Bob and I had a trip planned to Florida for quite a while to visit friends who are serving a mission there. We were to come back on the 23rd of October. Do you know that there is a layover in Atlanta on many flights home from Florida? I did happen to know that, and as I got an email about the Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain Georgia on the 23rd of October, I sent a text to my husband asking how long of a layover we could manage to have in Georgia. After questioning me a bit more as to my motive for asking, he said he'd look into it. And voila! He arranged for us to fly to Atlanta on the 22nd, stay there for two days, and then fly the rest of the way home on the 24th. Yippee!
We had been to the Country Living Fair a few years ago, and loved it. I couldn't believe how the stars aligned for us to go again this year! We had a wonderful time in Florida with our friends, and then off for a few days on our own to catch our breath and relax a bit. And then on to Georgia... If you've never been to Stone Mountain, you should go. It's a beautiful area surrounding a huge stone hill. In the hill is a huge (larger than Mount Rushmore) carving of three confederate heroes of the civil war (President Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E Lee). There are lakes, camping and hiking areas all around the mountain.
And The Fair is located smack dab in the middle of all of this. Sooooo lovely!
Of course, if you're going to make that much effort to get to the fair, you most certainly should cough up the extra dough to have an early-bird ticket. Which means waiting in a line to get in.
But once you're in, you have an hour and a half of no crowds. It is heaven. Pure, sweet heaven.
Just look at the excitement on Bob's face. He was definitely in the minority there, though not the absolute only man. There was a sort of brotherhood amongst the few brave men who were shopping alongside their wives. When they'd pass each other they'd give a little nod of the head and an understanding smile. Generally they'd have their arms full of bags and treasures.
I love this pic below. Bob is in line with a bunch of ladies. In his left arm, he is cradling gifts that we picked out for our daughters and daughters-in-law.
A special treat was to be able to hear Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) talk and answer questions. She is exactly what you'd think her to be, in real life -- darling, funny, and down-to-earth. I've always loved her, and now I love her even more!
The fact that The Fair is located in such beautiful surroundings is just a huge win-win. We stayed at a hotel their in the park, and enjoyed this ride several times a day...
And in between our going to The Fair, we climbed to the top of the mountain a couple of times. Soooo beautiful!
And the best part of the trip? With all the fun and adventures we had, the best part was just being away with Bob. As Walt Whitman so aptly put...
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