Play

Traveling often means exploring and discovering new cities and what they have to offer, from dining experiences to history and culture. And, sometimes, it’s just about having fun, with no timetable to dictate what you see or where you go next. Here are eight destinations around the Southeast where you can ditch the agenda, drop off the grid and get out and play.

Caves, creepy happenings and more

The top attraction at DeSoto Caverns Park (5181 Desoto Caverns Parkway, Childersburg, Ala. 256-203-0987,desotocavernspark.com.) is the caves themselves (photo courtesy of DeSoto Caverns Park).

Visitors of all ages can safely see them by following the easily accessed, paved paths that meander beneath ceilings dripping with stalactites and beside walls and floors coated with stalagmites believed to date back millions of years. Their more recent history includes being a saltpeter mine during the Civil War (the element was used to make gunpowder), an onyx mine in 1912 and as a speakeasy during the era of Prohibition.

The largest cavern, dubbed the Great Onyx Cathedral, is bigger than a football field and soars almost 120 feet high, providing a spectacular backdrop for a colorful laser light show designed around seasonal themes. Tours take off every half hour and cover the caves’ history and formation in a one-hour trip.

Beyond the caves are more than 20 family-friendly attractions that provide a full day of entertainment. Try your hand at bow-and-arrow shooting, miniature golf, nerf ball cannons, a maze, water balloon wars and a climbing wall. For the Halloween season, the big draw is the Tomb of the Risen Dead show, featuring not-so-scary family movies, jugglers, a fire dancer and s’mores over the fire for the young ones, and a haunted cave for the older crowd. Later this year, look for a new “escape” game that challenges participants to solve riddles to get out of a locked room.

Golf on the Bluffs of the Mississippi

The area around the small town of St. Francisville, La., on the Mississippi River is known for its history. Next to the Port Hudson battlefield, where a significant siege took place during the Civil War, what made the area key to capture was its natural landscape of bluffs and hills, so different from the general flat stretches of the state.

That topography also made it an ideal place for Arnold Palmer to build a golf course in 1988. Today, the 18-hole Bluffs Golf Resort (5903 Magnolia Lane, St. Francisville, La. 225-634-5222, thelodgeatthebluffs.com.) is ranked one of the best in the country, dotted with 50-foot elevations. The signature hole at No. 17 features a dramatic drop-off from the tees at the top of a bluff (photo by Sarah Alleman Photography).

The resort sits amid a nature sanctuary of several hundred acres that at one time provided models for painter John James Audubon, creator of the “Birds of America” collection. Along with 40 suites, the property features restaurants, pools, a walking trail, tennis courts, a spa, pro shop and driving range, as well as special events and meeting facilities. Daily fee play also is offered.

Moonlight paddle in North Georgia

You may have seen the 63-acre lake in the sunshine; you may have watched the powerful falls cascading over the rocks or even hiked the gorge bed itself. But it’s quite another thing to be out on Tallulah Falls Lake (338 Jane Hurt Yarn Drive, Tallulah Falls. 706-754-7981, gastateparks.org/tallulahgorge, @GaStateParks) when there’s a full moon to guide the way (photo by Joell Zalatan).

“You get a different perspective on a clear night, when the moon is reflecting off the water,” said Joell Zalatan, one of the Tallulah Gorge interpretive rangers. She and her colleagues lead the moonlight canoe paddles about once a month, as long as the weather is warm and the full moon makes an appearance, which is usually late April through October.

After a brief introduction to water safety and canoe handling, the tour takes off for a two-hour excursion to the far end of the lake, about 3 miles round-trip. The route stays far from the falls, so there’s no threat of whitewater, and the trip is suitable for various skill levels. The cost is $15 per person, or $10 if visitors have their own boats. And there’s a $5 per vehicle parking fee.

Another adventure option at Tallulah is a white-water release trip. Kayakers can check the schedule for when water will be gushing through the gorge and take advantage of the ride.

Skydive into Louisiana

If jumping out of a plane is on your bucket list, Brenda Grafton will make it happen. The owner of Skydive Nawlins (62512 Airport Road, Slidell, La. 985-643-7070, skydivenawlins.com) sends folks up 10,000 feet (not quite 2 miles), where they can check one more item off.

After everyone arrives at the Slidell Airport, about 40 minutes north of New Orleans, Grafton conducts a brief overview and instruction session, and within a half hour jumpers are airborne. All jumps are tandems, meaning novices are strapped to certified instructors who handle the hard part — maneuvering in air, pulling the rip cord and executing a safe landing.

For $75, they’ll also videotape the entire experience from start to finish, about 90 minutes. No skill is required, but participants must be at least 18 years old and not weigh more than 225 pounds. Jumps are $190 each and only take place on weekends.

Swim with the manatees

The Crystal River area along Florida’s western Nature Coast is a spring-fed, constant 72 degrees, which makes it an ideal winter home for about 400 manatees. The oversized creatures flock to the area when the waters of the Gulf of Mexico get too cool for their comfort (photo courtesy of the Plantation on Crystal River). Along with being their second home, the area is the only place where it’s legal to jump in the water and frolic alongside the ungainly but gentle sea cows.

The Plantation on Crystal River (9301 W. Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, Fla. 352-795-4211, plantationoncrystalriver.com,@PlantationOnCR), an eco-friendly resort surrounded by the natural springs of the area, features an adventure center and dive shop that offers swim-with-the-manatees outings year-round, though October through March is prime time. Guests also can opt to just watch the animals swim, eat and play in the refreshing waters.

Packages make planning simple: For $238, two guests receive an overnight stay, plus a manatee snorkeling tour, breakfast and a goodie bag stuffed with plush manatee toys and guides. Tours are conducted on enclosed boats, where coffee and hot chocolate are served. Another option at $549 for two adds a second night and a choice of guided tour of the area’s wildlife refuges and parks, an all-day kayak rental or a guided sunset or sunrise tour. The property also features a marina, 18-hole golf course, a spa and restaurants.

Go fish in Georgetown

There are so many options for anglers in this South Carolina town that the tourism folks recommend seeing them all in one place: openangler.com. There, you can plan an excursion by selecting from half- and full-day charter boats, in-shore and near-shore guides, and deep-sea trips. Those with their own gear and boats also will find directions to launch sites and fishing areas (photo courtesy of Hammock Coast S.C.).

Billed as South Carolina’s Hammock Coast (531 Front St., Georgetown, S.C. 843-546-8436, hammockcoastsc.com,@HammockCoastSC) the Georgetown area offers a choice of locations for fishing. The town is centered near the Atlantic Ocean, five rivers and an array of saltwater creeks that teem with king mackerel, tarpon and red drum. Georgetown’s reputation as a fishing mecca is bolstered by playing host to tournaments that include the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing series, the IFA Redfish Tour and the Georgetown Wahoo Challenge.

An island retreat

Looking for an unspoiled retreat away from the crowds? Dutton Island Preserve (Dutton Island Road W, Atlantic Beach, Fla. 904-247-5828, coab.us.) is waiting at the end of Dutton Island Drive in the city of Atlantic Beach (photo courtesy of City of Atlantic Beach).

Technically a city park, this island is a passive recreational area of more than 30 acres that boasts 9,000 feet of nature trails, a nature exhibit, camp sites, a fishing pier, picnic areas, covered pavilions, wildlife observation platforms and a launch for canoes and kayaks.

One of the coolest features, according to city Recreation Director Timmy Johnson, is that the island sits between the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west. “It’s a great place where you can get away from everything,” he said. “It’s quiet. There’s great fishing. And the views are spectacular.”

Visitors can drive onto the island with their own canoes, kayaks, paddleboards or camping gear. Those who want to rent equipment will find two nearby shops, Aqua East Surf Shop (696 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, Fla. 904-246-2550, aquaeast.com) andJacksonville Surf and Paddle (222 First St., Neptune Beach, Fla. 904-435-7873,jacksonvillesurfandpaddle.com), ready to supply the gear. The companies also will arrange paddleboard tours; the recreation office offers a free wheelchair. Reservations are required for campers.

See Charleston Harbor from a kayak

Paddlers looking for an adventure beyond the calm, back waterways of South Carolina’s oldest city will find it right in the city’s harbor. This major port doubles as a recreational area that offers experienced boaters a challenge unlike many others, said Mike Martin, an American Canoe Association-certified instructor and tour guide with Sea Kayak Carolina (118 May Lane, Mount Pleasant, S.C. 843-225-7969, seakayakcarolina.com).

“The harbor is the highway, with a lot more things to pay attention to as opposed to paddling around a tidal river. It can be really calm, and 15 minutes later be really choppy. It can be quite dynamic,” he said.

Those who prefer a less challenging environment can sign on for one of several tours led by Sea Kayak guides. The two-hour expeditions, usually capped at 10 people, start at $45 and can range from the beginners’ basic intro tour to a longer excursion to one of the nearby barrier islands only accessible by boat. Instructors also lead two- and four-hour classes for all skill levels, also starting at $45. A three-day “crash course” class for $130 will leave novices feeling fairly proficient with a paddle.

All water adventures are scheduled around the tides. “That’s what affects our speed and direction, so we keep that in mind when planning trips,” Martin said. Sea Kayak also rents everything you’ll need to get out on the water, including the sea kayaks that do best in the harbor.

Return to Travel like a local