On Friday, December 18 The Lozano Farms provided live animals for our Live Nativity Celebration…read more They were very professional and provided excellent service for this event. The presentation of live animals added so much to this celebration. Again, thank you providing excellent service.

One of the miniature cow knocked one kid at our kid's birthday party. He scraped off the ground so…read morebadly , I was afraid of law suit but the parents were gracious to let that go. The animals were very cute but very tired, looked like they worked all day, obviously abused, I feel sorry for them. I regret having the service, knowing the pets were shoved into their little cage in a hot day and their careless regards to the animals was regrettable. Thinking my action contributed to the animals abuse is not going to be forgotten.

This small zoo tucked amongst tall trees is great for a shaded stroll with the family. It is free…read moreto get in and has a variety of animals and birds to observe. Many of the enclosures were placed close enough to the walking paths that you could move around and catch a glimpse of its occupants. We happened to stop by on a hot and muggy rainy afternoon so many of the animals or birds were napping. There were a few opportunities for young children to go climb about for photo opportunities or to touch and compare objects. There were even walkways that looked at the animals from high above which made scanning the entire enclosure easier. The paths and railings were well kept and one could easily just sit and relax in nature listening to the free birds high in the tall trees. It is a peaceful experience. We saw only one zookeeper or ranger from afar while he was feeding a deer but he never got close enough to ask any questions. I never even found a collection box or office to offer a donation. A stop at the Bear Hollow Zoo won't take long but it's a unique place to walk about a see some local animals and birds. We were glad we went.

This was a little off the beaten path and when I told my friend that I was visiting in Athens, they…read morehad no idea what I was talking about. But my GPS led me there very easily. The was plenty of parking and bathrooms right by the entrance. The bathrooms were pretty clean. The zoo was decorated for Halloween and it's was so wonderful and made me smile. There were not a lot of animals but it was also late afternoon. I thought it was pretty cool but I don't have a lot of fur so I guess it's not for me to judge. I did see an otter, a bear, a huge alligator, lots of reptiles, and more owls than expected. The fox exhibit was closed due to constuction but that understandable since all of the walkways were wooden and seemed well taken care of. If I ever come back, I'll definitely try some of the surrounding trails. This was a very awesome experience, especially since it was free. I think it'd be really great for kids.

Alegre Farm provided our daughter with the Rustic Wedding that she and her husband dreamed of…read morehaving. The venue offers a lovely indoor space that compliments the farm like setting with a gorgeous pergola for a backdrop to beautiful outdoor ceremony. make sure you know ahead of time what you get with your package, there seemed to be some confusion about a month prior to the wedding. However, Pilar and Jeimy assured us that the day would go as planned, and they came through!

Pretty venue, but terrible management and over promises and under delivers. We were told all these…read morerenovations were going to get done before or wedding...never happened. We got the run around for months and was lied to multiple times. Our poor wedding coordinators who were hired by Pilar (owner of Alegre) for my wedding were never paid!! Now a month after the wedding and they still haven't been paid... Shady owner, shady management, and worst experience ever. What a waste of a lot of money!!! STAY AWAY. 0 stars if I could choose!

This review is for the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve, which is part of the Elachee Nature Science…read moreCenter property. Chicopee Woods is a large preserve with miles of excellent dirt trails to hike. I hiked the longest - the East-West Lake loop trail(s) running from near the nature center to the lake and back. This loop can also be hiked starting from the lake. The East-West trailhead is off the overflow lot at the nature center entrance. Just bear right into the gravel lot at the main entrance sign instead of going left to the center. Alternatively, you can park at the center and take one of the shorter trails from there to connect with the E-W. And, as mentioned above, you can also start from the other end at the lake, where there's a large parking lot. Unlike a lot of private hiking spots, and some public ones, the trails at Chicopee are well marked and easy to follow. There are periodic trail signposts, periodic colored markers on trees, trail maps with 'you are here' marked at every intersection and mile markers at quarter mile intervals. Even the mile markers are color coded according to which trail they apply to. I'm impressed. Which is not to give the impression that the trails are manicured paths hardly removed from civilization. That's not the case at all. The East-West trail in particular will quickly take you into a wonderful forest where you'll have little sign of human presence other than the occasional wooden stream bridges (and the trail markers). It's a pretty fabulous hike and one that I think is best enjoyed in winter when the trees have shed their leaves, opening the views up considerably. The path itself provides mostly decent footing - there is a stretch where schist rock outcrops require some care and there are lots of sections where tree roots are prevalent, but nothing that requires sturdy hiking boots. Expect moderate elevation change. If you hike as I did from the nature center and back, you'll go mostly downhill to the lake and then back up. The E-W is 4.5 miles long, with the West trail being somewhat longer than the East. You'll actually have to hike a bit longer than 4.5 miles because the East trail ends near, but not at, the nature center. A quarter mile or so of additional trail will take you back to the parking lot. I saw very few people - only one deep into the E-W - on a Monday morning. The nature center overflow lot had but one car and the lake lot was completely empty. Perhaps there are more people on the weekend but this looks like a good place for solitude. Parking is $1 (suggested donation). Highly recommended.

The nature center is a nice addition to see and learn a little about animals. My 6 and 11 y.o…read more Enjoyed it. We just walked through before our hike. Lots of trails to enjoy at various levels.

The hidden gem of Athens. I've gone here too many times to count. My dog and I would have the best…read moretime at Ben Burton. It's tucked away from the main road so I can let Nala off leash to enjoy the open field and water. (Obviously recommended to keep dogs on leash if you are not sure how they react to strangers or other animals!) It's beautiful during spring and summer time. There's also trails you can take where you'll be surrounded by water, trees, and the rest of nature. If you merge off to the trail that goes left, you can find this amazing spot that oversees the water from a birds eye view. You climb up the rocks and there's a plateau where you can sit atop and enjoy your surroundings. Sometimes you'll see swimmers, sometimes you'll see kayakers. It's also a great spot to bring your hammocks and just ~hang~

The view was beautiful, great picnic area.... but the gravel walking area is horrible! The map says…read moreits a loop but its NOT it led me into someone's backyard!, had to walk a mile up hill when it was 100 degrees, made my blood sugar go super low and could have killed me, will not be walking again

June 2021. Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, GA, is a hidden jewel in the area. They hold an…read moreeducation and visitors center where they feature reptiles, amphibians, exhibits and a library. They hold different activity programs for all ages. (More information on site or in their website) The main reason I ever visited is because they have beautiful wetland hiking trails that connect to other trails within the city and county such as Cook's trail and the North Oconee River Greenway trail but be aware because pets nor bikes are allowed in their trails. I personally enjoy their hiking trails because on a hot day you can enjoy a nice shade all the way but if it has recently rained be aware this is wetlands so bring shoes accordingly. Last, another reason I like hiking the Sandy Creek Nature Center wetlands trails is because you get to experience an active wildlife.

It was the best 20 minutes of my life! The turtle was the best part, I wasn't the one who paid for…read moreit, so i don't know the price, but I'm sure it was affordable. Go see the turtle when you're there, or the snakes if you like snakes.

What a great Saturday morning - yoga, friends, and goats! Lots of goats!…read more I booked a class with Goat Yoga Georgia because of friend was teaching. I have been practicing yoga much more than usual, especially during the pandemic, and when things started opening up, I was eager to practice with a community. The location was easy to find with lots of parking available in an empty field. A porta-potty was available, if needed. Yoga mats were available to rent in case you were concerned about goats nibbling on yours or yours getting dirty. Helpers were available to help each participant find a spot for the day's practice. The practice started in a usual way with warm-ups and stretches. It was nice to be outdoors. After several minutes of stretching and warming up, the sound of bells filled the air. And in came several goats! The goats wore collars with bells - I assume it was so they didn't sneak up on anyone. They were curious and spent some time sniffing the practitioners. Helpers lured them around to everyone with tasty treats. Goats were happy to jump on backs and explore yoga bags. Helpers and neighbors all offered to take photos. At this point, I was still doing some yoga. Then, the baby goats arrived. I was done. No more yoga. Just goats. They were awesome. Let me clarify - lots of practitioners were doing yoga and interacting with goats. I was just really focused on the goats. I'll do better next time. And there will be a next time. 5 stars. Super fun! Thanks for a great day!

A wonderful experience! Great for team building. Clean goats, cute facilities, and overall a great…read moretime! Excellent venue for social events. Highly recommend!

We went horseback riding today at Silvercrown Farms. We really enjoyed our 1 1/2 hour trail ride…read morewith Jessica as our guide. We did the on property trail ride. The property is a nice size, but you do circle around a few times. We got to go different speeds and terrains during the ride. Jessica and her husband were very friendly and knowledgeable. Jessica shared with us a lot of information about the horses on property and horses in general. If you are looking for a nice friendly place to go for horseback riding, go here!

Great place to take lessons. My son has been riding here for over a year. Enjoys his teacher Dawn…read morewho is great. And the owners Jessica and Chris are very nice