There’s no reason for summer boredom in Rome
Ispent a little time last week with a local family, the Hunts. They have three wonderful daughters and the dad and mom are a hoot. But the reason I got to see them last week was because the dad was taking the little girls to several downtown locations and wanted to show them the newspaper.
So he brought them to the Rome News-Tribune and I gave them a little tour of our offices and showed them how stories and photos get put on a page and I showed them the press where we print the paper every day. It was great to see these kids interested in their local newspaper and it was great to see their parents encouraging that interest.
Then I found out that before they had come over to the paper, the dad had taken them to the Rome Area History Museum on Broad Street and the Duke Museum of Military History at 110 East 8th Ave.
I’m ashamed to admit this but I’ve never been to the latter and it’s literally a stone’s throw away from where I work. I drive past it several times every single day and have never stopped to go in. Apparently it’s dedicated to preserving military history. They have artifacts and weapons from various conflicts including some pre-WWI stuff. And there are a few really cool military vehicles parked outside.
But as the dad was telling me all this, I thought what a cool idea. The girls are on summer break and need activities to fill their day. Why not take ‘em to do educational stuff AS WELL as fun stuff.
There are several places in Rome that are worth a little drive to see.
Now of course on these summer days, kids wanna go to the pool to swim or you might take ’em on vacation. You might take ’em to get ice cream somewhere or to the park. That’s great and I encourage you to take your kids to do all these cool things — especially outdoors.
But you could also take them places that will stimulate their interest in history or wildlife or in architecture or science.
Here are a few places in and around Rome that are worth hopping in the car for. Most of them are free or inexpensive but could really spark a kid’s interest in something other than their tablet or smartphone or video game.
Rome Area History Museum — 305 Broad St., open Wednesdays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Floyd County ECO River Education Center — Ridge Ferry Park, open Monday through Thursday 1-4 p.m.; a great place for kids and adults to learn about the environment in and around the Etowah, Coosa and Oostanaula rivers. Plus they can see a few critters like snakes and turtles and fish and frogs.
Chieftains Museum — 501 River- side Parkway, open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chieftains is a National Historic Landmark and a site on the Trail of Tears. Visitors can learn about Cherokee history in the area and specifically about former residents Major Ridge and his family. Plus the museum is said to be haunted by the ghost of Major Ridge’s daughter.
Duke Museum of Military History — 110 E. 8th Ave., open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oak Hill & the Martha Berry Museum — 24 Veterans Memorial Highway, open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Opened in 1972 as a historic house and history museum, Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum’s mission is to tell the story of Berry College and its founder, Martha Berry, through exhibits, events and educational programming.
Museum of Flight — located at 304 Russell Field Road, open Sunday 1-4 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is home to some pretty cool vintage and working military airplanes and military vehicles. The collection includes the T-28 “Trojan” Alpha Model, a T-28 “Trojan” Bravo Model and a Beechcraft C-45. Vehicles include a tug and a M38A-1 Jeep.
Marshall Forest Preserve — Horseleg Creek Road. This is a great wooded area not far from Shorter Avenue but it feels like you’re off in the mountains somewhere. It’s one of the last remaining stands of old-growth forest in the Ridge and Valley Province and is home to the largest population of the endangered large-flowered skullcap in Georgia. Two trails are within the forest. The trails are self-guided and travel on the southwest side of the forest, with plant identification tags and 20 stations with plaques written in Braille and English. The trail can be easily walked in 30 minutes.
And there are a few lots of other sites to drive by or hike and see as well, such as the old Lindale Mill, the Clocktower, Myrtle Hill Cemetery, the cave and spring in Cave Spring, the House o’ Dreams at Berry College. Or take the kids to create some art at one of our arts/craft galleries or studios. Or go for a nature walk on one of our trails.
I know it’s summer and most of us are thinking about the pool or the beach or Disney. But if you’re at home in Rome and the kids are bored, why not hop in the car and visit one or two of these places? We’re all surrounded by glowing rectangles all day long. Why not get away from that for a little bit and learn about our community and about history or nature? We’d all be a little better off for it.