It’s a young city, bustling with high-technology suburbs and a streamlined subway system. It’s an old city, with roots tapping back beyond to the late 1700s. And it’s an airline hub, making it an affordable weekend destination. Welcome to Atlanta, Georgia— a great winter getaway.

Atlanta’s downtown, suffering through the ailments that older cities do, has bounced back to life in the past few years. Key to the revitalization is access via the Metro, the clean and safe subway system that radiates out to the suburbs in all directions from Five Points, the city’s core and gateway to Underground Atlanta. This underground mall blends old-world architecture with modern shopping savvy, mixing eateries and upscale boutiques with vendor carts selling one-of-a-kind merchandise. Brick streets guide you through the tunnels to various alleys filled with surprises. Wander out into the plaza, and enjoy the radiant underwater murals. March over to the World of Coca-Cola—a one of a kind museum devoted to Atlanta’s most well known export. Coke is served up in galleries filled with classic commercial art, interactive kiosks and lively film presentations, and fun and fanciful kinetic art. Be sure to linger in Club Coca-Cola and try some of the brand’s unusual incarnations from around the world—everything from tangerine to watermelon!

A walk up Peachtree Street or a quick one-stop trip north on the Metro will take you to Margaret Mitchell Square and Peachtree Center. Revel in shop-til-you-drop with thirteen blocks of glassed-in shopping, restaurants, and hotels. Sample Italian cuisine at the trendy Azio, or hit Planet Hollywood for an evening with the stars.

Searching for Scarlett? Try the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum, just a block east of the Midtown Metro station.  Enjoy a guided house tour of Mitchell’s unassuming Southern brick home as you banter with folks filled with <IT>Gone With The Wind</IT> anecdotes. Browse the adjoining museum for more surprising information about this classic movie. Or stop and see the movie yourself at its home in the grand Fox Theatre, a movie palace from the 1920s.
 
No trip to Atlanta is complete without a pilgrimage to Stone Mountain. This giant, mostly bald granite boulder, almost five miles in circumference, and more than 800 feet high, is a unique wrinkle in the landscape of Northern Georgia. Carved with an immense monument to the Confederacy, it sits at the center of Stone Mountain Park, 3200 acres of private parkland with plenty to see and do. You can take a Swiss cable car to the mountaintop to drink in the scenic view, including a panorama of downtown Atlanta. Brave the trails on top of and down the mountain’s steep sides. Grab a ride on the Scenic Railroad, circling the mountain and providing whistle-stop transportation to the park’s many activities—tennis courts, a 36 hole golf course, a petting zoo, seasonal fishing, an antique car museum, antebellum plantation tour, and the Stone Mountain museum.  


IF YOU GO
The city sprawls over a tremendous area, providing plenty of accommodations. Best bet—stay to the north (Roswell, Alpharetta) and take the Metro into town.

Downtown shops and museums close at 6 PM. The attractions (1-800-317-2006) at Stone Mountain close at 5 PM, but a lively laser show – not to be missed! – kicks off after dark.  (Weekends May 15-Oct 31, 8:30 PM; daily Jun 4-Sept 6, 9:30 PM). The park remains open until midnight. Enjoy dinner in the nearby antebellum town of Stone Mountain Village. Enjoy tasty German cuisine and Georgia specialties at The Village Corner, or a quick bite at the Village Burger and Café. Stone Mountain is located 16 miles east of Atlanta on GA 78.

Looking for more indoor activities? Try the Atlanta History Center (404-814-4000), with its wealth of Civil War memorabilia; the Carter Presidential Library and Museum (404-331-0296), and the Martin Luther King Jr Historic Site (404-524-1956), housed in King’s boyhood home. If you’re hot on the arts, call the Arts Hotline (404-853-3278) for a full roster of activities in every genre, from galleries to dance to theater. Love IMAX films? Visit the Fernbank Museum of Natural History (404-370-0960) for the latest in big-screen entertainment. <IT>Gone With The Wind</IT> is the favored feature at the Fox Theatre (404-881-2100).

Major fair-weather attractions include the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park (seasonal; 770-948-9290), Zoo Atlanta (404-624-5600), and the Atlanta Botanical Garden (404-876-5859), with 36 acres of plantings and a 15 acre hardwood forest. Sports fans can chase down Braves (404-249-6400) and Falcons (404-223-8000) tickets for an evening out at Turner Field.

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