The Adventures of Unplugging Your Kids
By Charlotte Bowman
Back in 2010 my husband and I came to the painful realization that our posteriors were beginning to resemble our easy chairs. In a fit of indignation, shame and guilt, we hauled our children to Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge.
Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites had recently launched a new campaign to encourage visitors to “Get Out, Get Dirty, and Get Fit.” So we decided to take this opportunity to unplug our family from our electronic addictions for the weekend.
The Lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park is a beautiful 56-room hideaway perched atop a breathtaking mountain vista overlooking 2,050 acres of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Lodge is a great place to unwind and unplug for the weekend.
Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge – (Photo courtesy of GA Dept of Natural Resources)
Five of Georgia’s 63 state parks and historic sites offer secluded lodges with hotel-style rooms, restaurants and meeting facilities for guests looking for a getaway without sacrificing modern technology. They have conveniences such as wireless Internet and digital satellite televisions.
My husband is an Information Security consultant and I run a website. We always travel with multiple laptops, smart phones, tablets, power strips and various electronic media. And we always select a vacation destination that can accommodate our electronic lifestyle.
Our goal was to unplug for the weekend, but old habits die hard…. We selected a state park with a lodge that would allow us to “unplug” our boys, but not ourselves. Granted, it was a naive plan, and I should have seen the trouble coming.
Within five minutes of our arrival, the complaints began…
“Where is my Leap pad?”
“Can I play on your laptop?”
“I’m bored!”
Right! There we were–smack in the middle of one of Georgia’s loveliest state parks–and all our kids wanted to do was find the nearest TV. Clearly, the “unplug” aspect of our family adventure was long overdue.
Enjoying the veranda at the Lodge.
All hail the mighty power of distraction! After paying lip service to the “Unplug” part of our plan, we moved to phase two: “Get Out.”
After dinner, we hauled our grumbling boys downstairs to the veranda where several other families were relaxing. At the sight of a dozen other youngsters the same age, our boys eagerly joined in. My husband and I kicked back in the glider rockers and watched the sunset while they played tag with their new friends.
The following morning we launched phase three and four: “Get Dirty” and “Get Fit.” Armed with a map, drinks, snacks and a first-aid kit, we set out to explore the park’s recreational amenities. First stop: The top of the park’s famous 729-foot waterfall namesake.
The staircase of doom!
Stairs wound down the mountain to an observation deck 428 feet below. “Come on, mama! Let’s go!” my boys shouted as they flung themselves down the steep cliff.
With my heart in my throat, I accompanied them down the staircase of doom. Within 20 steps my legs were jelly. By 50 steps I was clinging to the rail and vowing to signup for an exercise class when we got home. By 100 steps I was trying to determine how much pain and fear I could endure before blacking out.
Mercifully, I finally made it the rest of the way down to the reflection pond at the bottom of the falls. The pond is stocked with rainbow trout every other week. They were a welcome distraction while I rubbed my sore calves and thanked God I was on level ground again.
A visit to the playground was next on the boys’ agenda, so we bypassed the fishing and went straight to the swings. While the boys explored the playground that afternoon, I limped next door to the visitors’ center and discovered, much to my delight, that there are lots of things to do at Georgia’s State Parks that don’t constantly remind you how out of shape, fearful of heights and dependent on technology you are.
Some of those activities include interpretive nature programs and geocaching. You can even earn badges to become a Junior Ranger. We watched a fascinating program about North Georgia’s native snakes. The Park naturalist brought several non-venomous (live!) snakes for everyone to see and touch. My boys thought it was great.
Taking a nature walk
So what did my family learn from our adventures that weekend?
For starters, it’s difficult to convince your kids to “Unplug” if you’re unwilling to do it yourself. My husband and I plan our destinations based on the availability of WiFi, so we’re still working on that one.
“Get out” is actually easy once you’ve worked up the appropriate momentum and get past the front door. After that, the opportunities are endless.
Every parent knows that “Get Dirty” is a kid’s default setting, so this one’s a cinch. My boys have more energy than a pair of hummingbirds, and if there’s a mud puddle within 100 feet, they’ll find it.
We’re still working on the “Get Fit” part of the plan. I braved the stairs of the waterfall under that goal, whereas my husband DROVE down to the bottom of the waterfall. He smartly claimed it was for our benefit so we wouldn’t have to climb back up.
Despite the setbacks, we had fun! (Although our youngest son came down with a pitiful case of homesickness on the last day, so we may need to stay closer to home for a year or two.) With kids, however, the “adventure” is every day. The only thing that really changes is the location.
Happy trails!
