Georgia’s Unexpected Budget-Friendly (and fun!) Family Vacation Spot

You don’t have to break the bank visiting Americus in west-central Georgia. The town is only three hours south of Atlanta and two hours north of I-10, and it offers plenty of free and low-cost family friendly events, two national park sites that require no admission fee, ways to shop and be creative in an historic downtown and plenty of outdoor adventures.

Photo byCourtesy of Windsor Hotel

Catch a festival

Families will have a “grape” time at the 8th Annual Grape Stomp Festival on Aug. 17 at Wolf Creek Plantation. Free tastings, tours of the winery, arts and crafts vendors, live music and, yes, a chance to stomp grapes like Lucille Ball will be available all day at this family friendly event.

The Americus Train Depot comes alive on Oct. 19 as performers from multiple genres take the stage at the 3rd Annual Americus Music Fest.

The fun begins at 10 a.m. with craft vendors, the Food Truck Fest and a Kids Zone with the music happening all the way to 11 p.m. Be sure to wear your Halloween costumes for the costume dance party. Best of all, admission is free!

First Fridays

Check out what makes downtown Americus wonderful during every First Friday of the month when a stroll through downtown means enjoying its many businesses, boutiques and restaurants.

Some months have themes, such as Artsapalooza and Flashback Friday. In September, for instance, it’s “Downtown Goes Disney” with Disney-theme characters visiting the shops. Many times, you’ll find free activities to enjoy, including tours of downtown by trolley.

Kids get creative!

Children of many ages can let their creative passions fly at Art Hive Studio. Located in downtown Americus, the company features camps, classes, art parties and more. Art Hive offers both weeks-long classes and drop-in events.

Lenny’s Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday from May through November, you’ll discover a host of fresh Georgia produce and meats at Lenny’s Farmers Market at 110 North Hampton Street.

The market is named for Leonard “Lenny” J. Waitsman, a downtown business owner and Americus City Council member who started the market. Look for locally produced items such as peaches, peanuts and farm fresh eggs but also baked goods, jams and jellies, arts and crafts, flowers and plants.

Catch a show

Stepping inside the Rylander Theatre takes one’s breath away, with its three tiers of seating, massive stage and art deco mural inside the proscenium arch.

The Rylander was built in 1921 and was once known as “The Finest Playhouse South of Atlanta.” Today, the theater offers a variety of performances, from ballet and plays to musical acts. The theater is also home to the

Frank Sheffield Memorial Organ, a 1928 restored Moller theater pipe organ that’s only one of three theater pipe organs in Georgia.

Ride the rails

Historic railcars of the SAM Shortline Railway, otherwise known as the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery, have been beautifully restored and open for the public to ride the train’s original route from Cordele to Plains with a stop in Americus.

Passengers enjoy the climate-controlled cars in a variety of styles as it journeys through Georgia Veterans State Park, across Lake Blackshear, through Americus and on to President Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains.

Visitors may grab the train at the Americus Train Depot but to enjoy the full ride, it’s preferable to board in nearby Cordele. SAMS routinely offers special excursions, such as the Murder Mystery Dinner Train, the Halloween Express and several holiday excursions.

National Parks

Americus is blessed to be situated between two national historic sites, part of America’s National Park Service. To the northeast is Andersonville National Historic Site, a Civil War prisoner of war camp where thousands of Union soldiers died and are buried in the park’s national cemetery.

Andersonville’s known as the “deadliest ground of the American Civil War.” The park also includes the National Prisoner of War Museum dedicated to Americans captured from the Revolutionary War until today. Both sites are free to visitors.

The 48th annual Andersonville Encampment, where re-enactors perform mock Civil War battles and living history encampments, will be held Oct. 5-6 in the village of Andersonville. Admission is free.

West of Americus lies the small town of Plains, home to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The Jimmy Carter National Historical Park pays homage to the 39th president and highlights his life, from growing up on a peanut farm in Plains to his humanitarian work throughout the world in his later years.

The park sites—where admission is free—include Plains High School, where Carter attended and graduated; the Plains Depot, the site of his campaign headquarters during his 1976 presidential campaign; and Carter’s boyhood home and farm, today home to honeybees, animals and crops, all part of an active farm. The Carter sites are free as well.

Take a hike

Looking out on Providence Canyon with its massive gullies as deep as 150 feet, visitors will be amazed to learn that this “Little Grand Canyon” in southwest Georgia was the result of poor farming practices in the 19th century.

You can hike along the rim or explore the colorful canyons of this state park located about 45 minutes west of Americus. Only backpackers can stay the night but accommodations are available at nearby Florence Marina State Park on Lake Walter F. George. Admission is a $5 parking fee.

Where to stay in Americus

What kid—and we’re talking all ages, here— wouldn’t want to spend the night in a castle? From the outside, the majestic Windsor Hotel appears just that, with its round towers boasting of roofs that resemble magician hats.

Inside the 1892 Victorian, however, it’s an elegant landmark hotel with crystal chandeliers and marble floors. The recently renovated hotel features 53 guest rooms and two restaurants, Southern elegance at Rosemary & Thyme Restaurant and pub fare on the veranda at Floyd’s Pub.

You can even stay in one of the towers in a specialty suite such as the Carter Presidential Suite, named for President Jimmy Carter.

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