On this week's adventure. We strolled through a rock garden.
Did I mention the drive was over an hour away?
Sounds a little boring when you say it like that.
Don’t worry, you are not hurting my feelings; that was about the same level of excitement everyone else gave me when I told them about our weekly adventure.
When I discovered this place, I did not look too much into it. I wanted to share in the experience of either being in awe or disappointment. And if you know what to expect, that takes some of the excitement away.
Boy, I was wrong.
My expectations were low. I figured walking around this garden would take roughly 10 minutes. And then I would have to figure out other ways to make this trip more entertaining.
This rock garden is in Calhoun, GA, down some dirt roads that don’t look like anyone else has been on in forever.
Just kidding.
This rock garden is so cool; it is even on the map. :)
Seriously, put Rock Garden, Calhoun, GA, into Google Maps and it will get you there safely.
When you see the church, know you are headed in the right direction. The secret garden is tucked a Seventh Day Adventist Church. As far as I can tell, the rock garden is part of the church’s property.
Upon arrival, I knew we — I mean - I made a brilliant decision to check this place out.
The builder of the rock garden wasted no time showing off. From the moment you drive in, you can tell this place is going to surprise you.
This isn’t just any rock garden.
This garden leaves you standing there thinking:
How did they do that?
Did you see that?
What is that tiny thing in the window?
How long did this take to build?
Oh my gosh, that one is BIG!
All the while, there is this peaceful feeling surrounding you.
Time slowed down for us.
Which is what I wanted.
The little peaceful sanctuary is home to 24 original rock structures. From small creations to structures as big or bigger than you. There are miniature structures from all over the world. Bridges you can walk over, arches you can walk under, castles and towers, and so much more.
But when you slow down and really look at each structure, that is when it gets you.
The amount of detail that went into each structure is incredible. I can’t even imagine the time and patience it took to create them.
What I thought would be a quick 10 - minute stop ended up slowing time down for us.
We lost track of time.
We weren’t in a hurry to leave.
The farther we wandered into the garden, the longer we spent looking over every detail.
On a perfect weather day, I could see us taking a book or notebook and spending time simply chilling in the garden.
Wasting -enjoying- the day away.
But on this particular day hunger finally kicked in. So we wrapped things up and headed out.
Things to know:
The Rock Garden is free. Donations appreciated.
There is a 1-mile walking trail.
As you enter the garden, grab a brochure. Inside is a map with the names of all the structures.
Once you walk through entrance, look to the left for the small information booth. Inside you will find a scavenger hunt postcard.
Homeschool Activity:
Take lots of pictures of the structures while you are there.
Once you are back home, have your child research the name of each structure. Ask them to find facts and history about each structure that they find interesting. Then have them create a slide presentation with their findings.
We even compared pictures of the rock structure to the real-life structure that inspired by.
So, yes
We drove for over an hour to walk through a rock garden.
And I would absolutely do it again.
If you visit, I would love to know which building was your favorite.
The Rock Garden
1411 Rome Road SW
Calhoun, GA 30701
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