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Still Traveling

Will you squeeze in one more summer getaway?

7:02 am August 5, 2009, by Keith Still

While summer won’t officially end for a few more weeks, the carefree travel days of this season are over for most metro families. Gone for another 180 school days are the mid-week jaunts to Walt Disney World or the beach; the cross-country excursions; and the tours of the big cities.

Our northern friends may not return to school until after Labor Day, but most Georgia districts are fully back in swing by mid-August – which is right about the time prices drop for summer travels at many southern destination spots.

Just because the family has to work around the school’s calendar for the next few months doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a bit more summer fun. The way I see it, August weekends are the perfect time to get out and go in the Southeast.  As I mentioned, prices for beach rentals along southern shores tend to go down in August. College football hasn’t started yet; and many of the kids’ athletic programs really don’t kick in until early September.

Autumn’s jam-packed weekends will be here soon enough. Here are a few ideas to make the most of your last, precious summer weekends.

Go jump in the lake! The shops may be full of long pants and wooly sweaters, but this is Georgia. It’s ridiculously hot in August. With the drought over, Georgia’s lakes aren’t the sad little puddles they were last year. Check out this list for all you need to know about lakes in our great state. If you’re looking to travel a bit further, Southern Living has compiled a list of lake getaways worth a look.     

Celebrate summer at a festival or fair. Head to Virginia Highlands in Abingdon, Va.  (not Atlanta) this weekend for their grand finale of art, music, crafts and family entertainment at the Virginia Highlands Festival. Immerse yourself in all things Elvis over the next two weekends during Graceland’s Elvis Week (August 8-16) in Memphis.  Head to Lewisburg, WV (August 14-22) or Louisville, KY (August 20-30) for the West Virginia and Kentucky State Fairs. Step back to the good ol’ days and dance the night away at Charleston’s Beach Music and Shag Festival (August 27-30) or head upstate to York, SC’s aptly-named Summerfest on August 22.                      

Is your summer travel season at its end? Will you try to squeeze in a quick getaway before fall schedules take over your weekends? Where will you go?  What are a few places you like to visit when you only have a couple of days to take a trip? What are your favorite summer festivals or fairs?

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6 comments Add your comment

John

August 5th, 2009
8:47 am

We did our quick trip to northest Georgia the end of last week since my wife is a teacher and had top start back to work Monday. It was great. Georgia students are in school in August. However, they get out by the end of May, which leaves all of June–when the weather is usually much better than August–free for vacations. Most of the schools up north don’t get out until mid to late June. We have taken advantage of that the last couple of years by going to places like Maine and the New Jersey shore in early June when their rates were cheap (because their students were in school, the places were much less crowded, and the weather was much cooler. Let’s keep our current school schedules.

John

August 5th, 2009
8:49 am

Sorry for all the typos in my last post (two incorrectly spelled words and an open parenthesis). If I could go back and edit it, I would but this site doesn’t give me that option.

Keith

August 5th, 2009
9:24 am

Hey John –

I didn’t mean to imply we should change school schedules — just noting that prices down here are cheaper in in August when we’re all back in school. Where did you go in Maine? We are considering making a trip up there too. How was the water temperature in June? Was it too cold to wade out into the ocean?

John

August 5th, 2009
10:28 am

We flew to Boston and drove to Bar Harbor. We spent a lot of time in Acadia National Park but also drove up the coast to the easternmost point in the United States. The temperatures varied over the course of five days. The water was cold but you could wade. We went out on one of the sailing ships one afternoon and you needed a jacket when the ship got up to speed. There were no crowds except on the day one of the cruise ships made a stop in Bar Harbor and all of the people on the ship made their shore excursions.

Jomal

August 6th, 2009
1:06 am

To my surprise, my brother-in-law offered to take our daughter on vacation with his family in a few weeks (to keep his daughter company of course). They’re going to Destin for five days, which gives us five days to do ANYTHING! I told my wife I’ll plan it and tell her how to pack. Thinking Vegas, San Diego or Martha’s Vineyard. All three have been on “the list” for years, and I’d like to scratch one off. What to do???

Judy Hotchkiss

August 6th, 2009
10:37 pm

School just started today here in Tennessee. For those of us IN the B&B business, I can tell you when to get the best late-season bang for your buck–Come to the NE Tenn./NW North Carolina/SW VA Mountains. Plan your trip between now and October (that high season to see the leaves. More color equals more room cost and more traffic).
I personally think September is the most underrated month. Prices are moderate, crowds are nonexistent and the air is fresh, and dry. A few trees will begin to turn; the wildflowers are still abundant. Here in Mountain City, TN, the trees won’t be quite in fall color (but I think Atlanta’s fall leaves can be just as nice….). What you will find is lots of rural mountains, openfields, forests, a great lake still warm enough to enjoy (Watauga Lake), hiking galore and very, very fresh air. My own property comes in at $99-$169 per night. We serve a full breakfast and provide free in-room snacks making for savings. We also rent a cottage (for kids and dogs), as do many others. Mind you, THIS IS NOT GATLINBURG. We don’t have a whole lot of shopping “in the mountains.” You can go to Boone if you need some of that! Restaurants are nice (and moderate priced compared to “city” prices.) I’m exactly 300 miles from Five Points. If you haven’t seen this area, maybe it’s time to check it out.