Christmas at The Rock Ranch in Georgia

Have you been to The Rock Ranch? Living 2 hours away from this south Georgia hidden gem meant that I hadn’t visited yet. I needed to know that a family staycation was possible. I knew about summer activities like Tiny Town and the Zipline, but when,”Baby, it’s cold outside,” what’s a farmhand to do? Plenty, it turns out! Our family was hosted at The Rock Ranch for #CountryChristmasNights to see Santa and the plentiful Christmas lights all around The Rock Ranch property. Check out our magical visit and how we managed to stay so late when we live so far from the Ranch…

Country Christmas Nights and Xmas Lights

If you’re ready to snag your tickets for wagon rides and locomotive train rides through more than a mile of Christmas Lights, head to The Rock Ranch! You can reserve your times to avoid long lines and wait times. Spend the evening in the Country Store, bounce house, lawn games, watching Christmas movies, sipping cocoa and visiting with Santa. Pick up an extra ticket (parents don’t need them) to Santa’s Workshop where you can craft ornaments, sugar cookies, write letters to Santa and hear stories read aloud. 

By far one of our favorite experiences was Breakfast with Santa, where a full buffet meal of Chick-fil-a style biscuits, gravy, eggs, fixin’s and more are served up by smiling faces. Coffee, tea, juice and more are included. Santa will visit your table for a kind hello and photos before you join the short queue to see him in his sleigh. Bring your own camera… there is no charge for photos!

The evening after breakfast, we loaded up onto a farm wagon (the size of a trailer!) towed by a large tractor and were pulled through over a mile of lights all around The Rock Ranch property. After that 10 minute ride, we warmed ourselves by the large hearth fire and sipped hot cocoa and cider (available for purchase in the Christmas Cafe) before hopping on a small locomotive train around the property. This gave us a whole new view of the lights, with a short pause at a dancing lights show! Check out the video below!

Check out the Lights

The last thing you’ll see in this video was a very special ride… a VIP tow in a real Conestoga wagon, trimmed out with dancing lights synced to about 12 different holiday songs. The details were amazing! Buffalo check flannel lined seats, warm plaid blankets, twinkle LED lights blinking and glowing with every song. Our family of 6 fit comfortably, and it was a very magical treat to be able to take this ride!! Next holiday season, inquire about it for hire… it’s MAGICAL! 

Where to Stay at The Rock Ranch

One thing you will not find at The Rock Ranch is a hotel! A textbook Resort Hotel would detract from the real country living created by the South Georgia landscape, but The Rock Ranch offers several farmhouses that have been completely renovated. Our family stayed in a rented farmhouse at The Rock Ranch, which was very much like an Air BNB. The Hinton House was less than 2 miles from the front Entrance of The Rock Ranch, on sprawling property featuring cows, deer, wildlife and plenty of trees. 

The home was well supplied with towels, pillows, linens, coffee (and maker!), dishes, cookware, silverware, et all for a family of 8. Even board games of varying difficulty were ready for play since TV and wifi are not available. As much as this may scare you, two full days with family was incredible. We talked and made eye contact and even had some quiet time via naps and sipping coffee while admiring the young field of bulls beyond our plantation shutters. 

The Hinton House was hospitable, comfortable and extremely relaxing. Despite our full agenda of activities, we never felt rushed and the getaway was exactly what we needed! Find your own Farmhouse Stay. I recommend you come up on a Friday (or Thursday night) and spend the entire following day at The Rock Ranch. Explore the property, the nearby towns of Marin, Thomaston, and Barnesville. If country cooking is your favorite cuisine, you’ll have tons to choose from!

The Rock Ranch will wake up next Spring for an Easter EGGstravaganza and Spring Break, so mark your calendars for a family getaway that will make you want to come back!