11th Annual Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival at Callaway Gardens®

Are you lamenting the end of another summer? Worry not…at Callaway Gardens®, things are looking up …way up …with the return of the Callaway Gardens® Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival for its eleventh year.

Set for September 4-6, 2009, this annual Balloon Festival has something for everyone, from the soaring, majestic, colorful balloons to Callaway Gardens’ unique mix of natural beauty, to its endless helpings of multi-generational activities and events. In fact, when it comes to family fun at Callaway Gardens, the sky is the limit!

Festivities kick off Friday night when guests flock to Robin Lake Beach for the Balloon Glow. Upbeat live music sets the mood as balloons inflate as the sun sets and show their individual colors as they glow against the gorgeous evening sky as guests shout “ready, set…glow!”

On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, it is up, up and away as the balloons head for the open skies (weather permitting) at sunrise and sunset. On the ground, the action continues as Robin Lake Beach plays host to a family festival featuring activities and events for all ages. Choose from tethered balloon rides (weather permitting, fee), a rock climbing wall (fee), bungee jump (fee), sandcastle building, swimming, miniature golf, kite building, t-shirt tie-dyeing (fee), a variety of kids’ craft activities and more.

For the second year, the Radio Control Model Boat and Seaplane Regatta will take the waters of both Robin and Martin lakes. This event, created by a resident of the Longleaf at Callaway community, will include fast-electrics, sailboats and utility boats with demonstrations, competitions and more. More than 150 boats are expected to participate in the array of activities taking place. For more information, visit the Callaway Gardens website.

Don’t miss the very popular Classic Car Show on Saturday. In 2009, more than 100 cars are expected to roll through the gates and add even more color to the already spectacular event.

Meanwhile, the athletically-inclined can enjoy their own adventures thanks to the Callaway Gardens Fitness Series, including a 5K run and Triathlon on Sunday morning. To register, visit www.active.com.

Want to be a part of the high flying balloon action? Sign up to be on a Balloon Chase Crew. Crew members are assigned to pilots and are able to assist the Balloon Team throughout the weekend. For more information, contact Greg Brannen at 706-663-5043 or gbrannen@callawaygardens.com.

Festival admission is $20 per adult, $10 per child ages 6-12, and children five and under are admitted free (admission prices include tax). This price includes access to Callaway Gardens’ and its many attractions. To witness the morning launches, the U.S. Hwy. 27 Beach gate will open at 6:00 a.m. both days. As an incentive to get out early, admission is half-price both Saturday and Sunday mornings before 9:00 a.m.

Stay around and enjoy the entire weekend with friends and family. Ask about the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Weekend Package for two adults and two children 12. This offer includes admission to the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival, Callaway Gardens and its many attractions; a dinner plate on Friday night from one of the Beach Pavilion vendors during the Balloon Glow; four tickets to make tie-dye T-shirts at the Festival on Saturday or Sunday; two tickets for either the Bungee Jump, Rock Climbing Wall or Xcelerator Water Slide; use of the Mountain Creek Inn Fitness Center and your choice of lodging options.

Don’t delay. Call now for reservations at 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or make reservations online at www.callawaygardens.com.

Callaway Gardens®, is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com.

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Think Classic, Think Tallahassee

T2F Note: Seeing old classic cars can be a treat and take you back in time. Here's another trip to consider taking. Tallahassee is so close to the south Georgia line, although for most Georgia residents it does mean an overnight trip. Still, zipping down to Tallahassee can be a great getaway. It's also an easy drive to the Gulf to take a dip after you've seen the cars.

(NAPSI)-When most people think of "Florida" and "cars," they tend to picture a popular beach city with an annual high-speed race. Yet with an eye instead toward the history of automobiles, they are drawn to the state's capital--and a one-of-a-kind museum.

From political figures and premier "Prowlers" to polished chrome and solar power, the two-story, 95,000-square-foot Tallahassee Automobile Museum holds one of the most extensive car collections in the world. Among the many shining examples of automobiles throughout America's history are:

• the 1860 hearse that carried President Lincoln to his final resting place;

• the oldest fully surviving car made in America in 1894;

• a 1931 Duesenberg Model J appraised for more than $1.2 million;

• both the first Prowler and Viper to roll off the assembly line;

• three Batmobiles and more.

Often touted as one of the Southeast's finest private collections of rare and unique collectibles, the museum also offers a new feature--solar panels. Created with help from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the paneling educates youth on the benefits of alternative energy as well as protects fuel for future generations. The museum houses the largest solar panel system in the state, as well as "green" items from the carpet and flooring to the electrical fixtures.

"It's more than a museum, it's a journey," says DeVoe Moore, museum owner and longtime Tallahassee resident. "The collections will truly take you back to your childhood, whatever era that may be."

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