American Sightseeing Atlanta offers half-day sightseeing bus tours to both Atlanta and Stone Mountain. Cost includes hotel pick-up and all admissions. Atlanta Trolley Tour Line offers 115-minute tours with on/off privileges. Tour Atlanta's highlights and learn all her colourful history. Various boarding and ticket locations.
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Atlanta tours and excursions
Atlanta tours
Bus tours
Telephone: (404) 233 9140 ; (678) 916 1303.
Segway tours
City Segway Tours give tourists a unique experience cruising effortlessly across parks and sidewalks on self-propelled devices much like those seen in airports. Hear the stories and take in historic sights on a variety of tours, departing from Underground Atlanta, 50 Upper Alabama Street, #256.
Telephone: (404) 588 2274.
Website:
www.citysegwaytours.com
Walking tours
The Atlanta Preservation Center, 327 St Paul Avenue, offers guided walking tours through the historic and architecturally interesting older districts. Options include: Ansley Park, Sweet Auburn/Martin Luther King Jr District, Historic Downtown, Fox Theatre, Grant Park, Frederick Law Olmsted's Druid Hills and Inman Park. Most tours are 60-90 minutes long and have different start points, so check the website for specifics.
Telephone: (404) 688 3353.
Website:
www.preserveatlanta.com
Excursions from Atlanta
Chattahoochee River Recreation Area
Forested hiking trails link nine waterside recreation areas in the north of the city. Canoes and rafts are available for hire as well as picnic facilities. Fishing is permitted with a Georgia licence and a trout stamp.
The National Park Service Visitor Contact Center, 1978 Island Ford Parkway can provide further information.
The park is open only during daylight and is free. Public transport unavailable; take the GA400 north to Exit 6 (Northbridge).
Website:
www.nps.gov/chat
Civil War Sites
A car is necessary to explore the many sites of the Civil War Battles that were fought in and around Atlanta. Historians uncover something new all the time. Just south of the city, the 1864 Battle of Jonesboro successfully cut off the supply route to Atlanta causing the city to fall. On the opposite side of the city is Roswell (tel: (770) 640 3253; www.cvb.roswell.ga.us) where grand antebellum homes are open to visitors. Its old mill manufactured Confederate uniforms. Down the road is Kennesaw National Battlefield Park where one of the few battles that General Sherman lost took place on 2 July, 1864. Nearby is the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (tel: (770) 427 2117; www.southernmuseum.org). An affiliate of Washington's Smithsonian, the site is filled with Civil War memorabilia and the actual engine that was involved in ‘The Great Locomotive Chase' in 1862 when a gang of Union soldiers attempted to steal a Southern train.
Website:
www.visitmetroatlanta.com
Dahlonega
This historic old mining town with charming shops, water wheels and a Gold Museum is the site of the first gold rush and Georgia's entry to the Appalachians. A long-distance walking trail starts above the town. Dahlonega is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Atlanta via GA400 (a toll road).
Dahlonega Chamber of Commerce can provide further information.
Website:
www.dahlonega.org
Pine Mountains
Pine Mountains is a scenic area of hilly woodlands, hiking paths and mountain-bike trails. President Franklin D Roosevelt's Little White House is nearby at Warm Springs (tel: (800) 864 7275; www.fdr-littlewhitehouse.org) as are the lovely Callaway Gardens with their butterfly centre and azalea gardens (tel: 1 800 225 5292; www.callawaygardens.com). Callaway is about a 1 hour 15 minute drive south of the city via I-85 and US Hwy-27.
Six Flags Over Georgia
This large amusement park has 11 rollercoasters, including an ageing wooden monster; plus a wooden carousel and a diving spectacular. The nightly fireworks display and laser show are an exciting end to a fun day.
From central Atlanta, take the I-20/GA402 west across the river, turning left at Six Flags Parkway.
Website:
www.sixflags.com
Stone Mountain Park
Carved within the world's largest granite monolith is a huge bas relief Confederate Memorial, featuring Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and General ‘Stonewall' Jackson. Located 26km (16 miles) east of Downtown, Stone Mountain Park has become more than just the monolith. The 1,280-hectare (3,200-acre) park also contains a resort hotel, spa and golf course, plus attractions like a skyride to the mountain top, the nightly laser show, scenic railroad, amphibious duck rides, antebellum plantation and an antique auto and music museum. Its newest attraction, Crossroads, is a re-creation of a 130-year-old town with craftsman, town characters and live shows. Though its unique Treehouse Challenge and Great Barn are geared for children, it is fun for everyone. The park's newest attractions include SkyHike, a course of interactive ropes and zip-lines, and Snow Mountain, a snow park which will be open from November to February and will include 10 snow tubing runs.
Stone Mountain is located off Hwy-78. The park is open all year round 0600-2400, although individual attraction opening times may vary.
Website:
www.stonemountainpark.com
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