Date Night
What’s the best way to teach your teen how to treat a date right
and how they should expect to be treated in return? Lead by example! Father/daughter and mother/son “dates” are a perfect way
to show your teen the importance of good manners and respecting others without being preachy. Plus, it gives you some great
one-on-one time to talk and catch up.
Roll down the river: Go the traditional route and take your
date for a nice dinner out but kick things up a notch by enjoying dinner aboard a Harriott II Riverboat cruise on the Alabama
River.
ROAD
TRIP!
All Out.
Go
There’s a lot to love about our area, one being
its close and convenient proximity to so many
other neat places. Here are a few we love. Take a
day trip with your teen to check them out, and
-Our Favorite-
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Black OUt
take advantage of the drive time. Turn off the
radio and talk. Remember: It’s the journey,
not the destination, that counts. Enjoy the ride!
With everyone (including you) constantly getting texts on their
phones, checking email on their tablets, all with the TV blaring
in the background, it can be difficult to spend any actual quality
time at home. There is a solution. Schedule a game night with a
twist: a total technology “black out.” Turn the TV off and collect
all phones, tablets and gaming gadgets and put them in another
room. Then pull out those old board games or a deck of cards.
You may be pleasantly surprised how much you all get into the
game when there are no distractions.
In Bloom The outdoor oasis of Callaway Gardens in Pine Moun-
All the way: All The Way: If you want to be authentic, turn
Marvel at the massive exhibits and displays of the U.S.
Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. The mammoth Saturn V
rocket, which launched Apollo 11 and the subsequent Apollo missions, is suspended from the ceiling and interactive exhibits explain
things like gimbal, G-forces and other laws of physics. You can explore a replica of the space station, have an astronaut experience in
the Apollo Capsule in a simulator and even take a journey to Mars.
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is also the home of Space Camp.
If you’ve got a teen interested in science and aeronautics, grab some
info on this world-renowned program while you’re there. www.
rocketcenter.com
off the lights and play games by candlelight.
The Great outdoors
Got a nature lover on your hands? Explore the area’s wilder side
with a hike and a camping trip. Swapping stories over a roaring
fire in between mouthfuls of roasted marshmallows makes for
some great memories, and you can give your kids some hands-on
instruction for skills like using a compass, grilling, fishing, even
emergency first-aid. We love spots like Cheaha State Park and The
Sipsey Wilderness.
H Gadgets to go:
Pop some small wireless speakers in
your backpack for tunes on the trail, and don’t forget to capture
your adventure with Instagram so you can share the fun.
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tain, Georgia, offers acres of floral beauty in bloom, woodland glens,
a vegetable garden, ponds and more, all of which can be explored
via a network of paved trails perfect for walking or biking. The Gardens’ Day Butterfly Center is the place for a personal encounter with
over 1,000 colorful butterflies representing 50 tropical species, while
the new TreeTop Adventure Ziplining course provides a natural
high. www.callawaygardens.com
Aim High
BYO Bike
Grab your bikes and head up to Anniston to ride the
Chief Ladiga Trail that traverses some of North Alabama’s most
scenic splendor. A program called Rails to Trails has transformed
abandoned rail lines into the 33-mile long paved trail that’s perfect
for all cycling levels. www.chiefladigatrail.com
www.potentialmagazine.com