All Over the map

Car: CHECK

Gas: CHECK

Map: CHECK

Itinerary: CHECK

Budgeted Money: CHECK

This is the roll call for my day trips while I'm on my "Georgia City Challenge". These 5 things will get me all over the state map and back home again. . Life isn't really predictable and neither is this challenge and that's why I will (try to) have an outline of day trips a month or two in advance but in the event  of an unplanned opportunity for a day trip arises as long as I can get 5 CHECKS then off I go. For instance, I had no intention of going to Atlanta (Buckhead area) this week but when an appointment popped up I decided to schedule a little day trip into my day and boy am I glad that I did. I was able to see a new side of an area of town that I haven't been to in years. After navigating my way through Buckhead's major arteries rather effortlessly I can't believe I let the fear of leaving my comfort zone keep me away from such a vibrant hub of Atlanta. I had 4 free hours and I was able to pack in a good time for both my daughter & I (more about the trip in the upcoming weeks). So with that being said I'm going to start using the term day trip or day tripping.

Day Trip: A visit to a tourist destination or attraction from your home & returning home that same day. My trips will normally be a 1 day event. It could be a few hours or an occasional (special) sleep over. 

There are 59,425 square miles in the state of Georgia and 601 cities, that's a whole lot of ground to cover. So to keep my embers burning and my curiosity piqued in my home office I have maps of Georgia starting to cover all of my walls. I have:

*a huge map of Georgia thanks to the Georgia State Transportation

*a Hospitality Hwy map

*a map of all the museums & galleries in Georgia

*a Georgia's guide to the Civil War map

*a Metro Atlanta map

 These are for inspiration and to remind me that every city has a little something that it needs to be remembered for. When I think about my next day trip destination why would I be strict or have a deadline for my challenge but instead be like a leaf in the wind and go where the inspiration carries me even if it's all over the map.

**This writing prompt is thanks to Cynthia Louden's 365 blogging & journaling prompts

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Gwinnett County, Suwanee, Georgia 30024 #3

#3 Suwanee

On September 1st 2012, I visited Suwanee, Georgia for the first time. You know I've been there before a lot of times. Dropping my son off at his uncle's house and picking him up again but this one particular time I stopped and took the time to get to know Suwanee. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and my mom, daughter & I went on the Sculpt Tour at Town Center Park. The Sculpt Tour is a free walkable outdoor exhibit of various sculptures from local artists. By enjoying the exhibit you also get the benefit of walking around Town Center Park and going into the boutiques, looking at art work from the North Gwinnett Arts Association and enjoying a quick bite to eat. We stopped for lunch at the "Brown Bag Deli & Cafe". The food was made to order and awesome. 

Suwanee's Town Center Park was opened in December 2003 and is only one of eight parks within the Suwanee city limits. It is by far the hub of the city. It has an expansive lawn that holds numerous outside fairs & festivals throughout the year. It is also now home to Suwanee Day which is a day of celebration for all residents to come and visit local vendors and enjoy what their community has to offer. This year's event will be on 9/15/12 from 9a-10p.  

Town Center Park is the best kind of family fun that you could have. Not only is it affordable but if you play your cards right it could be absolutely FREE! During April 1st - October 31st the "Big Splash Interactive Fountain" will provide hours of water play time plus there's two parks. There is also City Hall Park & Playtown Suwanee that could very easily add on another hour or two of family play time for free. 

This was a great spot for me to get to know the city of Suwanee, Georgia. Town Center Park has something for everyone. City Hall is located here for your business matters, there's restaurants and also an outdoor bar, an amphitheater stage, beautiful scenery and shops. So if you find yourself needing something to do for a few hours please take my advice and check out one Gwinnett County's newest parks.

1837 - City of Suwanee, Georgia is founded with the establishment of a U.S. post office

1900 - population is 246

1933-36 Georgia Hwy 23 (Buford Hwy) is paved

1949 - City of Suwanee is incorporated on February 25

1950's - Georgia Hwy 317 (Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd) is paved

1960 - I-85 is extended to Suwanee

1970- population is 615

1990 - Suwanee is designated a Tree City USA for the 1st time & population is 2,412

2000 - population is 8, 725

2003 - Suwanee is named a "City OF Excellence" by the Georgia Municipal Association & Georgia Trend Magazine.

2010 - population is 15,355

2012 - Kiplinger voted Suwanee the 3rd best place in America to raise a family

Suwanee was originally a village settled by Shawnee Indians but throughout the years the Cherokee and Creek tribes also inhabited the 10.88 sq miles that this city lies on. There are three stories as to how this Georgia city was named. 1) Suwanee is an Indian word meaning "echo" 2). Suwanee is a Creek word for Shawnee 3) Suwanee was the mispronunciation of the word "Shawnee". Whichever story you believe, it is easy to conclude that this Gwinnett County is city is tied to American heritage.

Next Stop: Lithia Springs

I SAY YES to traveling Georgia city by city!

This post was prompted by "A Year of Blogging & Journaling Ideas" by Cynthia Louden.This is a free ebook that has 365 writing prompts, enough for an entire year. You can choose in any order and start & stop when you want. Once a week I will choose an idea prompt that will allow me to enhance why I want to do the "601 City Challenge". This is idea prompt #5: Say Yes

I say yes to: 

1. The freedom to choose when & where I take my trips  

2. Seeing Georgia like I've never seen it before

3. Having the flexibility to coordinate my trips around my crazy schedule

4. Traveling somewhere new

5. Getting in my car and just driving

I say yes to: 

6. Showing my daughter that having fun doesn't always have to cost and arm & leg or be something ordinary

7. To traveling with my family & having unforgettable experiences

8. Raising IH (Intracranial Hypertension) awareness throughout Georgia 

9. Fundraising for ovarian cancer support programs while on my trips

10. Stretching my beliefs & letting go of judgments 

I say yes to: 

11. Fairs, festivals & carnivals...oh my 

12. Learning where Zebulon, Skidaway Island & Walthourville are

13. Taking trips to as many state & historic parks as possible

14. The "601 City Challenge" simply because I can

15. 601 unique experiences

I say yes to: 

16. To learning about each of Georgia's cities through its community, museums and home town restaurants.

17. Finally wanting my voice to be heard

18. Creating a "living" document that will be around as long as we have "www."

19. The growth that I will undergo just to complete this challenge

20. Being the 1st person (that I know of) to visit all of Georgia's 601 cities