta.html


Or, visit the opening of the new Lego Store at North Pointe Mall in Alpharetta.  The grand opening is June 29-July1.  See our calendar of events for more details.





#3)  Visit the new Geyser Towers at Stone Mountain Park.

Make a day of your visit and ride to the top of the mountain on the Summit Skyride, take a fun boat ride called Ride the Ducks, have a picnic near the lake, and end the day watching the amazing Laser Show Spectacular.



Where are you planning to go "OCC"?  We'd love to hear!  Visit our facebook page and let us know!


Monday, June 11, 2012

Free Bowling in and around Cherokee!

Summer is a great time to take the kids bowling .  Why?  Because it's FREE!  

(*Shoe rental not included.)


Below are the three closest spots to go, with all the information you'll need:

Cherokee Lanes
Canton
Kids play 2 free games per day all summer (with paid $15 membership)
Discounted additional games and Chaperone fees
Mon-Fri 10-6
Saturday 10-noon
Ends August 31st
http://www.cherokeelanes.net/  (scroll to bottom of page for details)

AMF
Woodstock
Kids ages 15 and under can bowl 2 free games per child per day
Online registration required
Free bowling available until 8pm every day through September 3
https://freebowling.amf.com/ksp/register.aspx


Note:  For kids 16 and up, AMF also offers a family summer pass for $29.95.  A family of four can bowl two free games per day all summer which averages out to $7.50 per person for the summer (not including shoes).


Brunswick Zone
Kennesaw
Students 18 and under get 1 free game per day during May, June and July
Online registration required
http://coupons.bowlbrunswick.com/ballpass/

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Father's Day activities in and around Cherokee County

  Stumped on what to give Dad this Father's Day?  


Here are a few ideas from Cherokee Family Fun:

  • Make Dad a giant chocolate chip cookie at Publix on Saturday, June 16th at 10am.  Check with your local store for details.

  • Go to a story time at Barnes & Noble (Barrett Parkway) on Saturday, June 16th at 11am.  Listen to the story "Me and My Dad" by Alison Ritchie.

  • Take Dad to see one of the Summer Kids movies around town Monday-Friday.  Check our calendar for more information.

  • Visit North Georgia Zoo.  Dads get in FREE on Father's Day (with a paid child admission).  Check out their website for more information.  http://www.northgeorgiazoo.com/


  • Take Dad Bowling at Cherokee Lanes.  Pay $15 and get a Summer Fun Pass to use Mondays-Saturdays!  Get two games per child, discounted chaperone games, and additional games at a discount.  Check them out!  770-345-2866

  • Want to go that extra mile (literally)?  Purchase tickets to the Braves Country Father's Day 4-miler race at Turner Field on Saturday, June 16th.  Registration includes the run, a t-shirt, and tickets to that night's 7pm game vs. the Baltimore Orioles.   Go to the Braves site for more details:   http://mlb.mlb.com/atl/ticketing/4miler.jsp 
          Also, there will be a FREE concert after the game by B.o.B.

  • Want to make Dad a special handmade gift?  There are tons of ideas on Pinterest.  Check out our favorites on our "Father's Day Crafts" board:  http://pinterest.com/cherokeefamfun/


Wishing everyone a Happy Father's Day no matter what you do!
Jessica

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Know Before You Go: Studio Movie Grill

It was a rainy morning, so I decided to take the kids to check out one of the summer movies around town. Since I decided this at 8:30 am, the best choice seemed to be the 11 am showing at Studio Movie Grill in Alpharetta. (Most kids movies around town start at 10am.)

We hurriedly got ready, and while I was online checking for directions, I decided to go ahead and purchase the tickets online. The last time my husband and I showed up to see a movie there, it was already sold out.   I didn't want to drive over there and be disappointed, so I paid the $3 surcharge to reserve our tickets. This made what would have been a $4 visit (two kids tickets at $1 plus one adult ticket at $2) a $7 visit out of the gate.

The Drive: It's quite far to the theater from Canton...26 miles to be exact. I was quite stressed on the way over because we left later than I had planned and we were also running low on gas...VERY LOW. And, there are about a million stop lights on the way. Well, not exactly a million, but a lot. We finally arrived about 10 minutes in advance. Just enough time to hit the restroom and pick up our tickets. I was pleasantly surprised that the theater was not sold out. We chose our seats and got settled for the movie. Another bonus, was that there were only two previews, and the movie started at about 11:10am.

The Theater: If you've never been to a Studio Movie Grill before, I'd recommend it. The biggest difference between Studio Movie Grill and a regular theater is that food and drinks are served to you inside the theater. A full menu of food, drinks and snacks is available for purchase. Another difference is the seats are padded, rotating office-style seats instead of stadium-style seats. The seats are set up with either a small table between two chairs, or along a countertop. There's a red button to push for service.  It feels very open rather than crowded and the kids seemed to enjoy it.

The food:  One of the possible drawbacks of the movie starting at 11 am was that it was close to lunchtime.  I had packed lunch for the kids to eat on the way home, so we just ordered some snacks.
We spent $11.75 on a popcorn, a soda, and Milk Duds and left a $2.25 tip.  Our total for the trip was $21.  I would consider this a TREAT rather than cheap.  But, overall, I felt it was worth the money spent.  We have friends in the area, so I would maybe save some extra cash so we can eat lunch next time (kids meals are $5.95 not including a drink).  Not something to do often, but definitely a nice treat for a special occasion.

Final Thoughts:  I would highly suggest purchasing your tickets in advance.  We did see a group of kids from a summer camp while we were on our way out.  It would really stink to drive all the way over there from Canton and find out the movie is sold out.  I'd also suggest arriving 20-30 minutes ahead of time so you can have the best selection of seats and time to look over the menu.  Studio Movie Grill was a clean and friendly place with a comfortable atmosphere. It's a good choice for treating your family to summer movie flick, but an even better choice as a date night with your spouse.

For more information about Studio Movie Grill, check out their website at http://www.studiomoviegrill.com

Happy Movie Going!