‘Tis the Season… for keeping busy in Augusta!

Not much time to post as we gear up for the coming holiday (you know, the one with the turkey that, judging by the Christmas decorations going up all over, everyone seems to have forgotten!), but there are some Christmas events coming up that I wanted to share before signing off for a week of thankfulness…

First, check out my previous post on what is going on at the Augusta Museum of History these days: https://kiddingaroundaugusta.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/its-a-great-time-of-year-to-visit-the-augusta-museum-of-history/

Plus, much, much more:

Nov. 20- Dec. 30:  Lights of the South:  Grovetown:  In addition to the 5 million-plus Christmas lights set up over 100-acres, Lights of the South features hay rides, marshmallow roasts, and the chance to meet Santa.  A word of warning: we went last year and had a great time, though it was very cold the night we went!  Also, we went on a weekday to try to avoid the crowds and there were still verrrrrry long lines for the hayride and Santa.  I think the earlier in the season you go, the less crowded it is (we went the week of Christmas).  The Santa set up is really nice– a very warm and cozy feel to his cottage.  However, I recommend taking your own picture– we over-paid for a very low-quality print of the one they took for us.  Open 6pm-10pm, seven days a week.  Adults $8.95 admission/ children $5.95/ under 3 free.  Visit http://www.lightsofthesouth.com.

Sunday, Nov. 30:  Christmas in the Backcountry:  North Augusta Living History Park invites you to experience the way Christmas was celebrated in Colonial times.  Storytelling, holiday fare, and a visit with Santa.  FREE.  Open 10am-4pm.  Visit http://www.colonialtimes.us/events.html.

Sunday, Nov. 30:  Evans Towne Center Park Christmas Tree Lighting:  Evans.  Live music, arts and crafts, and a visit from Santa.  3pm.

Nov. 29-Dec. 1:  Dance Augusta’s The Nutcracker:  Imperial Theatre in Downtown Augusta.  Check http://www.imperialtheatre.com for details.

Sunday, Dec. 1:  49th Annual Columbia County Christmas Parade, 2pm.  You can find the route here: columbiacountyfair.net/christmas.html

Saturday, Dec. 7:  Augusta Christmas Light-up Spectacular:  Augusta Commons.  Begins with parade on Broad St. at 2pm, Christmas tree lighting at dark.  Hopefully there will be fireworks again this year as they light the tree– we love them!  http://myaugustadowntown.com/christmas.shtml

Saturday, Dec. 7:  Christmas for the Birds:  Come to North Augusta Living History Museum Park to create holiday decorations for the birds to eat!  10am-2pm.  http://www.colonialtimes.us/index.html

Saturday, Dec. 7:  Morris Museum of Art:  Holiday crafts, stories, gallery tours, gift shop discounts.  FREE as part of the Bank of America Holiday Open House (offering free admission to cultural museums downtown).  10am-4pm.  Visit http://www.themorris.org/index.shtml

Saturday, Dec. 7:  Kroc Center:  Kids’ Christmas Clay Ornaments:  Children learn to make their own ornaments.  11am; $6/child.  krocaugusta.org

Whew… that should get us through the next couple of weeks!  More to come later…  In the meantime, happy turkey day to all!

It’s a great time of year to visit the Augusta Museum of History!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… okay, okay, I know we are still getting ready for Thanksgiving, but that didn’t stop my boys from enjoying the beginnings of the holiday spirit at the Augusta Museum of History today.  This is my favorite time of year to visit the museum for two really cool reasons…

1.  The gingerbread house display is here!  Now through December 1st, the annual gingerbread house display/auction/contest can be viewed in the atrium of the museum (which means that you can view the houses even without museum admission, and during off-hours (as long as the adjacent Visitor’s Center is open, you can access the building).  This is an annual event in which various organizations and businesses construct absolutely amazing gingerbread houses in the likeness of important Augusta landmarks.  This year there are even a few “unorthodox” creations in addition to the usual historic houses and churches:  the Confederate Powderworks buildings, complete with their signature chimney, and the Butt Memorial Bridge with its stately lions and soaring eagles.  My boys love checking out all these amazingly detailed confections each year!  It is also fun to submit a vote in the contest for the “People’s Choice Award” for best gingerbread house.  And if one truly catches your fancy, you can place a bid in the silent auction to bring one home!

2.  The decorations for the upcoming Polar Express event (https://kiddingaroundaugusta.wordpress.com/2013/10/02/polar-express-show-tickets-on-sale-now/) are in place, transforming the atrium (along with the gingerbread houses) into the North Pole and the old Georgia steam engine in the  museum’s first-floor Transportation Hall into the Polar Express itself!

It was a nice treat to stop by the museum with the boys this afternoon, enjoy the festive decor, and pick up a few authentically “Augustan” Christmas gifts for out-of-town friends and family at the Visitor’s Center gift shop.  I highly recommend making a visit there before the gingerbread house display comes down on Dec. 8th!

You can visit the museum website here:  http://www.augustamuseum.org/

Checking out the gingerbread rendition of our favorite library, the Appleby in Summerville

Transportation Hall decorated for the holidays

Top Kid-friendly Eateries in Augusta

A few days ago, my sister-in-law and I were choosing a place to meet up for lunch and we ended up making our final decision based on how kid-friendly the place was, since I would have my 10-month-old with me.  Our conversation reminded me that I have been wanting to post a list of my top picks for kid-friendly eateries in the area.  Obviously, we are probably all familiar with the usual chain restaurants that are known for their kid-friendly atmosphere and menus, so my list is strictly local.  I prefer patronizing local businesses when I can, anyway, and luckily we have some great choices here!  Just to let you know what criteria went into an establishment making it onto my “favorites” list, I took into consideration the following:  speed of service (you’ll notice many of these choices have counter service, which is always nice and quick with little ones);  noise level (no super-quiet places for us, please– we need to blend in!); and most importantly, quality of food (we’re aiming for delicious!).

Breakfast/Lunch:

Fat Man’s Cafe– We love this place!  First of all, the food is amazing.  I am completely in love with both their fried catfish and their pimento and bacon sandwiches.  Ordering at the counter and seating yourself (the food is brought to you when it’s ready) make for a quick and easy meal with little ones, and the uber-casual atmosphere means you don’t have to stress over every little squeal or wiggle happening at your table.  We also love their location in Enterprise Mill on Greene Street.  Open for breakfast and lunch.  Check them out here: http://www.fatmans.com/

New Moon Cafe–  Delicious breakfast and lunch options and specials that rotate on a regular basis.  Their new location in the J. B. Whites building on Broad Street is gorgeous, but loud.  Not great for working (I’ve tried that), but awesome with kids.  You order at the counter and your food is brought to you.  They even have an adorable kiddie table with coloring activities where kids can play while you wait for your food… nice touch!   https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Moon-Cafe/461891810716

Honey From the Rock Cafe–  Cafeteria-style service and self-seating make for the quick service of a delicious Southern soul food meal.  Fried green tomatoes, okra, fried chicken… my mouth waters just thinking about it.  And the staff are extremely kind and helpful.  Open weekdays for lunch, on Washington Road.  http://www.honeyfromtherockcafe.com/

Lunch/Dinner:

Nacho Mama’s– Another great option on Broad Street, for lunch or dinner.  Counter service and self-seating make it quick and easy, the food is great, and you definitely don’t have to worry about your kids making some noise.  And cheese quesadillas usually please even the picky eaters.  http://www.nachomamasaugusta.com/

Giuseppe’s–  This pizzeria and Italian eatery on Wheeler Road is one of our all-time favorites.  Best pizza in Augusta (so says this family, anyway) and some great hoagies and pasta dishes on the menu as well.  The atmosphere is casual, kids find the decor entertaining (lots of things to look at), and the waitstaff there has always been quick (not to mention very nice and understanding of our wiggly, over-excited children!).  If you are heading there for dinner on a weekend, go early to beat the crowds at this popular place.  http://www.gpizza.net/

Village Deli–  A casual atmosphere, varied and kid-friendly menu, and entertaining decor make this sit-down restaurant in Daniel Village a win with kids.  http://www.villagedeli.us/

Pizza Joint in Evans–  Good pizza and fun decor.  The over-sized aquarium here fascinates our kids.  This one made the list instead of its counterpart downtown or its competitor, Mellow Mushroom, because we have found those locations (although very kid-friendly) to have extremely slow service.   http://www.thepizzajoint.net/

 

… And now it’s time for all of you to tell me which places I’ve left off this list… please leave your comments with any favorites I may have neglected!

Steed’s Dairy Farm– two weekends left in the season!!

WHO:  Everyone!!

WHAT:  A working dairy farm that is open to visitors, providing a wide variety of outdoor fun.

WHEN:  The farm is only open to the public on weekends (weekdays are for school field trips only).  Saturdays 10am – 10pm; Sundays 1pm-7pm.  Open through November 17th.

WHERE:  4634 Wrightsboro Road, Grovetown, Georgia  30813 (only 15 minutes from West Augusta).

WHY WE LIKE IT:  You may have noticed that there is a LOT of fun to be had at this dairy farm!  Today was the second time I have been there on a field trip with one of my kids, and my family has also gone together on a weekend.  The kids are entertained from the minute you enter the gate, with a bean bag toss, lasso game and pumpkin patch.  From there, the activities at Steed’s seem endless, including a mini-barnyard (horses, calves, pigs, chickens and goats) and cow milking demonstrations; a large playground with giant slides, fun play structures, a zipline, a giant jumping pillow, and corn boxes; a large corn maze (we got lost!); and hayrides around the farm’s property.  The kids love that there are so many exciting things to do, and I love that they are outside and learning about the workings of the dairy farm while we’re there.  A visit to Steed’s Dairy Farm is definitely one of our family’s favorite fall activities in this area!

HOW:  Admission is $10/ person ($8 for seniors, military, and groups); kids 2 and under free.  Full information is on their website: http://www.steedsdairy.com/index.html

Giant slide

View of playground with pasture beyond

Barnyard

Bean bag toss