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By Amanda Young
 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 5th
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 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 40 hot air balloonists, but one can also choose from an endless amount
of activities that will keep the family busy. Live music, children's games, 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 new frisbee event will let dogs leap in
the air to catch their favorite rubber toys is also scheduled.
With 14,000
acres of things to do, Callaway Gardens provides a perfect weekend or week-long
getaway for RVers. Special RV parking is available, and shuttles take guests to
and from areas in the park. 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 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 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 kids and adults alike.
Birds also inhabit
the Butterfly Center-two colorful macaws, a green Amazon parrot, a pair of
Mandarin ducks, an Asian crested partridge and hummingbirds.
An important
note for your travel calendar: the Butterfly Center will be closed for
renovation from Nov. 1 of this year through March 18, 2005.
 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. The Birds of Prey Show is at 2 pm January through February, and at
10:20, 12:30, and 3:30 from March to December.
 On Nov. 6th, beautiful racing
thoroughbreds will gather at Callaway Gardens for the Sport of Kings Challenge
steeplechase event. This will be the third and final leg of the series, which
brings together competitors from both sides of the Atlantic. 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
scene 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 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 the connoisseur and the addict alike, chocolate lovers can sink
their teeth into the annual Chocolate Lover's Weekend, held in July. The
Chocolate Lover's Weekend includes a cooking class, a reception and dinner, and
the best part of all, a chocolate tasting.
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 through Labor Day. Admission for a
1-day ticket for adults is $13 and for children (6-12) is $6.50. Children under
6 are free. For more information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292).
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