My “Escape From The Pandemic” Retreat At The Callaway Garden and Resort
You know how people say “Self-Care Sunday” and they indulge in self-care activities only on Sunday? Well this weekend, I had a Self-Care weekend with my friend, and I think everyone should have one at least once every two months. My self-care was centered around “connecting people and nature in a way that benefits both” which is the mission of the Callaway Gardens and Resort. If you’re in Atlanta, I highly recommend making a quick trip there, it’s only an hour away so it doesn’t require long hours of driving or having to book a flight, it’s literally right down the street!
During my weekend, I connected with nature in so many ways that I didn’t know existed, it felt like an escape from reality and the worldly possessions and issues within it which can cause stress, like COVID-19.
I know that many people are stressed in the middle of this pandemic, and I get it, I was stressed too. The peak of my success was finally approaching in March including landing my first paid speaking gig, my first book signing event and so much more, just snatched away. Plus, I got laid off work until further notice, so you can imagine all the things going through my mind, and even my body (hence my stress acne).
In my opinion, COVID-19 gave me a moment to pause and reset my focus on what’s more important, which is MYSELF! What better way to shift the focus onto myself and nature, than at the Callaway gardens and resort? See, the coronavirus may have taken away things we essentially didn’t need, but it didn’t take away nature and the beauty and joy of it.
I know you’re eager to learn about the trip, so let’s go ahead and talk about my experience at the resort and how I felt fulfilled the entire stay.
First, I’d like to acknowledge the fact that this resort takes the safety of their employees and guests very seriously. All staff members were wearing their masks and in every building we entered, we were required to wear our masks (they were NOT playing about this, you would be literally turned away if you didn’t have your mask) and I appreciate this. Another safety guard they added was providing brand new pens. The waiter gave us a pen to sign our bill and it was wrapped in a plastic package for freshness.
Speaking of the waiter, the restaurant inside of the lodge we stayed in was amazing. We ate at the Piedmont Dining Room for breakfast, lunch and dinner (even a late night dessert), and attached to it was Cason’s Tap Room which was our little favorite spot to visit for drinks (I highly recommend the Georgia Peach Margarita, it’s like a peach garden in a glass).
Friday was more of a “check in and chill” day, Saturday is where all the magic of nature happened. On Saturday we went for a nature walk on the Callaway Brother’s Azalea Bowl Trail which had beautiful scenery. What I realized is that you can’t appreciate God’s creation of nature until you are surrounded by it, in all of it’s Glory. That means you have to get out of your car, leave your GPS, and bask in the ambiance. Oh, and other thing, you can’t rely on your GPS to guide you, you have to use your hand dandy map which you receive upon arrival. Being forced to use a map heightens your senses of direction and memory.
After our walk, we did my most FAVORITE part of the trip, which you must do during your visit if you don’t do anything else…BIKERIDING! The joy I felt riding my bike exceeded my expectations. It was mind blowing and liberating. Feeling the breeze riding on bridges and through the woods (on paved ground) is like a high you never want to come down from (I don’t smoke, but it’s safe to say that I was on cloud nine). We were able to get off our bikes and take a stroll through the amenities and activities.
Which reminds me, not only is the Callaway Gardens relaxing, but it’s fun and recreational. We noticed the TreeTop Adventure and Ziplines, the tennis court, the Birds of Prey Show (which I painstakingly enjoyed learning about owls and vultures), an ice cream truck at the beach, the golf course and the Mega Bugs, (which are gigantic replicas of bugs with fun facts about them).
As you know, my last name is Roach, so I felt compelled to take a picture of the Hissing Cockroach replica, and did you know that cockroaches offer more protein than chicken or beef?? Crazy right? Vegetarians, this is something to consider if you’re out in the wilderness and get a little hungry.
Speaking of food, I’m a pescatarian so when I saw the Strawberry Spinach Salad with an option to add grilled shrimp, I was literally drooling over the menu. The salad includes baby spinach, fresh strawberries, toasted almonds, chevre cheese, smoked paprika vinaigrette and for extra flavor, I added onions. Eating this salad on the Robin Lake Beach (the world’s largest white sand man made beach), while sipping on a Strawberry Daiquiri from Cason’s, watching the sunset was an unforgettable moment. It’s moments like these that make you appreciate this resort even more.
After our fun and interactive festivities, we headed back to the room, showered and went back to the bar. This was my third favorite moment because I’m a sucker for good food and a good atmosphere. We went back to Cason’s (see I told you this was our favorite spot) and ordered the Charleston She-Crab soup which made me felt like I was back in my hometown, Charleston, SC on Folly Beach eating fresh seafood at a local restaurant. That was another specialty menu item I enjoyed along with this delightful Chocolate cake that I asked to add caramel drizzle to (for some reason, I can’t eat chocolate cake without a caramel drizzle, I just can’t).
The last day, Self-Care Sunday was check out. We had breakfast in bed, which was quite an interesting experience. The food arrived late, and I received the wrong item, but they fixed it in a timely manner and comped my meal. That made me a happy camper, because we’re all humans, we make mistakes, but we learn from them and take care of those who were affected by our mistakes.
Speaking of Sunday, the free wifi was good so I was able to enjoy my Sunday church service online without interruption. Plus, since every room has a patio, we decided to meditate on the patio for about 15 minutes as we listened to the beautiful sounds of nature.
With that being said, I hope you are staying safe and remembering that life still goes on, even during a pandemic. Make everyday count and create memories while indulging in self-care. The Callaway Gardens and Resort impressed me as well as my followers, so I’ll definitely be back soon! I hope this encourages you to take a trip there, it’s perfect for any vacation, whether a solo, family or baecation.
By the way, as you can see, I specialize in making wigs so as my mood changes, so do my wigs!