Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia Aquarium – The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, is the world’s largest with more than eight million gallons of water and more aquatic life than any other aquarium. With something new every 90 days, you are sure to see things you’ve never seen before!

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site – Tour Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birth Home and historic Ebenezer Church. View films and exhibits, and reflect at King’s gravesite.

High Museum of Art – Houses European & American paintings, special exhibitions, African, decorative, folk & twentieth-century art, photography & interactive gallery.

World of Coca-Cola – From a multi-sensory 4-D theater, a special one-of-a-kind World of Coca-Cola bottle produced exclusively for  guests on the bottling line, to an opportunity to sample over 60 beverages from around the world, you’ll experience something new and inviting around every corner of the new World of Coca-Cola.

Underground Atlanta – Located in the heart of downtown, Underground Atlanta is bustling with activity, day or night. Enjoy daily entertainment, homemade candy, delicious dining and souvenir shopping. Learn of Atlanta’s past on the guided history tour, From Civil War to Civil Rights.

Stone Mountain Park – Visit Georgia’s most popular attraction with the world’s largest mass of exposed granite, featuring the world’s largest high-relief carving. During Saturday evenings in the spring and fall plus nightly during the summer, see the face of the mountain light up at the Lasershow Spectacular.

Starlight Six Drive-In Theaters – Six outdoor screens show current major motion pictures year-round!

Centennial Olympic Park – Located in downtown Atlanta, this 21-acre legacy from the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games features The Fountain of Rings with four shows daily.

Blue Ridge Parkway – North Carolina

Whether you want to hike, bike, or just take a drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway is “America’s Favorite Drive”.  The 469 mile long parkway was originally built as a scenic road between the Great Smoky Mountains and Shennandoah National Park, but now includes many worth-while stops along the way.

Here’s an excerpt from the National Park Service website on North Carolina’s parkway section:

“The Parkway in North Carolina is overall higher in elevation and more spectacular in the natural history that is preserved along the way. The Grandfather Mountain corridor serves as a refuge for relic populations of plants. Remote natural areas and dramatic views less affected by human presence dominate the visitors’ experience south of Asheville. Biological diversity is best understood here as a product of varied geology and topography. Cultural history stories also come into play with isolated cabins and magnificent country estates in close proximity. Visitors begin to realize how the Parkway has influenced change in the region.”

Highlights of the NC parkway:

Doughton Park (Milepost 240) – Picnic area, campground, lodging, restaurant, and rolling pastures interspersed with high, rugged elevations.

Moses Cone and Julian Price Parks (Milepost 295-298) – Visitor and craft centers, picnic area, camping, the Grandfather Mountain corridor and associated rare habitats. Stories include America’s country estate movement and donation of large parcels of land by wealthy individuals.

Linville Falls (Milepost 317) – Visitor Center, campground, picnic area, and access to the first and most popular wilderness area in eastern America.

Museum of N.C. Minerals (Milepost 331) – Visitor center and educational museum highlighting the geology of the region and the rich mining heritage of the area.

Crabtree Meadows (Milepost 349) – Restaurant, campground, picnic area and access to spectacular Crabtree Falls, providing a cool and delightful retreat within the shadow of the massive Black Mountain Range.

Mount Mitchell State Park and Craggy Gardens (Milepost 355-364) – The broad, central dome of the massive Black Mountains is the highest point in eastern America and Craggy Gardens represents high elevation heath balds that have attracted visitors since the 19th century. Visitor center and picnic area.

Asheville (Milepost 382-393) – Home to park headquarters and a major tourist destination. The Parkway meanders through the George Vanderbilt Estate and the Folk Art Center serves park visitors year-round.  Look for a grand opening of the new Blue Ridge Parkway Regional Destination Center adjacent to park headquarters in the fall!

Mount Pisgah (Milepost 408) – Campground, picnic area, lodging, and restaurant. This high elevation area has attracted entrepreneurs, loggers, and visitors for two centuries. The birthplace of forestry in America is nearby.

Waterrock Knob (Milepost 451) – Visitor Center near the Cherokee Reservation and near the Parkway’s highest elevation, featuring views over the heart of the Southern Highlands.

The Blue Ridge Parkway – Virginia

“The northern portion of the Parkway highlights the rolling agricultural scenery that is so much a part of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. The main story here is how humans have interacted with the land in these mountains. Visitors are introduced to a variety of cultural sites and landscapes associated with communities in the southern Appalachians including evidence of human occupation from prehistoric to contemporary times. Early stories of tourism in the mountains and examples of arts, crafts, music, and social institutions of the region make a visit to the Virginia section of the Parkway one filled with lasting memories. Much of the road travels through US National Forest lands as well and, north of Roanoke, the drive is dominated by a ridge-top experience with magnificent views of the flora and fauna of Appalachian hardwood forests and sweeping vistas of the Great Valley of Virginia.” (www.nps.gov/blri)

Here are a few notable attractions on the Virginia side:

Humpback Rocks – A great hike to the summit of Humpback Mountain, and includes a visitor center, log buildings museum, and picnic area.  From here hikers can access the Appalachian Trail.

James River and Otter Creek – A campground complete with a visitor center and restaurant.  Also restored canal locks on the James River.

Peaks of Otter – The Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant have a great view of the Parkway’s beauty! Nearby is the 1930s restored Johnson Farm, a campground, picnic area, access to Appalachian Trail, and many trails leading to the summit of the three main peaks.

Rocky Knob and Mabry Mill  – Beautiful rural scenes and agricultural landscapes characterize this area. Mabry miss is a working grist mill where a blacksmith shop and cabin sit nearby.  Rockcastle Gorge hiking trails are nearby, along with picnic areas and a campground.

Blue Ridge Music Center – The Blue Ridge Music Center features the musical heritage of the the area with its outdoor amphitheater, visitor center, and museum.

Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia

Harper’s Ferry, west Virginia is the location of John Brown’s Infamous raid on the US arsenal in 1859.  The quaint eighteenth century town also is located at the intersection the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where three states meet- West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.  Here are a few spots visitors should check out:

Commemorate the 150th anniversary of abolitionist John Brown’s Raid on the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry.

Go whitewater rafting on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers.

Hike the Appalachian Trail as it crosses the Potomac River into West Virginia.

Take a historic tour or ghost tour of Harper’s Ferry.

John Brown's Forthouse.

Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park offers hiking trails that give visitors a tour of the historic town, civil war battlefields, John Brown’s fort house, the river, and many more locations.

Cave City, Kentucky

Cave City, Kentucky is famous for neighboring Mammoth Cave National Park.  Although Mammoth Cave spans over 367 miles, the cave entrance and park headquarters is located just 10 miles from Cave City.  The world’s largest caverns may have put Cave City on the map, but they are not all this town has to offer.

The Cave City area offers horseback riding, fishing, camping, and hiking.  Many museums are in the area as well including Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum which exhibits many rare and exotic animals.   There are also numerous amusement parks, stables, and campgrounds.

A Mammoth Cave tour. Photo from nps.gov/maca

Mammoth Cave National Park offers many tours through the caves ranging from 1/4 mile round trip, to 4 miles round trip.  Each tour highlights different wonders of the huge caverns and varies in difficulty.  When I visited several years ago, I took the 4 mile Grand Avenue Tour which included a huge range of terrain and sights, and even lunch at an underground cafe!

The Green River at Mammoth Cave NP. Photo from nps.gov/maca

However, if you’d rather not spend your day underground, the park includes self-guided trails that allow visitors to peek into the begginings of the cave, but not fully enter.  Other above-ground activities at the park include horseback riding trails and camping, along with river activities such as fishing, canoe and kayaking, and swimming.