The Frugal Adventures of the Hartley Girl Gang

11/10/2022

Station cove falls is the perfect family hike to start the day. There is immediate gratification when the falls come quickly! Our four and eight year old walked easily. We did backpack wear our 2 year old but to keep moving. The falls are 60 feet tall and offer a great opportunity for pictures especially for child photographers because of how close you. The hike is short at 1.6 miles out and back but honestly didnt feel that at all!. The majority is smooth and shaded! The waterfall spray and unit surroundings allow for plants to grow that wouldn't normally thrive there. Take the hike!

10/28/2022

Toccoa Falls was our next stop of the day. We had tried to do this hike before and somehow we could never find it. After we found it this time we felt silly that we could never get there. To find the Toccoa Falls, make sure to put in the address for the Gate Cottage Gift Shoppe. It is located on the campus of the beautiful Toccoa Falls College. When you arrive, park at the gift shop and walk in. There is a small fee to hike to the falls but it is for the maintenance of the area. We only had to pay for 2 adults and our oldest daughter -- total charge was $6 dollars. This hike is EASY and under a quarter of a mile!!! Easy enough that a younger walking toddler could even mosey out there to burn energy! It is completely flat and gravel. We were so surprised that such a beautiful waterfall is right on this campus! It was the perfect waterfall to let our children take their own pictures and mosey around. The falls are 186 feet tall (taller than Niagara!) and one of the tallest free falling east of the Mississipppi River! Let me know if you have visited before!

10/17/2022

Our view on the suspension bridge at Tallulah Gorge State Park...

10/17/2022

Tallulah Gorge. Oh Tallulah. You did us in, but my goodness are you beautiful. During our research, people warned us that hiking the gorge is hard, but they said just do the rim (north and south!) and it's completely kid friendly. Great. Sign us up. We parked at the interpretive center and it is fabulous! We probably could have spent an hour plus there. It is FULL of information. There are a ton of hands-on exhibits and even live animals. If you are there on an "educational day" from school, make sure to allot time for walking through. It's worth it I promise. Also, the bathrooms are impeccably clean! Note to self. They must have had some crazy

They said both trails are around 2 miles. We have done more with them so we thought it would be just fine. We "baby wore" Annistyn and Elleson just to make it what we thought would be easier. We chose the north rim to start simply because we couldn't find the south rim entrance! The trail starts out going down hill slightly and is an easy walk. I realize what goes down must come up but.... little did we know...

Just a little bit into the walk we came to the first couple overlooks. They are stunning! Incredible views of some of the falls -- there are five within the park. Those are easy. Our four year old could have easily done it and on the way back, both our 2 and 4 year old actually did do it. As we are standing there, we see lots of exhausted people. They had just conquered the steps down to the suspension bridge. Did we do it? ABSOLUTELY. I'll make it short and sweet. HOLY. CRAP. 620 steps. 620 steps of having a kid on our back. There' s a reason it's labeled strenuous. Down the steps.... simple. Up the stairs? Let's just say we had to make a lot of stops. It is STEEP and no joke. The views were actually incredible though! You can hear me slightly freaking out on the video due to the movement on the bridge but it was AMAZING. It is 8 stories above the water. (the entire gorge is 1000 feet!)

Coming back was tough. I won't lie. We ended up walking to a couple other viewpoints then we turned around as we had other hikes to do. We DID wear our hiking boots and make sure you have water!!!

Would we do it again? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!! There is additional hiking down to the floor of the gorge but there are passes given with a class you had to take. We didn't go to that part.

Hike Score--- 10/10

10/17/2022

After found out about our Atlanta opportunity, we knew we wanted to extend it and get some time outside. A quick search of the area, we found out that the North Georgia and South Carolina south of Clemson is known for their waterfalls and hiking—our absolute favorite. Without any true knowledge of the area and how far things were, we started searching for an Airbnb. We landed in Westminster. It was truly one of the best choices we could have made. We ended up being about 20 minutes from “the starting and ending hikes” and it was a perfect spot. We cooked in each night to save money and honestly we were exhausted by the end of the day. We also took the time to visit the hot tub and fire pit several times. As a family of five, it’s harder to find a spot to fit us comfortably. This spot was perfect! I sipped my coffee with the deer each morning in the sun room and a glass of wine at night. The beds were extremely comfortable! We are already ready to return to Ms. Linda’s!

Here is the link if interested in the area! (All our favorite hikes to come!)

Entire home in Westminster, United States. As you enter the screened in front porch you will instantly relax, experience a peaceful and quiet tree lined front yard. The house has plenty of s...

10/15/2022

Our first stop in was a playground stop in at Morgan Falls Overlook. There is a small trail that goes around the water but the playground is incredible! It is fenced in except for the entrance which helps so much! There are two areas, one for younger children and one for olders. With having multiple ages it was so nice to be able to monitor both. We were there on a Thursday afternoon and it wasn't busy at all! If you are in the area, it is an amazing and FREE energy burner.

10/15/2022

A family friendly winery? Need I say more? Our next stop before we made it to Atlanta was at . Before we left the house, I confirmed it was . We pulled in and wow. Just wow. This winery is stunning. Beyond words... but I never felt like my kids would bother anything. My husband took the kids to the outside patio area and I found a wine for us. We chose the Pineapple Riesling. While it sounds sweet, it's the perfect combination and not as sweet as I pictured. Perfect on an 80 degree day. Our bottle was around $20 dollars plus tip. We ended up on the lower level where the kids could run in the wide open area. There are pigs and goats roaming and they are very friendly! A small play area is next to Pinot the Pig. I think he enjoyed the kids swinging:-) Near the end we walked the property to burn off the last bit of energy and saw the pond shaped like a wine glass. A perfect area for a picnic! The staff was absolutely outstanding and so welcoming. Can I please go back for another bottle soon?

Yelp Greenville
City Scape Winery
Town of Pelzer

10/14/2022

Our second stop on our road trip adventure was at outside of . I won't lie. The entrance fee kind of threw me. I wasn't expecting a $15 dollar fee, but I blame myself for not researching more. We needed a good half way stop and this popped up. The is a wonderful, family friendly (including small kids!) Trail to burn off the energy before continuing on. The sights were beautiful the leaves were just starting to change. It's a simple one mile walk with just roots and a couple areas of rocks. Our girls even got to enjoy looking for fools gold we found out later is pyrite!! If ever in the area again, we may visit again but will be looking into the pass for the future to save money!
Yelp Greenville
South Carolina State Parks

10/11/2022

Our next adventure, a trip to started with a stop in . I have been hearing about this bakery for awhile now so I had to check it out. First off, their staff is some of the kindest people I have ever met. We came in similar to a wrecking ball with our three kids and they were so welcoming. It is the best atmosphere and so perfect for families from the little kitchen and cozy couches to the huge outdoor area depending on what works for your family. My husband came out of the restroom and immediately said "you must go see the bathroom." There it was. everywhere in all its glory. I think I screamed. I can't even remember... I was that enthralled. Next came the treats. You can always tell a good bakery by the basics. I always order a chocolate chip cookie. We also got a brown sugar pop tart, oreo cookie and oatmeal cream pie. I get the fuss friends. I get it. Hands down one of the best cookies I have had in my life. I warmed it (per recommendations) for 10 seconds and it was gooey goodness. Everything we ordered was so good! Even 3 days later when we finished it all. DO NOT MISS THIS SPOT! Get a couple things and split with your family! I can't wait for the next visit!

10/10/2022

Typically we splurge on one “nicer” meal when we travel. (Or we do lots of take out and feed the kids chicken nuggets at the rental!) We are in a tough season with a two and four year old so we try to get creative with our food options and letting them move if needed. And….. when we moved to small town America from the number one thing we miss.. ethnic food. I honestly have 0 idea how we came across it but enter (me screaming and cheering) . Truly God’s gift to families, lots of palates and space to move. This place is incredible. You name the food it’s there. Everything from burgers and nugs to Indian, Mediterranean, Asian, and every other thing you could imagine. There are also several drink options including which is a personal favorite of mine. We ordered from five yes FIVE different places and were able to try so many things. We ordered drinks from Fonta Flora and we were able to sit out at the picnic tables and enjoy. The food was delicious. Every last thing we tried. And when the Asian food said spicy, it was truly spicy!!! These are the most budget friendly options but even if you got several things to try and for the kids to experience new flavors, it’s worth it! Heads up first ninety minutes parking is free. Afterwards 5 dollars!

Yelp Charlotte
Optimist Hall
Fonta Flora Brewery at Optimist Hall

10/10/2022

When I was in the final stages of planning our weekend, I reached out to one of all time favorite bloggers for her favorite pizza suggestions in the Charlotte area. I have followed her for YEARS and we have children that are very similar ages (and they are Buckeye fans—what could go wrong?!) so I knew she would get that we wanted to order an “adult style” pizza. She suggested so I started researching. Just about everyone recommended the pistachio pizza so of course I had to try it. Hands down one of the best, most delicious pizzas I’ve ever had. I’m already trying to come up with another reason to come through charlotte to have another. I can’t even describe it. It’s just that delicious. If you have been to what are your favorites?



Yelp Charlotte
Carolina Charm by Christina Marcellino
Inizio Pizza

10/10/2022

Stop 2 (well three, after a stop at the state line for Dad) is at Trailhead Park in Tega Cay, SC. I recently started following and she has given me so many ideas for different playgrounds to explore when we are visting the Charlotte area. This one didn’t disappoint! Our girls are 8, 4, and 2 and it had the perfect balance of climbing, swinging, “zip lining,” and everything in between. The best part? It’s fenced in! No kids running off especially when are a mom of three and trying to keep track of all the kids! What is your favorite Charlotte Metro playground to visit?

City of Tega Cay, SC