A Walk In The Park

Lakeside and under the watchful eye of a broad-winged hawk named Dauset, I met someone at Callaway Gardens who had the exact same birthday as me. Same day, year, everything, born just 12 hours apart. We both turned 30 recently and talked about what we did for that milestone occasion. She took a group of friends to Las Vegas, and I took a group of friends to Epic Universe in Orlando. The goal was the same: to let the people we love run wild a little bit. 

Funny enough, I met quite a few people during my Callaway getaway that were theme park fans (I consider Las Vegas a mega-theme park, of course). We compared our favorite parks and rides. This was done while riding an open-top pink Jeep through a luscious summer springscape, strolling through azalea gardens, and across lotus-topped ponds. It dawned on us naturally: At Callaway, we are in a different sort of theme park.

So then, what is the theme of this special park? I’d posit three pillars: immersive natural education, conservation, and reconnection with the ones you love (including yourself). 

Photos Courtesy of Gallaway Gardens

Now, back to Dauset the hawk, since you, too, might have a chance to meet him if you make the three-and-a-half-hour sojourn to Pine Mountain, Georgia, where Callaway is situated. Dauset is one among a host of raptors in Callaway’s Birds of Prey program, a sanctuary and education initiative led by highly trained falconers. Meagan DuVall, program manager, appears as a fount of knowledge before the enraptured (pun intended) crowd at the daily Birds of Prey wildlife experiences, free with park admission, where rehabilitated hawks, owls, and eagles from across the country coast mere inches over guests’ heads. Don’t hold your hands up too high, DuVall warns.

You’ll find another dazzling wildlife experience (aside from the abundant organic encounters) at Callaway’s famous Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. This tropical greenhouse hosts over 1,000 butterflies of various species and a hatchery where visitors can see new winged friends break free from the chrysalis. Structured tours and short educational programs are available, but guests can also wander the greenhouse, which hosts fascinating and well-kept tropical plants, at their leisure. I loved this route—chasing butterflies and sniffing fragrant ylang ylang makes for a lovely afternoon. 

Photos Courtesy of Gallaway Gardens

Flower lovers should make sure to plan their trip for peak azalea season, when the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl Garden is on fire with over 4,000 blooming bushes of 700-plus varieties. The gardens received special conservation honors for its work in conserving the Prunifolia azalea, a native, later-blooming species. Peak season falls between early March and mid-April, when the Georgia spring weather is also at its temperate peak. 

When it’s time for an adventure break—or to break bread—Callaway has a plethora of dining options for all moods. At the Lodge, Cason’s Tap Room is the right choice for an afternoon bite and a brew (the Tequila Honeysuckle cocktail is a highlight) or dinner over live music, which visits the indoor-outdoor pub-style space regularly. For a more intimate setting, try the Piedmont Dining Room. The Bourbon Brined Cornish Hen and Olive Oil Cake are memorable dishes found for dinner at both sites. Executive chef Daniel Huertas assures guests that all dietary restrictions (or in the case of events, imaginative possibilities) can be accommodated. 

Photos Courtesy of Gallaway Gardens

If you’re a lover of a Southern breakfast, don’t overlook Country Kitchen, perched on a scenic vista and paired with a sweet gift shop. Biscuits and gravy and pancakes and skillets will be the hearty finale your trip deserves—it’s enough to keep you full until you get home—or the perfect start for an expeditious day in the gardens or historic Pine Mountain (where the antiquing is unmatched). 

Expeditions call for good company, and Callaway Gardens is a gracious host. Family reunions, bachelor or bachelorette parties, birthday getaways, weddings—any of life’s celebrations would benefit from Callaway’s lush and active backdrop. The gift of natural immersion is a lovely party favor. 

Photos Courtesy of Gallaway Gardens

Seasonal events like the epic Christmas festival Fantasy in Lights or the aforementioned azalea explosion are worth planning around. But memories can be made at any time of the year, just as any day is the right one to practice putting yourself first. When it’s time to return inward, reflect, and renew, The Spa at Callaway Gardens is close at hand for Lodge guests. The ideal itinerary? Treat yourself to a massage or body treatment, relax with the facial and body care bar in the locker room (also complete with sauna and steam room), and enjoy tea or a mimosa paired with soft solitude in the quiet room. The grand finale: a session in the salt room, which improves skin health, respiratory function, and stress levels. It’s simply self-love. 

After my time in the spa, I slept better than I had in a very long time. So well, actually, that I was late for breakfast the next day … and that’s fine, because Callaway is the kind of place where you can take a detour and stop to smell the roses. Enjoy a little time to run wild.