When it comes down to how you are choosing to spend your leisure time, we often turn to the things we’re used to: movies, mall, favorite restaurants, weekend in the cabins.
There’s nothing wrong with these activities. The Cedar Creek Cabins team loves catching a movie and having a night on the town every once and awhile. But with so many incredible sights and experiences that our state has to offer, we feel that every once and awhile you should spice it up!
To help you think out of the box and try things that you may not have known were viable entertainment options, we’re bringing you a new weekly blog series called “A Weekend In The Cabins Versus…”
In this series we’re going to compare spending a weekend in the cabins versus another activity of similar type, cost and entertainment value, that you can do here in Georgia. Our goal is to expose you to new activities that you can partake in across our great state, and hopefully help you and your loved ones find new and exciting ways to make great memories.
To kick off this exciting new series, we decided to compare a weekend in the cabins with one of America’s favorite pastimes: baseball.
A Weekend In The Cabins Versus: Atlanta Braves Baseball Game
America loves its sports. We encourage our kids to get involved at young ages, and as adults many of us spend countless hours watching, following, celebrating and mourning our favorite sports teams. It’s part of our national culture. And baseball tops the list of America’s favorite game.
The first baseball game was played on June 19th, 1846 in Hoboken New Jersey, and ever since then we have been clamoring for more. Deservingly so, baseball has been dubbed the “national pastime”, and attending a baseball game is a thrill that every American should experience once in their life (in our humble opinion).
But have you ever looked at baseball from an “entertainment, cost, happiness and value” perspective? Have you ever compared what you receive when going to a baseball game is like, versus another activity?
We have done just that for you below.
We are comparing attending an Atlanta Braves Baseball Game to spending a weekend in the north Georgia mountains cabins. Both activities are enjoyed by individuals and families across the state of Georgia, both activities can be thrilling and life altering, and both activities don’t have to break the bank.
Let’s take a look!
(The numbers below are based on a family of 4 with our best estimates at the cost of food, transportation, etc. These are not exact numbers so please do not make your financial decisions based on what’s below.)
Comparison Dimension: Entertainment Value
A Weekend In The Cabins
The cabins in the North Georgia Mountains (specifically in Helen) are known for their laid back quality. People frequently “escape” to this location to get away from the rat race of the cities and towns nearby. With that said, the North Georgia Mountains offers a wide range of exciting outdoor activities to appease the adrenaline junkies, the explorers, and the lazy weekenders alike. Tubing, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, dining, festivals, shows and more – the North Georgia Mountains has a variety of activities that are bound to please.
Atlanta Braves Baseball Game
Live baseball is a thrilling event, and like we said, we recommend that everyone attend at least one baseball game in their lifetime. With that said, baseball is known for being a slower sport, with moments of high activity and excitement. During your average 3 hour game, expect a large portion of your time to be spent casually watching the game, with moments punctuated with thrilling action. It may not keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration, but you almost always leave feeling like you’ve gotten your money’s worth.
Comparison Dimension: Cost
A Weekend In The Cabins
There are many options to choose from when searching for lodging in the North Georgia Mountains. Hotels such as the Hampton Inn and Best Western, can range from $60-$100 per night. Rental companies such as Cedar Creek Cabin Rentals, can offer lodging at around $300 per night (plus tax and fees). There are many lodging options that fit many budgets. The North Georgia Mountains also offers a wide variety of activities, dining, shopping and entertainment, all of which come at a price.
Atlanta Braves Baseball Game
The price of attending a Braves game can vary widely. Tickets can run anywhere from $10 for your distant seats, to $100+ per ticket for your closer seats. Mid level seats at Turner field can cost you about $60 per ticket. For a family of four, that comes to $240+tax. Transportation cost, food cost and any souvenirs you purchase should also be factored into this figure. With a modest budget of $25 per person on food, $20 per person on trinkets, and $10 to park, your Braves game can quickly become a $400+ expense for a single afternoon.
Comparison Dimension: Family Friendliness
A Weekend In The Cabins
The North Georgia Mountains offer a complete family friendly atmosphere. In Helen, Georgia there are kid-centered amusements such as Helen Tubing and Waterpark. There are kid-friendly activities that range from mini-golf, to horseback riding, to tubing, to outdoor parks, and even a gold mine
Atlanta Braves Baseball Game
Turner Field, where the Atlanta Braves call home, was created with families and kids in mind. They offer plenty of fun games and attractions outside of the actual baseball game, to keep kids entertained. They also have plenty of eateries, bars and 21+ spots for the older crowd.
Comparison Dimension: Duration
A Weekend In The Cabins
Spending time in the North Georgia Mountains can be as brief or lengthy as you want. Many people make a quick weekend out of their trip – arriving on Saturday morning, spending Saturday night, and returning home on Sunday. Others decide they need more time and spend two or more nights soaking up the fresh mountain air. The duration is completely up to you, your schedule and what you’re looking to do in the mountains. We recommend at least a two night stay so that you can experience an entire day in the mountains.
Atlanta Braves Baseball Game
Your average baseball games lasts around 3 hours. For most games you want to arrive 30-60 minutes before first pitch so that you can comfortably find your seats, grab refreshments, and prepare yourself for the game. Depending on how you arrived to the game, leaving the field and starting your journey home can take some time as well. The overall experience (arriving, game and departing) can take 5-6 hours. Give yourself plenty of time to arrive and leave, because crowds can make travel a bit cumbersome.
Comparison Dimension: Accessibility
A Weekend In The Cabins
Helen, Georgia, located in the North Georgia Mountains, is located about 90 miles northeast of Atlanta. From the city, the trip takes a little under two hours. From Atlanta, Helen is accessible by two major highways: GA 400 and Interstate 85. Driving is pretty straightforward, and the major cost associated is the cost of a tank of gas.
Atlanta Braves Baseball Game
There are a number of ways you can get to Turner Field in Atlanta. You could drive your car and pay for parking. You could take a city bus and pay for bus fare. You could ride on the Marta mass transit system, and take a shuttle from a nearby station directly to the field. Some options are more expensive than others, but the point is that there are many ways to get you and your family to and from the field.
Wrapping Up
There are many other dimensions that we could compare these two activities across, but we want to give you a basic rundown of the major things that might help you decide on what event to bring your family to.
Life is what you make it, and creating lasting memories can happen just about anywhere. We hope to bring to you new ways in which you can experience life with your families, your friends and with yourself.
If you think that a weekend in the cabins sounds likes something interesting to you, take a look at what Cedar Creek has to offer.
