Holiday Fun at Barnsley Resort

Happy New Year friends! 2021...we made it! Can we get a hallelujah! 

We took a little bit a of a blogging/social media break this past week. Not intentionally. But I think subconsciously we just both wanted to soak up the last little bit of our Winter Break. 

Even though the 2020 holiday season looked a little different this year, I think we can both say it was one we enjoyed immensely. It might even be our favorite one in recent years. I can't speak for Carrie Beth, but I think having a more simple holiday let me really concentrate on just the special people in front of me. I won't get all sappy...but it will be a holiday season that will be hard to top in my mind. 

We had a quieter than normal Christmas, and then we made our way to the Barnsley Resort for the week of New Years for a little social distance birthday/NYE celebration.

A little back story: Carrie Beth, her husband, and my husband all turned 40 in 2020. My husband being the "baby" of the crew with a birthday on New Year's Eve. We had BIG plans to celebrate them this past Fall, but unfortunately all plans got 2020'd (see how we celebrated CB last month!). Not to be deterred, we decided as a group during the Thanksgiving Break to do something locally. Last year, we did a quick stay at Barnsley Resort with my family. With how magical it looks this time of year, as well as having a lot of family friendly outdoor activities, we decided to do a last minute booking to stay for the week. It was such a fun and relaxing way to celebrate turning 40 and the New Year! 

Once you arrive you feel like you are in your own Hallmark holiday post card worthy bubble. The resort is decorated to the nines with holiday decor - both to enjoy during the day and at night. 

There is no shortage of activities to entertain guests of all ages. 

Some are free: hiking trails, fishing, biking trails, outdoor games, visiting the farm animals, swimming (during season), touring the ruins, campfires, s'mores, etc. 

And some are paid activities: golf, off road trail adventures, hunting, shooting, archery lessons, spa, axe throwing lessons, animal adventures, canoeing, etc. A few of the littles did horse back riding this go around, and the boys did Advanced Skeet Shooting. 

There are so many activities we didn't get the chance to do, but that just means we need to go back and visit Barnsley Resort again soon. It's only an hour north of Atlanta - such a convenient little staycation spot!

Here's a quick peek at some of our other favorite moments celebrating the new year. 

We have lots of goals and lots of plans for this little space this year. We hope you look forward to this little slice of the Internet each day just as much as we do. Thank you sweet friends for all of your support, and we hope you have had a fabulous start to your new year as well! 

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Winter Weekend at Barnsley Resort

Happy new year friends! We took a little blogging break over the holiday, but now we're back! 

It was so nice to get a big break. The holidays can be so hectic, and we just wanted to slow down the pace this year as much as we could. Last year, I remember we limped into the holidays sick and exhausted. I don't know about you, but that's not my kind of holiday magic. This year I made it my goal to simplify everything and step back from what I could. 

A few years ago, I surprised everyone with a little getaway right before Christmas and remembered how nice it was to get away from everything. We were forced to spend quality time together, and not worry about illnesses, gifts, decorating, or kitchen prep for Christmas dinner. Christmas 2019, I set out to do the same thing. I was a little less spontaneous this time (because I had a lot more people to coordinate), but the goal was the same. 

This year I planned a weekend getaway to Barnsley Resort. How we had never visited this little gem before is beyond me. First, the property is gorgeous. Second it's only about an hour north of Atlanta. Third, it has a ton of activities for any kind of traveller. The 24 hours we spent there was just not enough! 

The resort did a fabulous job putting a special holiday touch on everything, and within the first few hours several of us were already booking next year's visit on our phones. 

WHERE WE STAYED

I had ten people and two dogs to think about when booking rooms. There were accommodations large enough to fit all of us, but in the end I decided to book two large cottage rooms, and one cottage suite so everyone could have their own space. 

The rooms are decorated to reflect the historic property, and traditional southern decor. They are super luxurious and make you feel at home at the same time. 

The cottages can be located anywhere on the property, but I chose for us to be located more centrally to the town square, restaurants, and main resort. Everyone loved being able to be right in the mix everything. 

WHAT WE DID

Sadly, the minute we arrived it started to rain. And it was cold. But the resort and my family were committed to having a fun time because none of that stopped us. 

The resort offers a huge spa (yes, please!), an off roading experience, fishing, hunting, clay shooting, animal experiences, hiking trails, ruins, a museum, horse back riding, golf, and during warm weather months - a pool. I'm probably leaving a few things out, but you get the idea - there is tons to do. 

After arrival, we spent the rest of the day enjoying the Beer Garden, and outdoor spaces. 

While we were in the Beer Garden a fire making lesson started. My kids were so into this. They learned how to make fire about fifteen different ways. I'm equal parts proud and scared. 

While we were playing games in the Beer Garden we stumbled upon a celebrity...

The kids were so excited to see that Santa was vacationing in the same place we were. Several times during holiday season Barnsley hosts Santa and some elves. There are established meet and greet times set up. 

After dinner the rain stopped. We were so excited because this meant we could check out the lit up ruins while dry. We were committed either way because we heard it was beautiful, but definitely much more enjoyable when it's not pouring rain. 

The gardens and ruins are spectacular lit up. Everyone was in awe of the thousands of twinkling lights, and the kids were beyond excited about the garden. They said it looked like a magical maze. 

After we walked through the ruins we parked ourselves by one of the many fire pits on site, and enjoyed cocktails and s'mores. The main lobby has a s'mores bar set up for guests to come and stock up on all the necessities. Everything you need to enjoy that chocolate marshmallow goodness is provided for you. Love how accommodating Barnsley Resort is, and all the special touches they incorporate into you stay. 

Our second day it was raining so hard. We did a wet post breakfast hike and stumbled upon some animals along one of the paths. 

We visited the museum, which is actually very interesting and has a ton of artifacts and history about the property. Barnsley Resort has a great back story and it includes some juicy family drama. They don't allow for photos in the museum, but it is an interesting spot and well worth a visit. 

WHAT WE ATE

It was a short stay so we only had dinner and breakfast on site. And at the same restaurant. We dined for dinner at the Woodlands Grill, and returned the following morning for breakfast. Both meals were excellent! 

We enjoyed cocktails from the Beer Garden and they do offer food, but we didn't take advantage of this during our short stay. There is also the Rice House restaurant on site, which offers a farm to table fare, but sadly we needed a longer stay to give it a try. 

That wraps up our quick winter weekend stay at Barnsley Resort. Spending time here was probably one of our favorite parts of the holiday season, and we most definitely will return for another holiday stay. It just made you feel like Christmas. It was just what we all needed to get into the holiday spirit. 

I'd also love to come during the warm weather months. I just know all our little golfers would love it, and the pool area looks so inviting! 

Have you been to Barnsley Resort? What is your favorite time of year to go? What are some activities we should put on our must-do lists? 

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