Atlanta Day Trips

Stone Mountain Park

Stone Mountain is situated about 20 minutes from Atlanta and features numerous man-made and natural attractions. Most awesome of these is the huge relief carving of the three Southern heroes of the Civil War, which has been etched into the mountainside. The images of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson cover an area larger than a football field and are part of the largest relief sculpture in the world. Three sculptors worked in succession on the carving, beginning with Gutzon Borglum in 1915. He later became famed for his carvings at Mount Rushmore. Subsequently two other artists pursued the work that was completed finally in 1972. Visitors can either walk up the mountain or take the Skylift to the top from where the views of Atlanta and the Appalachian Mountains are incredible. Stone Mountain also features a restored Antebellum Plantation featuring a colonial mansion, slave cabins, coach houses and barns. The park also contains several lakes and hiking trails, a wildlife reserve and petting zoo.

Website: www.stonemountainpark.com; Telephone: For 24-hour Park information call (770) 498 5690 within the metro Atlanta area or 1-800-401-2407 outside metro Atlanta; Opening time: Daily from 10am; closing hours vary according to the season and attraction. Summit Skyride open daily 10am to 5pm with extended hours in summer and on holidays; Admission: Various packages available. A one day all-attraction pass costs $25 (adults), $19 (children 3-11), or just vehicle entry to the park is $8. Skyride: $9 (adults), $7 (children), return

Jonesboro

About 15 miles (24km) south of Atlanta in Clayton County is the town of Jonesboro, a not-to-be-missed destination for movie fans and those hankering for a taste of the real 'Deep South'. Jonesboro was the setting for Margaret Mitchell's acclaimed novel, and later film, Gone with the Wind and devotees come to see the local historic plantation houses and learn about the real people whose lives inspired the fictional characters of the novel. In Main Street, the Road to Tara Museum is housed in the Jonesboro Depot Welcome Centre, containing original props, costume reproductions, doll collections and an extensive photo gallery associated with the making of the movie, Gone with the Wind. The Welcome Depot is also the departure point for daily tours, starting at 1pm (except on Sundays), that take in the local scenes where the film was shot and offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the true life stories on which the book was based. In Carriage Drive, a beautiful Greek Revival plantation home dating from 1839 is open to the public along with its authentic outbuildings.

Address: 104 N. Main Street; Website: www.visitscarlett.com; Telephone: (770) 478 4800; Opening time: Road to Tara Museum: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm; Stately Oaks: Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. Gone With the Wind Tour: Monday to Saturday 1pm or by appointment; Admission: Road to Tara Museum: $5 (adults); Stately Oaks: $8 (adults), $4 (children). Gone With the Wind Tour: $15

The Mountains

Northern Georgia is hilly and mountainous, dotted with numerous small towns, fascinating historic sites, national parks and forests. Most of the towns and attractions are within an hour's drive of Atlanta. Among the highlights of an exploration of this region are the New Echota State Historic Site (the last capital of the Cherokee nation); Chickamauga at Fort Oglethorpe, which is the oldest and largest Civil War military park; Jasper, where the marble quarries produced the marble used in the Capitol in Washington, DC; the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, at the end of the Appalachian Highway; and the spectacular Tallulah Gorge near the town of Clayton. The northwestern Georgia region is a paradise for nature lovers, offering hundreds of wooded hiking trails, sparkling trout streams, scenic lakes and camp sites.

Website: www.ngeorgia.com