UWG News Archive

Spring Break travel opportunities

February 16, 2004

CARROLLTON, GA - The Department of Continuing Education at the University of West Georgia has partnered with Leisure Time Travel Tours to provide a set of unique educational travel programs for children and adults. The dates of travel are designed for spring break in the Carroll County and the Carrollton City school systems.

A full day of travel and learning will be led by an experienced tour guide, whose adventure will leave UWG by deluxe motorcoach at 7:30 a.m. for Chattanooga, Tennessee. Participants will tour the Tennessee Aquarium beginning with the incredible seahorse exhibit. Next they will embark on a revealing odyssey through the natural habitats of more than 9,000 creatures that swim, fly and crawl. The group will see and learn about alligators, snakes, turtles, frogs, ducks, river otters, sharks, stingrays and more while students work on a scavenger hunt exercise.

They will enjoy the excitement of the incredibly realistic film in the IMAX theater. This is a six-story, state of the art educational theater. A deli-sandwich lunch will be served while cruising the Tennessee River allowing students to learn about the history of the Chattanooga area and enjoy the beautiful scenic view of the river. The tour group will to return to UWG by 7 p.m. For the trip offered March 16, the registration deadline is Feb. 27. For the April 6 trip, the deadline is March 19.

The second trip offered is a gold mine and nature trip in the north Georgia mountains led by an experienced tour guide. Participants will tour the Consolidated Gold Mine, the largest mine east of the Mississippi.

Participants will walk through the tunnel network, complete with the original track system and learn about the geology of the gold belt including the quartz and pyrite formations, which early miners were working when gold was mined in Georgia. The group will learn about the engineering and mining techniques utilized by the early miners, including early hydraulic mining.

A trip to a gold mine would not be complete without panning for gold! A visit to Crisson’s Gold Mine will provide a view of the only original working Stamper in Georgia and one of two in the eastern U.S. Students will pan for gems and gold at this mine which dates back to 1847 and is still owned and operated by fourth generation miners.

The group will then enjoy nature as they tour Amicalola State Park and explore the 729-foot waterfall, the tallest east of the Rocky Mountains. These falls are higher than Niagara Falls and a hike to the base of the falls with a park ranger is scheduled.

Lunch will be pizza, soft drink, and a snack cake and return to UWG is expected about 6:30 p.m. For the trip offered March 18, the registration deadline is March 1. For the April 8 trip, the deadline is March 19.

The prices are $52 for students age 10-13 and $62 for students 14 and over. These programs will be restricted to 30 participants, so early registration is advised. The fee includes all transportation, attraction admissions, and lunch. Contact Jim Agan, director of Continuing Education, for more information at 770-836-6614.

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