Who doesn’t love a good road trip now and then? Rachel and I kicked off our 2017 Southern Sisters Road Trip in Sandy Springs, Ga., a lovely little spot for a girls’ getaway. You’d think I’d be more familiar with the area, having lived in Atlanta for two years after college. But the ATL is sprawling and somewhat intimidating, and I feel like I barely got to know it in my short stay – much less the cute neighboring towns to the north.
Now that I’ve spent a few days in this friendly suburb, I know the secret: Sandy Springs is budget friendly and super convenient to just about anywhere in the Atlanta metro area. After 72 hours in this sweet little Southern town, we’ve come up with a fun list of things to do in Sandy Springs. Enjoy, y’all!
Shopping in Sandy Springs
Does anyone else feel like they need new clothes for every trip? It can’t just be me!
Fortunately for Rachel and me, shopping was at the top of the list of things to do in Sandy Springs. For our first excursion, we went on a bargain-hunting spree around town. There are TONS of cute consignment and second-hand shops spread throughout Sandy Springs. We particularly liked Skirt Upscale Resale, the Drake Closet and Alexis’ Suitcase.
On our next visit, perhaps we’ll check out famous Bridals by Lori, featured on “Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta.” Just in case there are any weddings in our near future… cough, cough.
Kudzu and Company was chock full of treasures, from antiques to modern pieces. If only our rental car had been big enough, we would’ve come home with two new chaise lounges and a headboard. Next time!
Nearby along I-285 is The Battery Atlanta at Sun Trust Park, home of retail and dining options, and of course, the Atlanta Braves. So you can buy a few new outfits, grab dinner and watch America’s favorite pastime all in the same place. We stopped into DressUp, a cute and affordable boutique in The Battery. Lucky for me, I found the PERFECT dress for The Grand Ole Opry later in the week.
Things to Do in Sandy Springs
After all that shopping, we decided to challenge ourselves and see if we two geniuses could figure out Mastermind Escape Games. Getting locked inside a room for 60 minutes sounded like an unusual way to pass the time. It was up to us to solve riddles and uncover clues to get out. I just knew we’d beat the clock.
Well, we were wrong. Even with our razor sharp wit and cunning minds, we didn’t make it out. We were running from clue to clue, hollering at each other and trying to open all the locked doors. I gave up in the first three minutes, but Rachel was more patient than I was. There were only two of us in the room, but with all our hysteria, I’m sure it sounded more like 10.
If only we had 5 more minutes!!
*Cue soundtrack: “Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee…”
The Chattahoochee River starts in the Appalachian Mountains and flows all the way down to the Florida-Georgia line for a total of 434 miles. The river serves as the border of Sandy Springs and is part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a great place for fishing, hiking and all manner of water sports. Whatever floats your boat — literally!
We decided after eating everything in Sandy Springs that it might be good to get a little exercise. It was a tough choice between paddle boards, canoes and tubes, but we decided to stick with our fave: SUP. I’m not sure how far we went — certainly not the 22 miles of the ‘Hooch that run through Sandy Springs — but it was a fun way to burn calories AND see the wild side of this area.
If you’re not up for paddle boarding, you can rent tubes, kayaks or canoes from local outfitters High County Paddle Shack and Nantahala Outdoor Center.
Relaxation in Sandy Springs
Nothing caps off a girls’ weekend like a trip to the spa. For the Sole was just what we needed after our extremely strenuous schedule of buying stuff and eating stuff. We accidentally booked a couples’ massage, which was incredibly relaxing despite Rachel giggling the whole time because she’s ticklish. It was an hour well spent and we left Sandy Springs feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of our road trip.
Sandy Springs is an easy ride on MARTA from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport or a quick drive from just about anywhere in Atlanta, be it the Battery and the new Braves’ stadium or even downtown. There are heaps of things to do in Sandy Springs if you just know where to look. Hopefully this gives you a head start on planning your visit!
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Thanks to partners Visit Sandy Springs, iExplore and Travel Mindset for the visit. All opinions are my own.
