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By Amanda Young
Article
Revised 08/2010
 A rainbow of colors rises up into the atmosphere as flames shoot in and out of the large, fluffy-looking balloons. A variety of shapes and patterns blanket the sky, and the gathering crowd looks above in excitement and wonder. The 12th Annual Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival is one event that attracts people of all ages to Callaway Gardens near Pine Mountain, Ga., during the long days of summer. This year, the festival will take place September 3-5, 2010, and is one of many attractions that Callaway Gardens has to offer.
Starting off the festival at 5 p.m. Friday is a "balloon glow." Balloons rise in the air and hover over Robin Lake at night as their burners illuminate the brightly-colored silks from the inside. The result gives off an iridescent glow over the lake. A balloon race is also the next day, and balloonists compete to land on a specific target. Both events are crowd-pleasing eye candy for the soul.
 Not only does the festival include many hot air balloonists, but one can also choose from an endless amount of activities that will keep the family busy. Live music, children's activities, and a classic car show are just a few of the many fun activities going on during the Labor Day weekend. For animal lovers, a disc dog demonstration will let dogs leap in the air to catch their favorite rubber toys is also scheduled.
With 13,000 acres of things to do, Callaway Gardens provides a perfect weekend or week-long getaway for RVers. Special RV parking is available. Many of Callaway's attractions appeal to those who thirst for the outdoors and have a love for nature. If guests can't make it to the hot air balloon festival on Labor Day weekend, Callaway offers plenty of activities throughout the year.
 During the summer, students from Florida State University perform the Flying High Circus at Callaway. Rather than running away to join the circus, students enrolled at FSU can become a performer and fulfill a childhood fantasy. The university has performed the circus since 1960, and students participate as an extracurricular activity. At Callaway, families can see trapeze artists, tightwire acts and balancing acts, to name just a few. The circus travels around the Southeast during the year, but it performs just at Callaway Gardens during the summer. Performances are every day of the week, except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
 Nature lovers can take a walk through the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, a tropical conservatory containing about 1,000 of live butterflies (50 species), tropical plants and colorful birds. The butterfly center is one of the largest in North America, and if you stay still long enough, a butterfly might land on your head. Thousands of butterflies flutter around the conservatory, to the delight of children and adults alike.
 Every day, Callaway visitors are offered a free educational show on birds of prey. About a dozen birds are in the program, and three or four exhibit their natural skills and abilities in this outdoor show. Most fly freely overhead during performances. Be sure to check the show schedule before your visit.
 On the first Saturday of each November, beautiful racing thoroughbreds will gather at Callaway Gardens for the Steeplechase event. In addition to the thrill of the steeplechase, there are fun events, like a terrier race and the "Taste of Chase"-live music, food and Southern artists.
Cason Jewell Callaway is the founder of Callaway Gardens. Cason was born in LaGrange, Ga., to Fuller Earle and Ida Cason Callaway, a hard-working family. His father was a successful merchant in the retail industry who taught his son to work hard for what he wanted in life and not to depend on the family's money. Cason began working at one the mills owned by his father and soon made it very profitable. He expanded the business, survived the Depression, and made it a powerhouse in the industry afterwards.
After having created a successful business with the mills, but tiring of the responsibility, Cason let the business and turned his attention to agriculture. He developed a program called, "The 100 Better Georgia Farms," and with funding from businesses, organized county agents to teach other farmers how to make full use out of their land.
Cason took advantage of the hundreds of acres he owned and experimented with a variety of plants and landscaping techniques. He first wanted to turn his land into a residential community, but as its beauty and garden-like scenery developed, he decided to make it available to the public. Callaway Gardens opened to the public in 1952.
A favorite for kids at Callaway is Robin Lake beach where they tumble on the floating water playground that bobs around in the lake. Movies play on the beach every Thursday night during the summer.
 For the garden lover, Callaway has an abundance of beautiful gardens to see. A vegetable garden with herbs, fruits and flowers takes up more than seven acres of land and is also the southern set for the PBS show Victory Garden. One of the newest features is the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl, a 40-acre garden that opened up in March of 1999. The garden contains 3,400 hybrid azaleas in bright colors, a walking path and several gazebos throughout the area.
Plenty of activities are available to keep the active and the athlete busy, including tennis, fishing, golf and bike riding through the long, winding trails. Golf and Golf Digest magazines both rank Callaway's Mountain View Golf Course among the best in the nation with its woodland and lake borders. For more than a decade, it was home to the PGA Tour's Buick Challenge.
Callaway also hosts a fitness series, including a triathlon, duathlon, sprint triathlon, mountain bike race and marathon. The next event this year is the triathlon held Sept. 5th and includes a swim in Robin Lake, a bike event on Scenic Drive and Robin Lake Circle, and a run on the Discovery Bicycle Trail and the 3-mile Robin Lake Circle.
For sweethearts young and old, Callaway has various chapels and outdoor venues perfect for weddings. The Memorial Chapel with a 16th century design has a stone altar and glass stained windows. The Horticultural Center and the Discovery Center also provide a romantic spot for weddings, and both are set in the beauty of nature.
 Callaway Gardens is one place that any RVer should visit during summer travels. With such a diverse list of things for the whole family to do, Callaway makes a perfect weekend or week-long getaway.
Callaway Gardens is located in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. It is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily spring through Labor Day; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the reminder of the year. Admission for a one-day ticket for adults is $18 for adults; $15 for guests 65+ and $9 for children 6-12. Children under five and under are admitted for free. For more information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292); email info@callawaygardens.com
or visit www.callawaygardens.com.
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