I’ve got one word for ya: Avalon. Alpharetta. Ok, that’s two words, but I had to tell you where Avalon was. It’s in Alpharetta, Georgia and it’s hap.pen.ing.
Atlanta ain’t got nothin’ on the suburbs anymore! It’s always fun to take a trip into the city, but you don’t have to when the best eats, shopping and entertainment can be found out in the ‘burbs, and Alpharetta has got it going on. Big time.
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As part of a press trip, my daughter and I experienced awesome Alpharetta restaurants, shops and fun in Avalon, a sustainably designed upscale neighborhood community infused with shopping, dining and residential living. And it’s walkable! There’s so much to do there that you could easily spend an entire day or more exploring it. There are also tons of things to do in Dahlonega GA, less than an hour away.
1. Shop!
Avalon offers a diverse collection of 56 premium retailers in an open-air pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. Shop ’til you drop!
2. Have lunch at El Felix
Enjoy Texas-style Tex Mex in a casual roadhouse environment. Everything is made in-house and ingredients are grilled over a mesquite wood fire. So good!
3. Take a train ride
All ages can enjoy a $5 trackless train ride on the Avalon Express down Avalon Boulevard.
4. Treat yourself to gelati at Caffe Antico
This gelateria serves a variety of gelati flavors, all imported from Bologna, Italy.
5. Go on a squirrel treasure hunt
There are 12 squirrels scattered throughout the property, so challenge yourself to find them on your own, or pick up a map at the concierge!
6. Take a cooking class at Salud!
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you’ll have fun, learn a few tricks and eat some amazing food during your cooking class located inside Whole Foods. Register in advance!
7. Design your own jewelry at Kendra Scott
Shop from the displays or make your own piece of jewelry at the Color Bar. Choose a design, metal and stone color, and the experts will put it all together for you to wear immediately or give as a gift later.
8. Enjoy happy hour at Ted’s Montana Grill
Grab a seat on the outdoor patio and wash down some bison sliders with Ted’s “Newly Fashioned,” a modern twist on the classic Old Fashioned.
9. Listen to live music in the plaza
Every Friday night through October, shoppers can enjoy live music in the plaza from 6-8 pm as part of Avalon Nights Live.
10. Have dinner at Oak Steakhouse
Amazingly delicious, classy and traditionally styled steakhouse serving locally sourced beef and Georgia-grown ingredients. This is hard to beat.
11. See a movie
A great way to end your day and rest your shopped-out feet, especially since every seat in each of the twelve theaters fully reclines.
12. Go ice skating
From mid-November to mid-January, the plaza morphs into a Rockefeller Center-sized ice skating rink decorated in holiday lights and decor.
Photo credit: Alpharetta CVB
This list of things to do is not exhaustive, and Avalon continues to grow! If you want to spend a good bit of time, you may want to stay at the ‘Hotel at Avalon,’ a Marriott Autograph property with 330 guest rooms and suites.
For more information on Avalon, visit the website.
Comments & Reviews
Georgia is on my list of places to visit! I haven’t been to any states down south (except for Florida), and I’m dying to go! Mainly for the food… Southern food is THE best!
That sounds like so much fun! I do love all the southern hospitality.
I would love to do the squirrel hunt. I would get the map, but only use it if I couldn’t find the last squirrel. The plaza looks like it’s a happening place.
What a fun place to spend the day!!! I know my kids would have a blast looking for squirrels there!
I’d enjoy the squirrel hunt – I love Squirrels so real or fake it doesn’t matter lol. Looks like it has a nice vibe x
Looks like a great little place, and that food!! 🙂
You had me at gelato, I am an ice cream lover and can never get enough. Avalon alpharetta sounds like a lovley surbs to visit
It’s been quite a few years since we’ve been to Georgia. Need to make it a stop again on our next trip through the area!
We are going to Georgia soon. We will have to make this part of our trip. Thank you for sharing this.
I have not been there in SOOOO long! I need to get back there it has changed a lot since I was there last!
I love visiting places in the south!! Everything here looks like it would be right up my alley for a day of exploring, love the squirrel hunt as well.
Avalon sounds like one of those places that you can spend an entire day just walking around and hanging out. I would love to visit one day.
What a totally gorgeous town! I would love to spend the day exploring Avalon. That gelato bar looks divine.
I know, right? I love gelato so I would love to visit that gelato bar ASAP.
From the pictures above its a cool place to visit. My kids would love to go on the train ride.
Looks like Avalon is a great place to check out and enjoy. Appreciate you sharing this location with us!
The squirrel hunt sounds really fun for kids. I know mine would have loved finding the squirrels scattered across the property. I think I would like to visit El Felix.
Avalon sounds fun. I kinda want to take your post and do all 12 of these activities.
I really love checking out new places and I want so badly to do a family road trip some day. I will have to put Avalon as a place to visit during some time when I travel outside of the New England area. Appreciate you giving the information about Avalon!
Looks like I need to take a trip to Georgia. So many shopping and food places… I’m game
Guess I should look into Georgia and Avalon. Something for everyone to do and enjoy.
This sounds like such a lovely place to visit with the family – it would make a lovely vacation. All those gelato flavors look so delicious!
Shopping, ice cream, good food? Yes please! What a wonderful time it would be!
I needed to pin this post! I would love to visit Avalon one day!
“Go on a squirrel treasure hunt” – hahah…
The avalon express train looks fun I bet my daughter would love that one.
I love all of your fun places to go. You can choose things for ME to do any day of the week! I haven’t been to Alpharetta for a very long time and at that time, nothing much to do.
I would go just for the gelato, I have always wanted to try it as I am a big ice cream lover!
This is so inspiring! I love Avalon and I’d love to go there and do each of these things!
Ive been here, and it’s a tiny Atlantic Station. That format is so popular, the Braves are getting one around it’s stadium. I love the local eats that populate it.
This looks like a great place to visit. I would love to go and try ice skating and see the holiday lights.
I always love the way you share your day and experience with some awesome picture that even describes exactly what you want to say.
Just awesome 🙂
Can you combine the squirrel hunt so that for every squirrel found you go and try a new flavour of gelato? What am I saying, that’s totally something that should happen!
According to the pictures, this looks like so much fun. Eating, learning, exploring, and having fun; need to visit this place soon.
This is the first time I’ve heard of Alpharetta but it sounds like an awesome place to visit! It seems like there is so much to do and explore!
Wow the food looks so amazing! I love how neat the ice cream looks though idk if I’d ever want to ruin that lol
sounds like such a lovely town! Squirrel hunt? I actually miss those little creatures. We moved from Tampa, Florida to Las Vegas a year ago, and there are no squirrels here. Well actually there should not be people here either, it is too hot!
Awesome blog!
Blessings!
Claudia
Whoa, this looks like an awesome place to visit! I would SO enjoy listening to live music at that plaza!
Avalon sure seems like a wonderful city! I want to go just to get some of that Caffe Antico ice cream
Avalon reminds me of a similar attraction here in Las Vegas, and we always have fun when we visit. I love that there are so many different eateries to choose from.
I love the squirrels all over. The food looks amazing too.
Looks like such a lot to do, that food looks amazing and so many awesome shops x
I have always road through Alphretta GA, but never really spent a lot of time there to what it had to offer. Thank you so much for pointing some places it out, I will have to make it my business to fine time to explore.
I love the Avalon. I was just there in May and found some great items. They did a great job at creating a space that is ideal for everyone. I can’t wait to go back again and look for the squirrels. try some gelato, and create my own jewelry.
Oh heavens that food looks so amazing. I think I would spend the day their. Ha! Looks like you had a great time.
Thanks for the suggestion! I am always looking for new places to visit!
There’s so much that you can do here, it’s a full blown experience, from shopping to dining! I think the place is lovely and it’s easy to get around here without tiring yourself too much.
This looks like a fun town! I’d love that fresh gauc and chips…yum!
How can one not like this place, there are so many things to do with family or friends! I like the little park at the middle where you can sit and hang out after shopping. I can’t believe they can turn it into an ice skating rink too! It’s really awesome to go here.
My father-in-law and kids would LOVE that train! How cute is it?! And I haven’t seen anything like that around where we live so it would be pretty exciting for everyone.
The fact that most of these are about food had me but throw in squirrels and I’m sold. I live in San Antonio the capital of Tex-Mex so I’m always interested in what other people do with guacamole lol
Exactly my thoughts! Why would you want to brave the big city when you can have the luxury of being in the ‘burbs and enjoying all the amenities there without the hassle of big city problems?
Avalon looks like a great place. I want to go there someday.
How have I never heard of this place?! It looks like such a fun place to spend a weekend. I am all about that shopping and eating – and the train is adorable! Plus, the squirrel hunt would be a hoot!
When you wrote “catch a squirrel,” I thought about live squirrels, haha! I’d love to visit here someday!
Now this is my kind of town. I can imagine strolling those streets and having some makeup done, a great lunch, and heading to a park with the dog. That squirrel you showed is adorable.
Wow! So much to do at one mall! I want to the ice skating!
Such a lovely place. Hopefully, we can visit Georgia soon.
I love posts like these because they really help make the most of travel! We have a Kendra Scott store opening at a local mall so I’ll have to check it out 🙂
How fun! This look a really cool place to visit. xx
Gelati, ice skating, and a Kendra Scott store? Count me in! I’ll definitely check out Avalon next time I’m in the area.
What a fantastic place – I’d love to visit and my kids would go mad for a ride on the mini train x
This looks like a really amazing place to visit! Endless things to do and see and eat, it seems!
Oh my! That guacamole looks perfect. I have a massive guacamole craving now haha.
What an absolutely fabulous place! I can’t believe just how much there is to do in one place, I would love to visit there and do it all 🙂 x
What a beautiful place. It looks like you can do a lot of fun things out there. I would love to visit someday.
This looks like a really fun place to visit. This would make a nice weekend trip for us!
This is the first I’ve heard of this. I’ll have to check it out if I’m ever passing through.
I like to eat all the flavors of gelati! This is a nice place to go with friends!
I love traveling to the south!! This looks like a great place to spend the day and explore!
What a great place: Food, Fun and shopping all at one location. Love the squirrel treasure hunt too!
Ooo…I love those open-air type of shopping centers. Those are really fun to shop, especially around the holidays. That is so cute about the squirrel hunt. We had something like that in my city…but they were large painted horses.
Georgia has never really been a place i’ve thought about visiting but now I really want to! Spending the day in Avalon would be amazing, so much to do!
I see a road trip in my future. GA isn’t too far from me here in FL adn I can see mom adn i having fun here.
Oh I am sold! The gelato and the cooking classes look amazing. Love the squirrel! It is so fun to see new places worth visiting.
That looks like a lovely place to visit! Lots of great things to do and the food even looks good! I would love to go there sometime.
This looks like a great place to visit! I love the idea of designing your own jewelry!
Samantha xo | Blended To Perfection
There are so many wonderful things to do! I want to take a cooking class and Treat myself to gelati at Caffe Antico! I could spend all day in Avalon and not get bored. Such a pretty City!
Avalon. Alpharetta looks like a fantastic place to go. All this food looks so delicious. I would love to design some jewelry.
Oh my gosh I live right here in Cumming and had no idea this right here in my backyard. What and amazing place I cannot wait to take my husband their.
I love all these pics! I am so hungry now after reading this haha!
Love,
Ivelisse | CarnationDreams.com
I may have to take a day trip to Avalon. My boys would love searching for the squirrels!!!
That TexMex looks amazing! Avalon would definitely be the place for a fun filled day. The design your own jewelry boutique is such a cute idea.
Looks like a fun place to visit. I would like to go there
Everything looks so wonderful! I do love me a good TexMex and the squirrel hunt would be rather fun!
You guys always visit the best places! I totally want to take a trip like this.
Hahahah, can I have the meal in number 2 please? Easy post with loads of spark.
Wow! THere’s a ton to do there. And the guacamole from El Felix looks amazing!!!
I love Alpharetta, but haven’t been there in a long time! It sounds like I need to make a road trip! I would especially enjoy the El Felix and the live music in the plaza. My sister and I have been trying to think of somewhere to meet up for a visit, and Avalon sounds like just the place!
The train is adorable and the cooking class looks like so much fun!
Shopping, eating and trains? Oh yes, this is my kind of trip.
I’ll have t check Avalon out on my next trip. I haven’t been there before. I moved away from Atlanta in 1999.
Food is everything! Foods can make or break, that cheeseburger will surely make a trip to Alpharetta.
SOOOO much good looking food! I’d be in heaven! That train looks like something that my son would absolutely love.
My kids would love that train!
I have never heard of this place. After seeing all your pictures and recommendations, I feel like going there tomorrow if I could.
Avalon sounds like one fun place! So much to do. If I’m ever in GA I will have to go!
I certainly need a vacation in Avalon! I tried to pick out what would be my favorite and I couldn’t do it! Definitely putting this on my list to do.
Avalon was sounds a nice place. I think going there was so fun.
This looks like such a fun place to visit with the family.
I’d love to go to hunt for squirrels. I haven’t tried it, sounds a great adventure waiting.
All of that food looks delicious! I’ve never tried gelati, but it looks so smooth. I LOVE the little squirrels. I wish they had something like that around here.
Wow, there’s so many things to do. I would love to make my own jewelry.
A friend of mine used to live near there. I haven’t been there since she moved. It is a nice town.
Well I definitely need to visit now don’t I!
The place looks lovely and your photos look great 🙂
Lovely place to visit. What a list of things to do. And the foods, oh my! DELICIOUS lookin too!
That food alone was enough to make me want to hop on a plane and come visit! H x
I am one of those crazy travel lover and Avalon sounds like a wonderful place to visit with your family & kids in particular. The pictures are amazing, the gelati stuff is mouth watering and those delicious foods makes me so eager to give a visit sometime!
This is such a wonderful place. I’d like to treat myself for a gelato and ride the train.
Wow theres so much to do and it all looks pretty much fabulous! xxx
That looks like so much fun, will have to visit soon. x
Love the little train and the gelati looks delicious!
I have never thought to visit a place like this, but it looks really good!
I’ve got to add these to my list for the next time I visit Georgia! What great fun!
Wow, the food looks tasty especially the gelato. Great place to visit.
The food looks good and you got me on the gellati !
This looks like somewhere id definitely like to visit! So many things to do, you’ll never be bored!
I agree!! No one can get bored of exploring these fascinating points of interests.
You had me at Gelato! What a fabulous place to explore and visit.
Oh my there is just so much to do that you can never get enough of it. 🙂 I would love to take the train ride and go for jewellery making . That squirrel is cute too .
How gorgeous does that food look I would love to visit all those restaurants and have a ride on the train 😉
So much to do! I would love to do the squirrel treasure hunt. I went to St-Louis a couple of years ago and they had cakes all over the city to find.
This place looks amazing, would love to take my little one on the train x
I agree with you Jenni.
Avalon sounds like a lil haven and the people sure seem to enjoy the entertainment put out and or chill out in the pack in the shopping area.
Did I hear you say Food Liz. Ya got me on that. trying out new recipes is on my bucket list ALL THE TIME 🙂
Love the little squirrel hunt and the Mexican food. It looks so good!
Mexican food and Gelato……equals happiness. Visiting the US is on my bucket list indeed 🙂
It is a beautiful place, Squirrel hunting is the most epic hunting adventure I have ever heard. Sounds too good
I’d love to make my own jewellery, what a great thing to do!
Whoo!! I love eating Mexican foods! I’ve been in Georgia a few times but, I did not have a chance to visit Alpharetta yet. Maybe, I will come to this town some days 🙂
Wow this place looks beautiful!! Looks like there is so much to do!! It remind me of Ridge Hill here in NY. They also have events and the place is beautiful too!! Would love to visit someday!!
So Many Places To See And Visit Looks Like A Charming State To Visit, I Must Vacation There With The Family Someday Soon!
I’ve never been to Avalon Alpharetta! Sounds like an awesome vacation spot! Can’t wait to visit