My favorite winter sport is snow tubing – there is zero talent involved beyond being able to find my hat and gloves – and the only dangerous element may be inflicting an accidental self-wedgie upon dismount. So I was pretty thrilled to find out that despite our lack of snow in Atlanta, we could still engage in throwing ourselves down a mountain on a piece of rubber at Snow Mountain.
Bundled up in our waterproof clothes, we made the trek to Stone Mountain last Monday night for a bit of wintertime frolic. After locating Memorial Hall and getting our “lift tickets” we were mountain-bound.
There are two choices for snow tubing – individual and group. We came to the individual lanes first so we each grabbed our tubes and made our way to the moving sidewalk that took us up the mountain. It’s like one of those people movers at the airport, but with an incline, and you can’t walk on them.
At the top of the mountain you have your choice of lanes, all identical, and some helpful staff member helps position you in your tube and shoves you down the mountain. It really is a blast and after a few more individual rides, we made our way to the family ride at Avalanche Alley. Here we actually had to walk up the brick pathway but were glad for a little exercise.
At the top we all piled in a tube and we were off! A few screams later we were at the bottom, where we jumped right up to go again.
There’s plenty more to do here – build snow forts, throw snowballs and have your photo taken in front of the friendly penguins. We strolled through the Crossroads where we stopped in one shop to watch a master glassblower meticulously craft a turtle.
Of course snow calls for hot chocolate and what better accompaniment than s’mores? We bought a handy little kit then slowly toasted the marshmallows over a firepit.
After a few more rides we were ready to head out. As the youngest member of our group was 17, we didn’t check out all the activities for younger kids, but there are plenty – the Little Angels snow area is just for the little ones.
When you buy tickets you select a time slot so I imagine it’s never too crowded. We opted for an evening slot, from 6-8, and were rewarded with a wintry chill and beautiful light displays. Tickets start at $17 for kids; $27 for adults for a two-hour slot.
This is a must-do during the holidays and will definitely be added to our family traditions. Snow Mountain is open through March. 7.
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