When it's not blazing hot, I like to spend as much time outside as possible. The "cooler" weather in the mid 80's Sunday presented the perfect opportunity to check out Callaway Gardens with my mom and dad. Other garden guests ranged from families with small children to silver-haired ladies who lunch to couples on romantic dates.

Entrance to the park was $15 for adults and included access to the butterfly center, the horticultural center, the discovery center, all hiking and bike trails and "the beach" (which is really a lake with imported sand.) There are plenty of spots to picnic, although food from the Gardens' own Country Store Restaurant was reasonably priced and tasty. Callaway Gardens is about a 45-minute drive from Auburn and Opelika.

Here are a few of the things we saw on our trip: