Georgia + Hilton Head | Travel Diaries

This past winter my aunt and her family moved to Georgia, which gave us the perfect excuse to visit! I had never been to Georgia before this trip, but I have to say it exceeded my expectations. I just imagined a hotter, more humid version of Iowa honestly, but GA has its sights!!! First, can we talk about the trees?! They are SO tall and plentiful. I never realized we were lacking here in the Midwest. This trip included a lot of firsts for my kiddos too. Though Lilah had been on a couple plane rides in the past, she didn't remember them, or going to the beach. I was very impressed with how well they both behaved! I was a little (ok very) nervous to take this trip alone with two kids.

Our first destination was Atlanta. My aunt and cousin picked us up at the air port and we headed back to their home near Peachtree City. We relaxed there for the night but the very next morning we took off on a little road trip to the beach! Lilah hadn't been since she was 9 months old and I just couldn't wait to show her the ocean. There are a lot of beaches within 4-5 hours of Peachtree City but we chose to go to Hilton Head Island (which is actually in South Carolina.) We stayed at an Airbnb on the beach for 5 days and it was absolutely amazing. Lilah's fave beach activity was boogie boarding. Carter's was digging in the sand and running away from the waves. I didn't mind beach bumming with a drink in my hand. ;) After 5 beautiful days on the beach it was time to get headed home. We stopped by the lighthouse and said goodbye to Hilton Head then started on our way. On the trip back we stopped for breakfast in Savannah and walked through Forsyth Park. It wasn't reallllly on the way, but it was on my bucket list so I couldn't pass it up. ;) The last day of our trip we explored Georgia a little more. We went to the town of Senoia, where The Walking Dead is filmed, and went through the museum. I was a huge fan of the show when it first came out, so it was pretty neat to see. After that we went to The Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain which was INSANE. It was hands down my favorite part of the trip and a once in a life time experience. Basically you drive through an enclosed area where animals of all kinds roam free. If you buy feed and keep your windows down they will come right up to the car and eat out of your hands! My favorite animals were the Elk and Giraffe. If my camera hadn't died halfway through there would be SO many more photos. When I asked Lilah what the most memorable moment of the trip was she said "Getting bit by the sand crab!" Which I would have to agree! I'll never forget her face when she said "Mom, something bit me." serious as can be, then took off running to the beach patrol!

- Destinations + Stops -

- A fully charged Kindle with downloaded content = priceless. - Roadtrippers.com is the best. I typed in our route ahead of time and found a cute little petting zoo at about the half way mark. It was the perfect way for the kiddos to stretch their legs. - Airbnb's with a fully functional kitchen + a quick trip to the grocery store will definitely save you money on food, especially on longer trips. - Beach carts are a life saver. If you have access to use or rent one, do so! - Check your lens cap before sand, before putting it back on.... learned this lesson the hard way. ;) - Camera Photos -