Wednesday, June 6, 2012

One-tank trips close to Atlanta

Vacation close to home

From ajc

Too busy to take a “real” vacation? You don’t need a full week and plenty of dough to enjoy these smaller towns. They’re easy to get to, within a short drive (a tank of gas or less) from Atlanta, and full of undiscovered Southern charm. For instance, in Georgia, historic Dahlonega has a pre-gold rush history, wineries and home-style restaurants. The Chattooga River offers beautiful scenery and exciting rafting. In western North Carolina, the city of Asheville beckons with the magnificent Biltmore house. Adventure is only a short drive away.
ALABAMA
Birmingham, Ala.: for art lovers
Fort Payne, Ala., offers natural beauty • Vintage motorcycles in Leeds, Ala.
Selma: Revisit civil rights history
Tuscaloosa, Ala.: More than football
GEORGIA
Albany's revived waterfront
Athens, Ga.: a classic college town
• A James Brown fest in Augusta, Ga.
• Raft and ride in Blue Ridge, Ga.
Cartersville, Ga., home of Western-theme and cowboy art
Chateau Elan (Braselton, Ga.) resort/winery
Chattooga River rafting
• Golf in Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee (Eatonton, Ga.)
Dalton, more than the carpet capital of Georgia
Dahlonega, Ga.: Where wine is the new gold
Gainesville, Ga.'s history, trails and more
Helen, Ga. is a "little Bavaria"
Howard Finster Vision House (Pennville, Ga.)
LaGrange, Ga.: Southern heritage, French twist
Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville, Ga.
• 19th-century architecture in Madison, Ga.
• Wild animals in Pine Mountain, Ga. | Callaway Gardens
• Presidential history in Plains, Ga.
• Better than Rome, Italy? Rome, Ga.
• History, beauty and art in Savannah, Ga.
Pebble Hill estate in Thomasville, Ga., worthy of a movie set
Vienna, Ga., has cute cotton museum and the Big Pig Jig
NORTH CAROLINA
Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C., is a year-round destination
Blowing Rock, N.C.: mountain beauty
Cashiers, N.C. is the serene heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains
DuPont State Forest (Cedar Mountain, N.C.): a once-private territory
• Popular Atlanta getaway: Highlands, N.C.
Hot Springs, N.C.'s working farm, Briar Rose
• Ski close to home at Maggie Valley, N.C.
TENNESSEE
Chattanooga, Tenn.: train is a treat | Chattanooga riverfront
Manchester, Tenn.,may be nicer without the music
• Elvis is forever at Graceland in Memphis
Beale Street in Memphis is home to the blues, brews and barbecue
Knoxville: More than just the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Nashville is country music’s capital and home to the Grand Ole Opry
Lynchburg is the birthplace of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Pigeon Forge is the the perfect family getaway and the home of Dollywood

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