This charming Craftsman-style home with shingle and stacked stone exterior in the popular Barnes Mill swim/tennis neighborhood is move-in ready just in time for summer! Its cottage-like feel opens into a spacious floorpan, with plenty of square footage to spread out and relax.

Gleaming hardwoods with coffered ceilings, lots of  moulding detail, and quality built-ins in the living areas make a cozy but elegant first impression. One of the home’s two fireplaces is a focal point of the living rooms.

Rich wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and quality finishes (including double ovens and a custom range hood) in the kitchen make this a cook’s dream.

Beautifully landscaped and hardscaped with manicured plantings and two outdoor living areas,  you can step down  from the deck off the kitchen and living rooms to an outdoor fireplace on the lower level patio with seating and pergola for privacy.

This home has tremendous closet space including two oversized walk-in closets, one of which is spacious enough to be customized into  a luxe dressing room.

Tray ceiling and fireplace in the spacious Master suite make it a luxurious retreat. Each of the three additional upstairs bedroom have their own private bath, and an office space in the loft provides a quiet spot to work or do homework.

The home’s walk-out basement is unfinished but ready to be customized into the rec room, media lounge, or guest suite of your dreams.

For more details, photos, or information, check the full listing  on my website. And as always, please reach out with any questions or to set up a viewing of this lovely home.

4214 Barnes Meadow Road SW Smyrna, Georgia 30082

Overview: 3,589 sq.ft plus unfinished basement.; 4 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms; 2 car garage; swim/tennis community

Schools: Russell-Cobb / Floyd / South Cobb

I can’t be the only one who is ready for Spring! It always seems like winter drags on until I get to go on Spring Break!  I’ve also been talking to friends and Chase’s friend’s parents to see where they’re spending their vacations and have gotten some great tips.

One of the great things about living in the Vinings and Buckhead areas is access to Atlanta’s international airport. Having a major airline based here means that whether you a looking for warmth and sunshine, fresh powder on the ski slopes, or a family friendly cruise, you can probably find a direct flight to wherever you want to go. And as anyone with children knows, minimizing your travel legs means minimizing headaches and maximizing precious vacation time for families.

Fun in the Sun

Sting Ray City, Grand Cayman

• Grand Cayman  is known for its luxury hotels and condos on 7 Mile Beach, its coral reef diving and snorkeling and for swimming with the rays at Sting Ray City.
• Belize   – your family can charter a  sail boat for a snorkeling and diving trip inside the barrier reef, hopping between  Caribbean islands and then head inland for a rain forest canopy tour.
• Costa Rica : Costa Rica is really growing in popularity for families; I was amazed how many American families I ran into last time I was there on Spring break 2 years ago. From rain forest eco/adventures, volcano viewing trips, to surfing in the Pacific Ocean, there are lots of fun things to do there.
• Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands : if you want to feel like you’re really getting away  but haven’t gotten everyone in the family a passport yet (or the kid’s passport renewal snuck up on you!) these American territories have lots of options less than a 3 hour flight from Atlanta.
• Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is one of those places that seems to pop up every time I talk to friends about vacation plans. I haven’t been yet but a lot of friends love it for the water slides and adventures.

photo credit: itravel2000.com

• Beaver Creek in Avon, Colorado is a popular resort not far from Vail that friends of mine love. I took Chase there for his first ski trip, as the ski schools are excellent and its a quaint resort with everything near by.  Denver and Vail airports serve the area. You can get bunny slope lessons for the little guys and black diamond slopes for the daredevils!
• Steamboat  is another central Colorado ski resort that is a popular spring destination  with friends.
• Park City, Utah is a short drive from Salt Lake City (with lots of direct flights from Atlanta on Delta) is a really pretty town in the Wasatch Mountains, with plenty to do even if you are more a fireplace-and-cocoa person than a ski slope person. My favorite resort there is Deer Valley with top class service and very convenient to town.
• Lake Tahoe is accessible from both Reno NV and Sacramento CA. With dozens of resorts surrounding the lake, it’s known as much for its spectacular scenery as for its great ski options.

Ski Lake Tahoe

• Royal Caribbean   was recommended to me by a friend for their great kids programs. If you love the ease of cruising, they have great options.  My friends that have recommended it love cruising, but I wasn’t thrilled with being on vacation with 5000 other people and being herded everywhere. My son loved it and basically its a floating hotel.  We traveled on Oasis of the Seas which was new then and one of its bigger boats.  I may have had a different experience if we had gone on a smaller ship.
• Disney Cruise is another very family friendly cruise option (the secret being that they are also very parent friendly too!)  Many of my friends like it and have taken extended family.  If I were going to do a cruise again I’d probably try them to compare.  At the time they seemed more limited in their destinations with most of the boats going to their “private” island versus the more popular ports we went to in Cozumel, Jamaica and Haiti.

Eater Atlanta is a great place to keep up with the latest and hottest food trends in the Atlanta area, but they have gone back to basics with this list of 20 Classic Restaurants Every Atlantan Must Try. These are restaurants that have been open for at least 20 years, places where a couple may have celebrated both their first anniversary and their children’s graduation. The list concentrates in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta, but I noticed several are here in the Vinings, Buckhead, and Marietta area:

• Canoe, with its serene location on the bank of the Chattahoochee River here in Vinings makes you feel like you’ve escaped to the country side. their menu has evolved over the years but always stayed true to its upscale southern roots.
• Ray’s on the River is just a few miles upriver from Canoe. They have just celebrated their 30th birthday and keep generations of Atlantans coming back for their classic surf and turf menu.
• Horseradish Grill has been keeping upscale southern cuisine fresh for over 20 years. It’s the perfect spot for a meal before strolling across the street for a show at Chastain Park’s Amphitheater
• Marietta Diner is a short drive north up I-75 and has been offering classic American diner food for just over 20 years. Open 24 hours so you can get your burger or dessert craving satisfied any time.
• Petite Auberge tucked away in the Toco Hills Shopping Center has been serving fine French cuisine to Atlanta’s diners since 1974. Food trends may come and go but this classic has maintained a loyal clientele that speaks to its timeless appeal.
• Bone’s in Buckhead is inarguably Atlanta’s quintessential steak house, and has been a go-to spot for special occasion celebrations for decades.
• Buckhead Diner keeps the decor retro and their classic diner/southern menu updated at their Piedmont Road location.

Atlanta is a vibrant, quickly evolving city with a world-class food scene, but there is a reason these classic spots have lasted for so many years.  Next time you’re looking for a tried and true but still delicious meal, I encourage you to check out the whole list at Eater.

photo credit: LuAnn DeMeo

Atlanta Magazine has just published an article listing five reasons to love Vinings. From it’s charming “downtown” district with boutique shopping and dining to it’s established, family-friendly neighborhoods, access to both the city of Atlanta and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, the list highlights a just few of the reasons we love living here. We all know there are more than 5 things to love about Vinings! And with the sidewalks connecting all of us, it truly is a Village!

What do you love about life in Vinings?