If you want to go to the beach, but are limited by time or money, this is the place to go. They have a sand beach, a big pool, water slides and play areas for little kids. One great thing is that you can bring your own picnic lunch in instead of paying exorbitant prices for junky fast food.

There was nothing especially bad or good about this hotel - as long as you realize Marriott is typically a notch above most hotel chains in terms of customer service, convenience and cleanliness. We're used to staying at Marriott brand hotels so we were not surprised when we got a decent sized room with a nice view of Midtown Atlanta. The kids slept in the convertible sofa bed with no problems.

The one issue they need to address at this hotel is getting in and out of the parking lot. A few years ago, a giant sinkhole opened up in the lowest level of the tiered parking lot - so now the easiest way to enter the parking lot is sealed off, indefinitely. To get in to the hotel, you have to turn onto the access road labeled for I-75 S, so it can be confusing. A good GPS or a call to the hotel ahead of time can solve that, though.

Of course watching the Braves play baseball is good old fashioned fun for the whole family. But we made the mistake one time of taking our 6 month old child. He cried the entire time - or at least any time I had any chance of seeing the action on the field. (We think it may have been the noise bothering him, because if I walked him into one of the vending corridors, he calmed down).

Since that time, we've been back lots of times, and our boys love the whole experience, especially the interactive games that are set up before the main event, so getting to the park even 2-3 hours before the game is not a problem - there's plenty to do and see.

I homeschool our 2 oldest boys (8 &11) so we're always on the lookout for field trips that combine fun and learning. Between the the museum and climb up the mountain itself, we covered history, reading (the historical & nature markers along the trail,) science, and lots and lots of P.E. The climb up the mountain was steep at times, so I don't recommend the under 5 crowd trying it, even though my youngest was 4 at the time and he had no problems. But he's always had the dexterity of a wild goat...

You can also drive up the mountain to see the view from the top. I believe the only restrooms are at the base in the museum, though. The museum was small but very informative, with lots of genuine Civil War uniforms and artifacts. There was also a short film about battles fought in the Atlanta vicinity. The museum and mountain hike are free, educational and fun, especially if you have kids that enjoy running and climbing.

Pretty much the same as most bouncy houses out there - the kids run in circles, bounce like maniacs and generally have a good time. The price is pretty typical of these places, although my sister said they have a group discount program, so mom's clubs and church groups could maybe go in together and get a break on the pricing. I noticed a computer center last time I was there, for parents to entertain themselves on while the kids play.