Red Oak Lavender Farm ~ Dahlonega, GA

I love using herbs, botanicals and essential oils.  Especially lavender! I have a sleep mist, linen spray, bath salts, bath bombs and more that use this flower's calming fragrance.  It's definitely a favorite scent!

Three years ago, we first heard of Red Oak Lavender Farm.  I took my son to visit in the summer of 2016 and it was all I could have hoped for!  Beautiful gardens with rows of lavender, and the most amazing gift shop with homemade goodies and more!  Spending time out with the lavender is so peaceful and calming! Butterflies are everywhere and there are so many photo opportunities!

We took lots of pictures, and I knew wanted to come back soon.  However, an allergy to bees and other stinging insects made my son nervous to come back - bees are all over the farm, doing their thing!  So I didn't get to visit for a while.

Last summer my friend Katherine visited Atlanta from Houston.  She, like me, loves lavender and other essential oils.  So I knew she would appreciate a visit there.  She traveled with her one year old, and I think he enjoyed it too - lots of room to walk and explore!

This farm is not like the huge ones you see pictured in France or the Pacific Northwest with row after row of lavender.  Georgia does not have the ideal climate for lavender, but these folks have made it possible with a lot of hard work!  They have approximately 2.5 acres of lavender - about 60 rows that are 100 feet long.  They grow over 20 varieties of lavender on the farm.  It's really amazing, considering this plant should not grow here due to our humidity, clay, and other factors.

The family that owns the farm lives in the house attached to the gift shop. Not only do they harvest the lavender to sell, they distill the oil from plants to make pampering treats for you.  There are also culinary treats like Lavender Sugar, Lavender and Pink Himalayan Salt, and Herbs de Provence.  Those busy bees out by the lavender make the most delicious lavender honey.  You can get it fresh from the farm here!

I've purchased linen sprays, lavender-filled bookmarks, bunches of dried lavender, lavender soap, lavender honey, and a few other wonderful gifts there for myself or family/friends. The prices are great and the products are lovely.  Please check it out when you go!

Here it is, summertime again.  I'm ready for another relaxing trip to Red Oak.  I hope you will give them a visit, too!  There is a $5 fee for adults to visit during June, but now that it is July, entry is free!  From my home in NE Gwinnett, it was less than an hour drive to get there.

Check out this video I made on our visit last year!

And here are some of my favorite pictures from both visits...

D back in 2016.  He's grown up since then - now he is tall and skinny! 

Baby Lennox got his picture taken in this adorable butterfly chair last summer.

Sign from 2016 - they grow double that, now! 

Bee Hives!

Parking is in the front yard or along the driveway.  For special events, they offer parking at a neighbor's farm across the street.

Don't forget to visit the gift shop!

It smells so lovely, too - the scent of lavender is everywhere.

Here's what you need to know to plan your visit!

Red Oak Lavender Farm
2882 Red Oak Flats Road
Dahlonega, GA 30533
Phone: 706-974-8230 during business hours
March 1 - December 15 ~ Wednesday - Friday 11 - 3  Saturday 10 - 4
Closed on July 3 & 4, 2019
Email: RedOakLavender@gmail.com

Travel - Things to do in the Outer Banks!

After spending a long weekend in the picturesque villages along the Outer Banks, I can't believe it took me this long to visit!  Yes, it is a 10-hour drive from the north side of metro Atlanta, but it is truly worth every minute it takes to get there!  We only went for 4 nights but we should have stayed at least a full week - there was so much more to see!

On our first day, we went to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, which is located on Roanoke Island, in Manteo.  It was about a 15-minute drive from Kill Devil Hills. 

Earthen walls are all that remain of Fort Raleigh

Fort Raleigh is where the Lost Colony was last seen.  If you don't know this story, it is fascinating.  And over 400 years later, it is still America's longest unsolved mystery. 

Schedule your visit to the site so that you can take part in the Ranger talk.  The Ranger has great information about the history of the Fort and shares some of the possible theories of what happened to the Lost Colony.  You can walk out back and see the ruins of the original earthen walls of the fort.  The Visitor's Center has a wonderful exhibit about the history of the area, as well.  We spent about 2 hours there and enjoyed it so much! 

Down by the water, if you're there during the season, you can watch a live performance of The Lost Colony.  This Friday, May 31, they open for their 82nd season!  I hope to go back in the next year or two and see this! Here's the FB page for the play.

While you're on Manteo, visit the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. It's really close to Fort Raleigh.   The prices are affordable, and it's a great aquarium! We really enjoyed the Turtle rescue/hospital area, and the sting ray touch tank!  The jellyfish and sea horses are always my favorites at every aquarium, and this one didn't disappoint!  There are plenty of interactive displays for both little and big kids. 

Outside there is a long pier to walk on, a dinosaur fossil dig, and other cool things to see! A great place to visit for a few hours, for sure!!

I hope you enjoyed these fun things to do! Click the links for pages or websites to get all the information!

Thanks for stopping by!

Travel - The Outer Banks of North Carolina

We just returned home last week from what turned out to be one of my favorite trips ever!

For Spring Break, my husband, son and I drove from NE Georgia to the Outer Banks. It was about a 10 hour drive without stops, almost 13 for us with stops and a longer break for a BBQ lunch with my Aunt in Wilson, NC.

We stayed in Kill Devil Hills, at the Days Inn Mariner.  It's an older motel, but right on the beach, and the two-bedroom suite was wonderful for our family!  Great wifi and free hot breakfast every morning made this a great choice for us.  And those beach sunrises - ahhhh!

Over the next week or so, I'll share some of our favorite places we discovered.  It was an amazing trip and I cannot wait to go back again!!  I'll leave you with one of the best parts of our vacation - seeing the beautiful Inn at Rodanthe house from the movie Nights in Rodanthe.  It's spectacular in person, y'all!

**This trip was not sponsored in any way, I just loved the places I plan to share with y'all!