Field Trip: Stone Mountain

After a great week of school, we took a trip Friday to the Homeschool Day at Stone Mountain Park on the other side of Atlanta. Walker and Cullen had both looked forward to this. Note the happy faces and coordinating sunglasses. They're just cool like that!

The Sky Hike attraction had to be first on the list of things to do. This ridiculously high ropes course took a bit of time and a lot of nerve to navigate, but these two managed to conquer all fear. Here are a few of my favorite shots, taken safely from my spot on the ground.

 

The museum was a wealth of information on the history of the area, from the time of prehistoric Native Americans, through early settlers, Civil War, reconstruction period, all the way to modern time. A special exhibit detailed the monumental sculpture carved into the side of the mountain and how it was created. A life-sized replica of one of the horses was an irresistible photo op. 

A trip to the top was, of course, an absolute must. Much like I would imagine the surface of the moon, except with more gravity, tourists, an occasional scrubby tree and a snack shop, the top was pitted and pocked from erosion. These two loved it.

 



 We had fun searching out odd carvings left in the granite over the years. Most were just initials or names, but this one had a readable date of July 4, 1912.

 

Cullen took great pride in locating the official marker at the summit.

 

 

 It gave us an arrow north for bearing, which helped us locate Kennesaw Mountain on the horizon near our home. Amazing, how many miles we could see even on an overcast day.

 

A little earth science, a little history, a little P.E. and a lot of fun equals a terrific outing!