Monday, December 3, 2012

How to have fun at Stone/Snow Mountain #Atlanta

Stone Mountain Park, Georgia's most visited attraction, is all decked out for the holidays!



Stone Mountain Christmas, presented by Humana, is open on select dates now through January 1st. And where else can you find SNOW on 60+ degree southern days but Snow Mountain, the region’s only snow park? Snow Mountain opened on November 22nd and will operate on select dates through February 18th.

I live almost an hour away from Stone Mountain, so we have not visited in many years. I was surprised by how much it has grown! It really is a theme park now, with almost never-ending things to do and see. It was our very first time visiting Stone Mountain for the winter/Christmas fun, and seeing it through Amelia's eyes was just priceless. 



Here are some tips from yours truly, a first-timer, a mom, and Atlanta-area resident... 
How to have fun at Stone Mountain Christmas & Snow Mountain:



Do not underestimate the sunshine. Sure, 70 degrees on December 2nd is not "normal", even for our southern state, but boy were we roasting! The Fort Snow play area was cool, but the line for snow tubing was in the bright sunshine (mid-afternoon) and quite hot. If the forecast is for sun and above mid-60s, just wear long sleeves; you may even be able to skip the jackets. 



Absolutely try both snow tube runs. The single-rider run is fast, bumpy, and a ton of fun. The family tube run is a little bit steeper with a first drop that makes your eyes go wide. Both are incredible! (Kids over 42" can ride in a single tube. Amelia is only 4 1/2 and she was happy to go by herself - no tears, only BIG smiles!)



Bring gloves for Fort Snow. If you have a kid who likes to throw snowballs and build with snow, then gloves are a good idea. Even if it is 70 degrees outside. Snow is still, well, cold on bare skin.



Have a couple dollar bills on you.You definitely don't want to lug a bag of stuff around while snow tubing, but lockers are available nearby at Guest Services. Only $1 for a small locker (fit my purse just fine) or $3 for a larger locker. But don't lose the key - a $5 charge for that.

Say hello! The employees at Snow Mountain and Stone Mountain Christmas were extremely friendly. They really did exude true southern hospitality by greeting us, smiling, and asking Amelia her name. We felt welcomed and important, like they rolled out the red carpet. 

Catch a show or two. We were only able to catch one show yesterday, but we did enjoy it. #HollyJollyCabaret was silly, funny, and enjoyable. And the perfect length (about 25 minutes) for our 4-year-old.

Meet the Snow Angel. Wait in line to meet the Snow Angel a few minutes before a meet & greet session begins, and you can see her grand entrance with soldier/trumpeters, flowing down a decorated "snowy" staircase. Then take a moment to meet her and snap a photo.  



Check some names off your gift list. I did not get a lot of shopping time with an excited child in tow, but the stores we popped in were just lovely. Stone Mountain Christmas has gifts, toys, candies, candles, and much more. The little village with cute stores gets you in the shopping mood. 




We gave our Stone Mountain experience two thumbs up! We definitely want to try it again sometime. It is well worth the hour-long drive. Possibly our new holiday tradition!

Want to see more? Here is a video showing some of our fun: 


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I received free passes to Stone Mountain Christmas and Snow Mountain for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions are 100% mine. It was fantastic!

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