We have never been big "spring break" people...until now.
Here in Alabama, it's still cold, the beaches are cold, and we knew we didn't want to head to our usual, 30A.
We talked over our thoughts with a dear friend, Kristen Twitty, of Kathryn Burns Travel, and put some options together. Even better, her family decided to come with!
We landed on The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, and already can't wait to get back. It was the most kid-friendly vacation and we all had a blast.
A few things we booked before our travel day:
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The Spa, for the ladies
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Tee time, for the gents
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Ritz Kids Club for the girls (Five and older)
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Dinner Reservations at three restaurants
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Lago
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Linger Longer Steakhouse
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Gabbys by the Lake
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A babysitter (via concierge) for one evening so we could have a PNO
We decided to book connecting rooms, one with a king bed for Franklin and me, and one with two queen beds, for Penn and Weezie. Each room had a huge tub, a separate shower, separate toilet room and a large vanity. The beds were cozy too.
The staff goes above and beyond, and even brought me a tall glass of whole milk at 4am when Penn was having a hard night.
Itinerary Details
Day 1
We checked in, got settled with a cocktail, and headed to dinner at Amore Del Lago. Lago is a great Italian restaurant at the resort and has so many kid friendly options as well. We settled on the lobster fettuccine, which was wonderful. It flaunts a very open space, fun atmosphere, and was overall a great experience. The pizzas looked amazing, and you could even watch the chefs throwing dough (which the kids loved). I regret not ordering one…
After dinner, we all headed outside to the firepit for smores which start at 7:30 every night. Next to the fire pit, was the cutest little s'mores bus, which held all the sticks, supplies, etc.
The kids ate s'mores and played on the playground until it was time to head back to our room for bed.
Day 2
We all slept great and late (woohoo!), thanks to the awesome blackout curtains in the rooms. We threw on some lounge clothes and walked right out of our room to Lago, where they provide continental breakfast every day until 11:00am. It was everything and more and made the start to the day so easy.
After breakfast, Weezie and the other girls went to Ritz Kids Club. We signed them up for the half-day morning adventure from 9-12:00. They all had a blast while we waited on the pools to heat up. Weezie reported that she had SO MUCH fun. She came home with bracelets, sand art, drawings, stories from the train ride and kids space, etc.
While the older girls were at Kids Camp, my friend and I took our boys to the green space to run around, the playground, and down to the little beach where they built sand castles and dipped their toes in the FREEZING water!
It was fun to watch boats, Sea-Doos, and kayaks (which you can rent each of!!) go by on the water. Such a hit!
We also took advantage of the train ride, The Linger Longer Express, which runs every day at 11:00 and 3:00. You hop on by the coffee shop and the train goes around the property. It has all the bells and whistles (ha) and even music.
Once 12:00 came and Weezie was done with kids camp, we all got ready for the most fun part of all...the pool!
The heated infinity pool is to die for — it's the perfect temperature with the most gorgeous view of Lake Oconee. The staff was all very helpful and the service and food were great! They had wonderful cocktails, comfortable lounging, and it was an all around good experience. I got the shrimp salad one day, and the chicken salad the next — both so, so yummy. I'm still dreaming about them. Weezie loved the kids hotdog, the grilled cheese, and hydrated with Shirley temples and chocolate milkshakes. Penn survives on air and yogurt...somehow. Well, and a few French fries.
We stayed at the pool all.day.long... skipped Penn's nap (which we paid for later) and all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Oh yeah! They have a hot tub too, which is super relaxing, of course.
Around 5:00 we dried off and headed back to the room to freshen up and get ready for the cutest sitter. We ordered room service for the kids and met our friends down at the bar for a cocktail. We planned to go to the speakeasy at the hotel before, but we didn't have enough time.
I wanted to mention too, the kids played on the playground, at the kids space, and in the green space until bedtime with the sitter — they don't just sit in the room... there is truly so much to do! Basketball court, bocce ball, foosball, cornhole, hammocks, the list goes on...
Dinner was at Linger Longer Steakhouse, which was so yummy. We started with the bacon on a wire, which was a whole experience (that was delicious.) We followed with filets, mashed potatoes, and Brussels, all which were fantastic as well. After your meal, you can request complimentary cotton candy. This was such a fun, unexpected treat.
On our last night, we had dinner at Gabby's By the Lake. This is a more casual restaurant, overlooking Lake Oconee with outdoor seating. A beautiful view, of course, and great food.
We were sad to see this trip end, but already can't wait to be back! I highly recommend this destination for a quick trip with kids.
