A Family Escape

A Family Escape. Unplugged. Outside. Together.

The summer your kids will actually remember.

 Summer used to mean grass-stained knees, bike-tan shoulders, and the specific exhaustion of a kid who's been outside since breakfast. Summer is calling. At Callaway Resort & Gardens, you can bring your family back to that timeless, carefree kind of summer.

It's the kind of trip the kids will remember without anyone trying to make memories. A 175-acre lake with real white sand. Ten miles of paved garden trails to ride. Cabanas in the shade, paddleboards on the water, and a Birds of Prey program that has the whole crowd quietly leaning forward. Long days. Slow dinners. Stories at the firepit.

We know how stressful planning a family trip can be so, that’s why we created this Family Guide below that breaks down who this trip is for, what makes Callaway Resort & Gardens different for families, age-tailored adventures (Little Sprouts, Wildflowers, and Tall Pines), and a sample three-day flow. And the practical notes (stroller routes, quiet zones, ADA accessibility, pet-friendly options) that the planning parent actually needs.

Who This Trip Is For

This guide is for families who want a real summer trip that doesn't start with a flight. A Family Escape is built for families with kids of any age. We've got tailored picks for each below. Southeast families in Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Macon can be at the gates of Callaway Resort & Gardens in a single easy drive.

It's also for parents who've noticed something. The trips their kids talk about months later tend to be the ones where nothing was on a schedule. This guide is for the parents who'd like to plan a few more of those days into the year.

What Makes Callaway Different for Families

Escape into 2,500 acres of pure, stunning natural beauty at Callaway Resort & Gardens, where the goal is simply to unplug and get back to nature. The real showstopper here? Georgia’s largest man-made white sand beach, Robin Lake. With real sand and Aqua Island, a daring floating obstacle course your kids will happily get "lost" on for hours, it is the absolute definition of summer perfection.

The property is built for families in a way most resorts aren't. The 10-mile Discovery Bike Trail is paved, mostly flat, and threads through woods, past gardens, and along the lake. It's a real bike ride, not a parking-lot loop. The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, the Birds of Prey program, and the Discovery Center all work for kids who haven't outgrown wonder yet. Which is most of them. Even teenagers, even if they won't admit it.

Adventures by Age

The whole point of a family escape is that everyone, toddler to teenager, finds their version of a great day. Three age windows, three different plans. Mix and match for families with kids across the range.

Little Sprouts. Under 4

Trips with toddlers are a logistics game, not a sightseeing one. The good news is Callaway Resort & Gardens is built for it.

Start the morning at the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. It's enclosed, climate-controlled, and slow. A perfect first stop in the gentle window before the first nap. Toddlers stare; parents breathe.

Mid-morning, head to the Robin Lake beach. The sand is real, the entry is gradual, and the shallow-water designated areas and roped swim zones make it manageable for the smallest swimmers. You can park directly at the beach in your personal vehicle or your rented Callaway Cruiser. 

For lunch, any vendor at the Beach Pavillion is your friend. Quick, kid-friendly, located right next to the beach so you're not driving anywhere. They offer hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream and various kid-friendly bites. The afternoon nap window doesn't have to ruin your beach day. Pro tip: If you have a little one, rent a beach cabana. It gives you shade and a full couch, perfect for a quick stroller or contact nap while the older kids play with family and friends. Otherwise, you can easily zip your golf cart back to your room at the Lodge or cottage. For dinner, head to the Piedmont Dining Room early to beat the crowd before bedtime gets tight.

Have little ones and need something the whole family will love? Enjoy a Pink Jeep Adventure Tours trip - car seats included for an extra fee! 

The Birds of Prey program is, surprisingly, an all-ages win. It's outdoors, about 30 minutes, handlers narrating throughout, and infants in carriers do great. Older toddlers will lose their minds (in the best way) when the hawk lands ten feet away.

Wildflowers. Ages 5 to 11

The sweet spot. Energy to burn. Attention spans long enough to enjoy a guided activity. Brave enough to try something new without freaking out. Young enough to still be enchanted by butterflies and rope bridges.

This is the trip where you let them help choose. Mornings are for water. Kayak or paddleboard on Robin Lake, splash time at Aqua Island, or build sand piles at Robin Lake. Aqua Island, a floating course of trampolines, slides, and obstacles on the lake, is the trip centerpiece. They'll want to come back every day.

The Birds of Prey program at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. is non-negotiable. A hawk lands on a glove ten feet away. They'll talk about it for a year. Pair it with a Discovery Center stop afterward. The bug exhibits and interactive science displays work better for this age range than any other.

Bike the full 10-mile Discovery Trail at least once. Pack water, take it slow, stop at the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel and the Pioneer Cabin along the way. They'll remember the day they did "a 10-mile bike ride."

For a rainy or hot-as-blazes hour, the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center is the climate-controlled save. For a treat, head to the Beach Pavilion snack bar for sweet summer treats, easy lunches, and the picnic area with shade.

Tall Pines. Ages 12 and up.

Tweens and teens are the hardest crowd at any family resort. They're too old for the kiddie pool and too young to ditch you for the bar. Callaway Resort & Gardens has more to keep them happy than most places. The trick is letting them go.

TreeTop Adventure is the easy win. A high-ropes course that gets harder the higher you climb, with ziplines threaded between platforms. Ten minutes in, the phones come out only for video, which is the version of phones you actually want on a family trip.

If you have a teen who fishes, a guided fishing tour on Mountain Creek will be the highlight of their summer. If you have one who doesn't, Aqua Island still works, the beach still works, and bike rentals give them the freedom to move around the property at their own pace.

Encourage the 10-mile bike trail. Let them ride to the beach by themselves while you have an actual coffee at Azalea Market (which serves Starbucks, one teenager problem solved). Hand them a Summer Escape Pass and let them go.

The underrated teen activity is golf. The Lake View Course is forgiving enough for a first-timer and scenic enough that they'll actually want to play. The Pro Shop rents clubs.

A Sample Three-Day Flow

One version of a great family trip. Use it as a starting point. Swap activities by age. Trust the rhythm of water, garden, food, and fire.

Day One. Arrival.

Afternoon

• Pull in around 2 p.m. and head into the Gardens gate. (Your overnight stay gains you gardens admission each day of your stay and you can use it before check-in the day of your arrival.)
• Check-in opens at 4 p.m. Drop your bags in your room and walk the kids straight to Robin Lake. The first look at the lake is the moment the trip starts.

Evening

• Dinner at Piedmont Dining Room.
• Head to the Lodge firepits after dinner. Marshmallows on hand.
• Bedtime by 8.

Day Two. The Big Day.

Morning

• Breakfast at Country Kitchen, the locals' spot with Pine Mountain views. Pancakes for kids. A real coffee for adults.
• Head to the water. Kayak with older kids or go straight to Aqua Island and Robin Lake Beach with the littles.
• Pack a change of clothes. They will need it.

Afternoon

• Lunch at Piedmont or Azalea Market before you head back out for an afternoon of fun.
• Birds of Prey at 3 p.m.
• Then biking. The Discovery Bike Trail is wide, paved, and forgiving for mixed-ability families.
• Hot or tired? Duck into the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center for an air-conditioned reset. Wander Cason's Garden and the Pioneer Cabin on the way back.

Evening

• Dinner at Cason's Taproom. Live music on weekends, outdoor seating, kids welcome.
• Walk to the Sunset Dance Party at Robin Lake Beach. Nightly all summer, next to Lake View Bar.
• Your toddler will lose their mind in the best way. Even your teenager will dance for ninety seconds before remembering they're too cool.

Day Three. One More Round.

Morning

• Sleep in. Late breakfast at Azalea Market for Starbucks, pastries, picnic tables outside.
• Check-out is 11 a.m. The fun continues. Your day pass is still good until close.
• Head back to Robin Lake for one more swim, one more Aqua Island lap, one more sandcastle.

Afternoon

• Bring a picnic from Azalea Market or grab beach snacks at the Pavilion.
• Hit the road mid-afternoon. The kids fall asleep before you hit the highway. That's how you know it worked.

Where to Stay

The Lodge & Spa is the easiest call for most families. Pool access, on-property dining, walkable to everything. Lake-view rooms are worth the small upgrade.

Cottages work better for big families, longer stays, or families that want a kitchen and a porch. Private bedrooms, real living space, and the kind of arrival vibe that makes the trip feel like a place rather than a hotel.

Villas are the sweet spot for two families traveling together. Same property feel as cottages with more bedrooms.

Where to Eat

View all dining

• Country Kitchen for breakfast. Southern, Pine Mountain views, casual, highchairs available. The breakfast calls most mornings.
• Piedmont Dining Room for seasonal Southern, dressy-casual, the splurge dinner. Reservations recommended for weekends.
• Cason's Taproom for live music on weekends, outdoor seating, comfort food, and a real cocktail list for the parents.
• Azalea Market for Starbucks, pastries, grab-and-go. Best for the early-rising parent and the slow-rising teenager.
• Beach Pavilion for beach snacks, ice cream, easy lunches without leaving the sand.
• Lake View Bar for sunset cocktails at the beach and a casual menu. The pre-dinner stop.
• Champion's Grille for the golfer's grill, casual lunch if you're playing or near the courses.

The Package to Book

Book the Summer to Remember package. It's the family-trip default for a reason. Save up to 15 percent on accommodations. Get a $150 food and beverage credit (which covers most of a family dinner at Piedmont Dining Room or two big breakfasts at Country Kitchen). And earn an Explorer Pass for every registered guest. The Explorer Pass, worth over $70, for your choice of five activities for the day including Aqua Island, bike rentals, mini golf, pedal boats, kayaks, and paddleboards for the day. With four passes, you've recouped the package cost in activities by lunch on day two.

Pair it with the Summer Escape Pass ($39.99 per person, unlimited admission May 29 through September 7) if you're staying longer than three nights or thinking about a return trip.

For 2026, layer on the All American 250th Anniversary Celebration Package for the milestone-year perks. It's designed around families experiencing the anniversary programming firsthand. 

Summer Events to Plan Around

• Friday Night Luau Dinner & Polynesian Dance Show select Fridays from May 29 to July 24. All-you-can-eat buffet, hour-long dance show. Easily the most fun on the family-event calendar.
• Wild Air: A Live Action Spectacular. BMX stunts and acrobatics Wednesdays - Sundays, May 29 to July 28. Free with admission or as a resort guest. 
• Sunset Dance Party every night at Robin Lake Beach next to Lake View Bar. Don't skip.
• Birds of Prey at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., six days a week (no Wednesday).
• A Magic Show to Remember with Ken Scott on June 13 and 20.
• The Big Game Show on June 27, July 4, and July 11.
• Science Machine Show with Mike Green on July 18, July 25, and August 1.
• 4th of July Weekend with three nights of fireworks over Robin Lake.
• Labor Day Weekend with a three-day summer send-off.

Tips & Tricks from Our Team

This is the section that planning parents actually need. Real answers to real questions.

Strollers and Paved Paths

• The 10-mile Discovery Bike Trail is paved and gently graded. Stroller-friendly for the whole length.
• The walkway from the Lodge to Robin Lake Beach is paved and gently sloped.
• The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center is fully stroller-accessible.
• The Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center is single-level and easy.

Quiet Zones for Naps

• The Lodge lobby is calm enough for an in-stroller nap if you need a sit-down.
• The Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel grounds are shaded, quiet, and almost always empty mid-day.

ADA and Accessibility

• The Lodge & Spa is fully accessible.
• Robin Lake Beach has ADA accessible bathrooms.
• Main gardens, Butterfly Center, Discovery Center, and Chapel are wheelchair-accessible.

Planning a Different Kind of Trip?

Ready to Book?

Callaway is Calling. Pick up at 1-800-CALLAWAY, or book your Summer to Remember package directly. Our concierge can customize a stay around your kids' ages, mobility needs, dietary needs, pet logistics, and event preferences. Just ask.