Family Fun in Braselton
As a mom, I look for vacation destinations that not only appeal to me and my husband but are fun for our two kids as well. Our recent visit to Braselton, Georgia, met our needs. I loved the charming, small town atmosphere and the historic buildings, but Braselton is so much more than that. With plenty of recreational opportunities, shopping, unique restaurants, a world-class winery, and a popular motorsport track, this northeast Georgia town has a lot to offer.
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Since we’re outdoorsy, we knew we wanted to camp in or near Braselton. There are plenty of hotels, of course, for all types of budgets and needs, but the kids especially love exploring parks at every destination we visit, so camping was a natural choice. We checked the event calendar at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and chose one we thought the kids would enjoy, then we reserved a campsite at the track. It was so exciting to be right in the middle of all the racing action! The kids got autographs from the race car drivers, which is a memory they’ll keep forever.
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Since we needed food for our camping adventure, we stopped in Downtown Braselton at Joy Company Market, which specializes in locally grown and organic food. We all had fun picking out some unique Georgia products that we can’t get at home. While we were there, the kids enjoyed cooling off in the splash pad at Braselton Park!
We didn’t plan on eating all our meals at the campsite – we wanted to enjoy some of the local dining spots, too. Speaking of which, one of our favorites was Pat’s Eatery. We decided to hit Braselton early enough for breakfast on our first full day, and this was the perfect place to fuel up. I couldn’t resist the Bananas Foster French toast, and my husband loved the Western omelet. The kids had plenty to eat with their breakfast platters.
I added Thompson Mills Forest & State Arboretum to our itinerary so we could walk the trails and admire the diverse collection of native and exotic trees and plants. We also enjoyed the Braselton Mulberry Riverwalk, which took us by some nice gardens and a waterfall. The kids loved the Four Corners Monument along the riverwalk, which marks the spot where Barrow, Hall, Jackson, and Gwinnett counties meet. They had fun snapping selfies of themselves for their friends, bragging about how they were standing in four counties at once.
We were hot after all that hiking, so we stopped at Juke N Jive Creamery, This 1950’s-style ice cream shop has a fun atmosphere, and we loved the waffle cones! We walked with our ice cream down to Pecan Tree Park to see one of the oldest pecan trees in Georgia—it was quite impressive!
My husband and son love cars, which is one of the reasons we chose Braselton. We split off one day so the boys could visit the Panoz Museum, which houses a beautiful collection of Panoz luxury sports cars and memorabilia. Meanwhile, I took my daughter to visit some of Braselton’s shops. We had to stop at Beadjoux Bead Store to pick out some beautiful beads for jewelry making. We stopped at House of Clay for pottery made right there in the store. Then, we looked for collectibles and other treasures at A Flea Antique and Countryside Antiques. We could have spent all day browsing at both stores – there were so many unique finds! We each found a few small, vintage items for crafting projects.
All that shopping made us hungry, so we carb-loaded at The Galloping Galette. We each ordered savory galettes (French crepes) for lunch and shared a delicious dessert crepe. We lingered on the patio over a cappuccino for me and a fancy lemonade for her. We finished off our mother-daughter date with a ride on the fun and free vintage trolley that circles around Braselton, starting in downtown and disembarking at Chateau Elan to get photos of the gorgeous landscape. I also picked up a couple of bottles of muscadine wine to take home.
We met up with the boys later on for dinner before heading back to our campsite. La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant was delicious and fresh. A margarita was a great way to end a busy day in Braselton!
After camping at the race track all weekend, we decided to try the lakeside yurts at Fort Yargo State Park – 11 miles outside of Braselton in Winder, Georgia. The yurts still had some creature comforts, such as furniture and electricity, plus we had easy access to the trails and boat rentals for some fun on the lake.
Fort Yargo also has a log fort from 1792, which the kids thought was pretty cool. It was built by settlers for protection against the local Cherokee and Creek tribes. The history, fabulous visitor center, and variety of activities made for a fun end to our trip.
The whole family had a great vacation in Braselton. We still talk about it. The kids had fun and burned off a lot of energy, and we enjoyed our time together as a family. Nothing beats the sweet memories we made together in Braselton.
