Callaway Gardens

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We just had one of the best weeks ever!

Callaway Gardens' aptly named "Summer Family Adventure" program is a great experience for kids and adults alike - it's summer camp for the whole family!

But the best part is the history with our family in particular - the Hightowers first came 35 years ago and kept coming every summer for a decade, meeting some life long friends in the process. So not only was it nostalgic for Jason & his brother to come relive their summer camp days, but bringing the grandkids to Callaway was a truly special experience for Yaya & Papa!

So in celebration of Yaya's well earned retirement from Knox County Schools, we all met up in central Georgia for a week at the lake - sharing old memories and making new ones!

Possibly one of the greatest parts of camp was sending the kids all off for the day - to do more in 6 hours with their camp counselors and new friends than they could ever imagine!
(Oh, and did I mention that the FSU Flying High Circus has a big top at Callaway where they perform, train and best of all - serve as camp counselors to our kids!!! I was so proud...)
Seriously though, their camp schedule included golf, tennis, archery, laser tag, swimming, circus skills, mini golf, the Butterfly Pavilion, nature hikes, arts & crafts and more... it was awesome!
Anyway, most days we watched them ride off in the morning on their bikes and reveled in their independence and our freedom! But we also had golf carts with which to toodle all around the Callaway property so some mornings the kids would just all pile up and hitch a ride.

And what, you might ask did all the parents do while their kiddos were all off at camp?!

Well, we were right in the thick of Callaway fun, too.

In fact, there was a schedule as full for the adults as it was for the kids - including golf, tennis, water skiing, wine tasting & cooking classes, art & crafts, trapeze, kayaking, beach volleyball, etc. (and yes, we did ALL of those things!)

But perhaps the favorite activity for us adults was the Treetop Adventure - a ropes course and zip line that was not for the faint of heart!

brothers - hot & sweaty, but pretty proud and excited to be on the ground!

And when camp was done for the day - I assure you we did not want for anything to do!
Though the program offered evening activities such as a beach bonfire with s'mores and live music and dancing... we all seemed to prefer to just spend time together cooling off in the pool or the lake!

here's the crew ready for a trip to Aqua Island (the big playground in the lake!)

Then again, another of the family favorite post-camp activities was taking the kids tubing on the lake!

Not only did they love the ride, but the parents thoroughly enjoyed watching them have fun!
(and isn't it always fun to ride in the boat?!)

a beautiful evening to be on the lake!

I know, I know - there were MANY "best parts" - but truly the circus at the end of the week was a highlight! It was especially fun to watch the boys recognize and cheer for their camp counselors who were performing (see Hamp reaching up to high-five his fave counselor!)...

So many pictures... 

(these are just a few, and I don't know if they are lined up correctly but you get the idea!!!)

But there were a few videos...

And the winner for best family moment?!

Seeing Hamp & Sam spend time with BOTH sets of grandparents!

For us, not a usual occasion and so a very precious memory indeed.

Thanks to Yaya & Papa for making this possible - especially to Yaya for retiring and giving us a very special reason to celebrate! Too bad you can't retire every year...