As parents, we spend so much time saying “no” – no to extra screen time, no to sugary breakfasts, no to staying up past bedtime on a school night,…. It’s exhausting for everyone, both young and old. But imagine a day where the answer to every request is…”YES!” Get your family into the car, head to downtown Duluth and prepare yourselves for a day full of unforgettable memories!
Say YES! to dessert for breakfast
Simply Done Donuts | 3550 West Lawrenceville St.
Okay, donuts for breakfast aren’t especially revolutionary, but hear us out. Simply Done Donuts aren’t your momma’s donuts – they’re extra. Famous for their mini donuts (you’ll want at least two), Simply Done’s offerings are definitely closer to dessert than breakfast. These cake-style donuts can be piled high with Oreos, Butterfingers, Snickers, Fruity Pebbles and more. Their number one seller does feature fruit – but it’s apple pie. Kiddos still not sold? Let them add a scoop of ice cream to create a donut sundae or order your donuts to be blended into a donut milkshake.
After your breakfast of champions, snap a photo in front of the Dream Big mural right around the corner – an adorable wall mural depicting a colony of ants rolling olives uphill save for one (wise) ant who is rolling a cookie.
Say YES! to getting messy
Eye Candy Art Studio | 3127 Main Street
Like many pre-parents, we said of course we would provide a judgement-free space for our future children to exercise their creativity and grow their imaginations. Fast forward to toddlers with paint in your kitchen and their future artist potential seems significantly less important.
But hey, it’s Yes Day – time to head to Eye Candy Art Studio, where you and the kiddos can sling around paint and clay to your hearts’ content. No reservations are required; walk right in, sit right down and start painting canvas and pottery. Eye Candy provides all the supplies and even cleans up the mess when you finish.
This has the potential to be one of those sneaky-sneaky parenting moves – the kids think you said yes to the mess but what you really said yes to was creating Nana’s Mother’s Day present three months ahead of schedule.
Say YES! to climbing on the public art
Gigglebark Tree Playground | 3167 Main Street
Don’t you love that spark in a kid’s eye when a piece of public art catches her imagination…and then watching that spark extinguish itself upon reading the “No Climbing” sign. While we can respect that art is for enjoying visually rather than tactically, the City of Duluth found a way to marry the best of both worlds. How? They asked a kid.
In 2022, the City of Duluth invited residents of all ages to submit drawings of their dream pieces of playable art for the Playground Design Contest. The result is the Gigglebark Tree playground: a beautiful combination of colorful eucalyptus bark, twisting oak roots and swaying willow branches. Oh, and a slide winding around the trunk with climbable steps and tunnels all through the root system. Be sure to come back and visit the Gigglebark Tree at night – the illuminated willow branches add the perfect magical touch.
Say YES! to the little Mother Cluckers
LR Burger | 3153 Main Street
Now that you’ve worked up an appetite (not to mention burned off your donuts), head over to LR Burger for lunch. Brought to you by the same people who own Local Republic in downtown Lawrenceville (also yum), LR Burger serves up kids food that adults will love too. Burgers, but make it Patrick Swayze hot; hot dogs, but make it pimento cheese. The coolest parents will let their kids order the Mother Clucker chicken sandwich for the sheer joy of saying that phrase aloud to an adult.
But if there was ever a day for ice cream to be on the menu all day long, it’s Yes Day. LR Burger also has tremendous milkshakes in the typical flavors plus peanut butter pie, salted caramel and Oreo. And hey, it’s Yes Day for YOU too – treat yourself to a boozy shake in bourbon pecan, a chocolate martini, a salted rum praline or The Dude (vodka and coffee liqueur).
Say YES! to being a kid in a candy store
Rocket Fizz | 3131 Main Street
What happens when you combine a sweet tooth with an experimental palate? Rocket Fizz candy shop. Reminiscent of an old general store, this retro candy shop features thousands of candy varieties as well as 300+ soda flavors. Sure, you can find M&Ms, Sour Patch Kids and Dr. Pepper but “normal” is not where Rocket Fizz truly shines. We suggest getting adventurous! Rocket Fizz carries candies from all over the world; pick a country and try something new. Then, choose sodas for each other – how about ranch dressing flavored? Sweet corn? Pickle?
Hot Tip: Rocket Fizz carries the full assortment of Harry Potter-inspired candy. Chocolate frogs, butter beer, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans (“Alas, ear wax.”), jelly slugs and more. Accio, chocolate wand!
Say YES! to running away to adventure on a train
Southeastern Railway Museum | 3595 Buford Hwy.
This one may fall into the sneaky-sneaky parent category as well. Sure, it’s a museum…but it’s a train museum full of full-sized working locomotives.
Founded in 1970, the Southeastern Railway Museum features over 90 pieces of rolling stock over its 30-acre museum. Get up close and personal with classic steam locomotives, historic Pullman cars (including one used by a president!) and the amusement park train that operated for twenty years at the Birmingham Zoo. If just looking isn’t enough, take a ride on a restored caboose pulled behind a diesel locomotive without ever leaving the property.
Officially dubbed Georgia’s Transportation History Museum in 2000, the Southeastern Railway Museum is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, so plan accordingly.
Say YES! to crossing the river
Rogers Bridge Park | 4291 Rogers Bridge Road
End your epic Yes Day with one last opportunity to run the energy out at the recently remodeled Rogers Bridge Park. This 24-acre riverfront park is bordered on the north by the Chattahoochee River and offers a multitude of outdoor experiences. Watch brave adventurers take on the mighty Chattahoochee at the kayak and canoe launch. Exhaust yourself on the playground and relax with a snack at the picnic pavilion. Dog-watch at the Chattapoochee Dog Park. And when you run out of things to do…cross the river into Forsyth County.
The early 1900 bridge for which the park was named closed in 1970 due to structural deterioration. The Department of Transportation recently finished construction on a $5.9 million replica, once again linking Duluth and Johns Creek. Walk or bike across the Chattahoochee to Cauley Creek Park to enjoy playing courts, grassy areas and a three-mile rubber-surfaced walking trail. Don’t forget to check out the artwork at both bridge entrances to see what the original bridge looked like!
And finally… Say YES! to watching your exhausted kids fall asleep with grins on their faces.