Thanks for the guest post by Bradly Watkins

We live in rural Georgia. One of my family's favorite day trips involves driving north to the North Georgia Mountains. We set our Brinks homealarm devices and pack our things in the car. We always carry a cooler filled with cold drinks. In the summer air, the mountains smell so fresh and green. We like to take the long way so that we see more of the rural roads and gorges.

We usually wind up taking a short hike near Blood Mountain in Union County. My son and daughter run after the dog, and my husband and I always warn them not to leave our sight. Nearby Vogel State Park is another place we enjoy visiting. My husband and I sit in the grass and watch our kids play Frisbee with our chocolate lab. Last week, we took our neighbor and her daughter with us. It was super hot, but we found a shady place to sit during the hottest part of the day.

Sometimes we decide to take an overnight trip rather than a day trip. On those rare occasions, we pack food, sleeping gear, and tents. I don't like to sleep outdoors, but my family loves it.