Fall Break - Part II

We came home for a couple of nights to repack and get some work done before leaving very early on Wednesday morning to drive to Atlanta. The children and I had an appointment at the German embassy to renew our passports. 

Due to the long drive, we decided to spent a night in Atlanta. Even though our hotel was in downtown, right next to the Olympic Park, it was so empty. Due to lockdown restrictions, the park was closed (fenced in actually), no restaurants or fast food chains were open or only open for limited hours during the day and there were no business people on the streets. It felt eerie. So in the afternoon, after a stop at Ikea, we went to Midtown and found a big open park where we could run around and stretch our legs. 

On the way home, we stopped by one of my favorite German grocery stores (there are none in TN yet) and bought some goodies. I felt like a kid in a candy store. 

The next morning, we had timed tickets for the Georgia Aquarium, which was walking distance from our hotel. Due to the pandemic, the aquarium only operates at about 33% capacity but the first couple of hours we were there, it was only about 15%. For us, it was great as it made social distancing very easy but obviously it is not sustainable long-term for a business. Nonetheless, we truly enjoyed the visit and loved seeing all the ocean animals. 

One of our favorites to watch were the whales. The Beluga Whales look funny but cute with their extra blubber. 

The Aquarium is one of the biggest in the world and it is home to Ocean Voyager, a football size tank that houses 4 whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and other large sharks. It also features an acrylic tunnel for guests to view thousands of marine creatures on all sides. Due to the low crowds, we even had the tunnel for a few minutes to ourselves, which was amazing. We could have stayed there for an hour and just watch those majestic sea creatures float above us. 

Other animals in the aquarium: 

Another highlight was the Dolphin Show. The children were mesmerized by how high the dolphins can jump. 

Just to get an idea of the fascinating world under water, here is a video compilation from our visit: 

We were happy to get out of the house for a couple of days even though many of our other fall activities had to be canceled. This little adventure was for sure a highlight in an otherwise completely "boring" year. 

Fall Break - Part I

This week was officially Fall break after the first 9 weeks of virtual learning are completed. We now have been all home together since 7 months and we needed a break. I need a break...work is overwhelming right now and I feel closed in and needed to get out and away (safely of course). So we decided to book a cabin for 2 nights at Pickwick Landing State Park in South TN (5 miles from the MS border). 

On Saturday, early afternoon, we arrived in Pickwick and stopped by at the local tourist watering hole. Not to mingle or eat but to take in the scenery and to pass the time till we can get in to the cabin: 

Once we settled (aka cleaned and unpacked) in to the cabin and threw a quick dinner in to the crockpot, we went right back out on a leisurely 3 mile afternoon hike. 

Instantly, we felt relaxed being out and about in nature and away from the news, people and hectic of the daily grind. We all slept well that night.

The next morning, I went for a run around the trails while Derrick and the kids tried their hand at fishing. They only caught a little dead fish though. But Daddy taught them how to skip rocks. 

After lunch, we went kayaking. It was an absolutely beautiful Fall day and everyone loved this new family activity. 

A delicious treat from the Shake Shack was well deserved:

On another hike before dinner, we discovered lots of different fauna and creepy crawlers. 

And since we were at the lake, I could not miss out on seeing a sunset. My little girl and I braved the cooler evening to sit at the lake and watch the sky turn from blue to yellow, purple to red. 

The perfect little getaway during a pandemic and just what we all needed.