Lake Lanier Islands Blog

Heats began at 8am. Look at those ladies, all fresh and clean…

Before we get to our main event, there are so many new events and activities to talk about here at Lake Lanier Islands! Here’s a quick rundown of a few of them, we’ll be covering a few more each week as this blog takes you into the summer season:

Wake the Lake Cable Park: Powered by a cable system designed to simulate a rider pulled behind a boat, Wake the Lake offers riders all the fun of wakeboarding without the trouble of finding a boat to tow them. WTL is a low energy, zero emissions business, which lowers the cost and environmental impact while making the sport of wakeboarding more affordable and accessible. You’ll never be turned away because of your skill level, because our purpose is to create an environment where beginners can learn and expand on their skills alongside amateurs and pro’s who are also honing their skills and tricks. For ticket rates and hours, check www.wakethelakecablepark.com, email ContactUs@NewWaveCablePark.com, or call (678) 409-9053.

Bucky’s Game Station: The ultimate hangout for gamers, Bucky’s Game Station is located in LanierWorld near WildWaves. Come play Xbox and Playstation games on our flatscreen tvs, or plug into our old-school arcade console and revisit classics like Street Fighter 2 and Galaga. Your StarShip awaits you, commander

Boardwalk: We’ll be walkin’ along the Boardwalk this summer with all new games and all new prizes. Grab a smoothie at Paradise Fruit & Smoothies, then scope out the lake from the Ferris wheel. If the Georgia heat starts to get to you, stroll on over to the Scoop Shack for a delicious ice cream cone, and when the sun starts to sink, you’re ready to relax at Sunset Cantina!

For a full list and more details about all the new things here at Lake Lanier Islands, please visit www.lakelanierislands.com, or call (770) 945-8787.

WEEKEND UPDATE:

This weekend we hosted two fantastic events! Saturday’s Dirty Girl Mud Run was a huge success, with over 4,500 runners on the course Saturday and Sunday! The heats began at 8am, as runners from California to Florida arrived throughout the day. The Titsburg Feelers, Super Hot Mamas, and even our own Lake Lanier Islands staff were represented, and competed in the Dirty Girl. The 3.1-mile course wound its way around and through the old golf course, beginning at the Beachview parking lot, over, under, and through ropes, mud-pits, and dirt-crawls, and ending with a huge splash at Big Beach. Runners had to navigate through thirteen obstacles, including traditional toughies “Barn Burner,” the “Wall,” and “Get a Grip;” muddy favorites “Utopian Tubes,” “PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff),” and “H2OMG;” and difficult dirt traps “Down and Dirty,” “Runaway Bride,” and “Dirty Dancing.” Many of the participants had such a great time they asked if there would be a repeat of the Dirty Girl Mud Run at Lake Lanier. Well, ladies, here is your answer: Probably (If that seems a little vague, it’s because we’re still evaluating the results of the run – it just happened yesterday after all!). In the mean time, www.godirtygirl.com offers plenty of opportunity to compete at other events around the country.

Some of our own Lake Lanier Islands staff took up the Dirty Girl challenge!

Dirty Girl staffers kept the obstacles as muddy as possible!

These ladies were obviously not tired at all after the run!

The Wall. The Beast. The Nothing Can Stop Me.

Hold your breath!

These ladies from the Super Hot Mamas had a muddy time!

Some of our own Lake Lanier Islands staff took up the Dirty Girl challenge!

The Super Hot Mamas!

Along the way, runners got a great view of Lake Lanier, and the breezes coming off the water helped cool them down.

Exhausted competitors had to scale this rope wall and descend on the other side!

Great job, ladies!

Getting Down and Dirty in the mud!

The obstacles were obviously many participants’ favorite part, as evidenced by the grinning mud queens traipsing back through the parking lot, giving out high-fives and recounting tales of glory in the Utopian Tubes and courage on the Barn Burner.

All in all, it was a fantastic day for it, and we were very pleased with the turnout.

On Sunday, the Island Princess, our 85-foot houseboat took a group of intrepid wine connoisseurs to explore the wines of several regions of Spain, including the little known region of Penedes. With the weather warming up, it wasn’t too difficult to imagine Lake Lanier as a distant cousin to the serene Lake of Banyoles. Deep blue waters and gentle breezes conjured the beautiful coastline of Catalonia, and our explorers enjoyed an exquisite menu while listening to the tales of importers Brian Greenberg and Scott Adams.

The wine selection was superb, and featured four wines from the Penedes region:

Joan Sarda, a Xarel-lo/Chardonnay blend

Vina Sarda Tinto, a Tempranillo/Merlot blend

Cap de Creus, a Grenache/Cabernet blend

Torre del Veguer Ecletic, a Cabernet/Petit Sirah/Merlot blend

One selection from Rias Biaxis:

Palacio de Fefinanes, an Albarino

And one from Calatayud:

Tres Ojos, an Old Vines Garnacha

These were paired marvelously with a tapas display, including Spanish cheeses, fruits, sliced cured meats, and marinated vegetables; a sweets display, featuring macaroons, pralines, and truffles; squid ceviche, chorizo stuffed peppers, marinated artichoke and Serrano ham, smoked prawn fritters with lemon Aioli, braised short rib and Manchego empanadas, Marrakesh lamb skewers with mint, honeyed yoghurt, and finishing with Catalan cream with Brandy and Hazelnuts.

Right now you’re wondering when the next incredible excursion will be. Our next wine cruise sets sail on May 19^th, and you can view our full 2013 wine cruise series schedule here. To make reservations, call (770) 945-8787.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Do you want to howl at the full moon while partying with your friends at Sunset Cove? Then come on over on Friday, April 26 for our first Full Moon Party of the summer season! Starting at 7:00pm, you can dance the night away with DJ Brian Grooms hosting under the moon, play beach games, or get painted with the glow-in-the-dark body paint!  And as always, we have our signature fireworks to complete the night.  Full Moons will never be the same…

Do you love music? The beach? Consider yourself a beer master? Then you’re in luck, my friend, because a truly fantastic event is right around the corner! On April 27, at noon for VIPs and 1:00pm for general admission, Sunset Cove will be hosting DJ Gary Brannon as he hosts some great live music for our second annual Music, Beach, and Brew Fest! This is an event you don’t want to miss! For more information, check out the Music, Beach, and Brew Fest Facebook page.