Okay, I'll admit it. Any resort inventive enough to schedule a frog walk has to be right for my family. Here we are, poised on the banks of a woodland pond, while our guide plays a recording of a bullfrog: ba-rumph, ba-rumph. The sound echoes into the dusk. Ba-rumph, ba-rumph, comes the answer. Patrick, our four-year-old, is floored. "Did you hear that?"

After our walk, billed as a Twilight Adventure, we retreat to the porch of our cottage to watch fireflies wink in the night. The next day, we wake to an itinerary packed with more than we can possibly do, from a bike ride through flower gardens, to an owl encounter ("Be prepared to meet a live owl," the brochure promises) and a stroll through clouds of butterflies in a misty, tropical conservatory. Or we might swim, fish or let Patrick run off to the circus. That's all here, too.

Set in the rolling, pine-clad hills of west central Georgia, Callaway: Gardens, Resort, Preserve is a safe, relaxing resort that families return to year after year. It was started in the 1930s by Cason Callaway, who converted 14,000 acres of worn-out cotton fields into a rambling mix of gardens, woodlands, lakes and golf courses. Scattered throughout the acreage are many attractions hardly typical of a resort. These include the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, with world-class floral displays; the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, where up to 1,000 butterflies flutter about; a pioneer log cabin; and Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden, where tomatoes and peaches ripen in the sun. In summer, there's waterskiing, shuffleboard, tennis and gardening workshops. Robin Lake Beach has a miniature train, miniature golf, table tennis, swimming and paddle boats. Well, that's just it: There's so much to do at Callaway no family member is ever bored. A talk on bats, anyone?

An overnight stay includes admission to most workshops and attractions. Be sure to inquire about the many packages.

OPEN:

Year-round

BEST TIME TO GO:

Summer

BEST RAINY-DAY ACTIVITY:

Set aside time for the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. As a Callaway waitress told me, "The butterflies like to land on kids. I think it's because they smell so sweet."

BEST ACTIVITY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY:

A bike ride on the 10-mile-long Discovery Bicycle Trail takes you past each Callaway attraction. The Birds of Prey is a free flight raptor program.

BEST ACTIVITY FOR KIDS:

Discovery Workshops include Butterflies and Blossoms and The Vegetable Garden. Parents are welcome.

BEST DEAL:

From mid-November through December, the Fantasy In Lights package includes overnight accommodations and admission to the Fantasy In Lights extravaganza, when Callaway comes alive with millions of Christmas lights.

BEST PACKAGE:

The Summer Family Adventure program runs from June through August. The highlight for kids is the weeklong day camp, with instruction by members of Florida State University's "Flying High" Circus.

For more information on packages and rates, call 800-282-8181 or click here.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.