Butterflies, Birds & Biking at Callaway Gardens!

Funny story. The last time we were at Callaway Gardens, I had to keep pulling my bike over on the side of the paths because I was so nauseous. Yep - super PREGNANT. And that night I went home to take a test because whoa, the biking was so rough. And jostle-y. So this season, when we decided to bike around the gardens, it was really lovely to be able to enjoy the ride with a baby on the outside of my body ;)

Callaway Gardens is especially known for it's spectacular variety and display of azaleas in the springtime. Stevie grew up going there on Spring Break with his parents and siblings, so he always has incredibly rich memories when we visit. You know how you just want all the good things that you had as a child, for your own kids? I really see that side of him come out when we visit Callaway. And of course, the gardens are different these days, the restaurants are different, but he gets this warm sparkle in his eye when he sees the boys running around at Callaway, and it really is the sweetest thing.

This time around we went to the BIRD SHOW! The Birds of Prey show is so rad - the owls flock out of their cages and they fly around and eat snacks in the air and it's pretty much the best. Any fellow bird lovers out there? Let me just be clear - I love birds in the wild. Birds for house pets are a no no. But owls  - yes! It was bomb. And if you haven't visited the Butterfly Center you really should. Haha this post is so not sponsored but I can see why it might seem to be. We are just a Callaway family! If you're interested in biking, birds and butterflies (and obviously - the flowers!) it's a gorgeous time of year to visit! xx

Playing at Callaway Gardens!

Last weekend we took a little field trip down to Callaway Gardens! This place is such a special one for us, especially Stevie, who grew up taking Spring Break trips there with his family. They used to spend the week biking and swimming and staying in little cabins in the woods. He has really vivid memories of the springtime azaleas and he wanted to take us there to experience them together as a little family of three. Callaway is known for their azaleas, and goodness, they did not disappoint. We spent the day biking, walking and snacking. We had lunch overlooking one of the lakes and Everett even stayed in his chair for the entire meal because he could stare at the ducks on the water. He really likes ducks these days. He makes a pretty spot-on quacking noise, and it was hilarious watching him try to interact with them. Never a dull moment in this family.

Everett was cracking me up, because he kept turning his baseball cap around on his head and wearing it like he knew it was cool to have it backwards. I don't know where he learned that. He even did this thing where he wouldn't push it all the way down on his head, so he kind of took turns looking like a basketball player and then looking like my Poppa (who used to wear his hats sitting just atop his head, so funny!) This kid is developing really fast, and I have to stay on top of things to keep up with his curious mind. He LOVED all the flowers, to which he would say,  "Fwooower pretty, mom. Pretty." So stinkin' cute.

I had trouble picking and choosing between which photos to share, because they are all so lush and colorful. So here are a zillion :)

It was a gooooood day, although I admit that we were all exhausted when we finally made it home. Sometimes day trips are really nice so you don't have to pack up everything you own to stay overnight, but we tend to be the kind of people who try to make the absolute MOST out of a day trip like this, and we might have pushed it a little too hard. But we saw everything that Callaway Gardens had to offer, and came away with a fresh appreciation for springtime in our beautiful state. The birds and butterflies and flowers and fish - they really inspired me to work harder on my little home garden. I would love to create a mini-Callaway atmosphere in my backyard this summer. Thankfully, April 15 is right around the corner (which is the last possible day for frost in our area), which means we can start planting vegetables then! Woohoo!

P.S. - Other garden adventures - the time we sauntered around The New York Botanical Garden, the time I was mondo-preggo at The Boston Public Garden and the time we found a jig at the Munich English Garden.