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Hard Rock Cafe & Planet Hollywood

The World of Coke (coke museum)

Underground Atlanta

SciTrek

Postal Auction

Atlanta Zoo

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Stone Mountain

Callaway Gardens**

Lake Lanier

Swan Center (Horseback riding)**

North Georgia Mountain Area**

btw, the car fell off the Hard Rock; they put it back up.

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(404) 676-5151
Mon-Sat 10am-9:30pm
Sun 12noon-6:30pm
Adults $4.50 (as of March 1996)

It's a big coke museum! Is it worth the $4.50? well, maybe. there's a lot of really old coke stuff (posters, bottles, cartons, etc) to look at. You can also watch a short coke movie which is more like an extended commercial for coke with an international flavor. There's also a moving replica of a coke bottling machine.

The interesting things to do: visit the soda jerk in the parlor and hear about the history of coke, ask him questions, and watch him fill a tiny coke glass. Also, browse around the coke gift shop for those unique coke gifts.

MUST SEE: Don't miss the free coke! An entire floor is dedicated to serving you coke and other coca-cola products. There are self-serve soda dispensers that allow you to taste any of the coke products sold in the U.S. Across the way is a similar set up, but with coke products from around the world--be careful, some of them must be acquired tastes! Especially bitter apple from Italy! Ug.

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It's really just a mall. Sure, it's multi-level; some of it being underground. There's also a fountain outside which is nice. Just a few feet away from the coke museum, too.

Not much here to do but shop and eat (lots of restaurants including Hooters in case you're into that kind of thing). It's decent as malls go, but not really anything special. Go once so you can say you've been there.

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Hands-on science and technology museum with exhibits demonstrating most basic physics concepts including color, simple machines, and magnetism. it's a nice diversion, but i'm not sure it's worth the price. If you happen to be in San Fransisco, the exploratorium is much better.

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The zoo is active in conservation and participates in many programs. They are always looking for volunteers in areas such as the petting zoo, animal food preparation, and docents.

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The Chattahoochee River flows through the greater Atlanta area, and along its path, recreation areas have been designated. One of the larger and more developed is the Cochran Shoals unit which has wide paths that attract bikers, joggers, and walkers on a daily basis. There is also a more technical mountain biking trail leading to the Paper Mill unit and a 5 mile loop of paved trail along Columns Dr. which attracts runners and cyclists.

Other units provide boat launching, raft rentals, hiking trails, and picnic tables. All of these sites are well-maintained, althoug some are more developed than others. All units have access to the river and are full of wildlife.

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Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain is huge. You will want to drive around between the attractions. And not much is free. You can look at the famous granite carving for free, but most other things can get pricey. There are museums, petting zoos, and activites such as a beach area or raft rentals, but all carry a fee around $3.50 per person. So, if you plan to take a family or participate in several activites, the cost adds up fast. But, it is a nice place to walk around. In fact, you'll see a myriad of joggers, runners, walkers, and bikers getting their daily exercise.

Stone Mountain is also host to a great 4rth of July fireworks and laser show. It's very crowded; so, arrive early. You'll still have to pay the $6/car fee to get in, but the show carries no additional charge.

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Callaway Gardens

About 1.5 hours outside of Atlanta, Callaway Gardens is much more than just a garden. If you're planning a vacation, there's an Inn, Villas, and Cottages all run by Callaway Gardens. Not to mention restaurants, golf courses, a tennis center, and a fitness center.

Included in your $20/car admission is access to Robin Lake beach and miles of biking and walking trails as well as a genuine 1830's log cabin.

Several stops include the vegetable garden (complete with giant bugs) where you can wander among fruit and vegetable and flower plants or stop by the garden store and buy freshly picked produce (the zucchini I got was good, cheap, and large). The corn disappears as soon as it's picked; so, get there early to buy corn.

Also stop by the Day Butterfly Center--it's magnificent. A dome full of a tropical atmosphere, plants, a waterfall, and, of course, thousands of butterflys.

There are also plenty of picnic facilities which we utilized. We also walked some of the trails and were able to see wildlife from birds to fish to turtles. Many of the plants and trees were labeled making the trails more interesting. A fun, full-day, outing.

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There are many public park areas where boats can be launched. We stopped at several and fed the fish. Some also had areas where it was possible to "play in the water".

For a $2 fee, you can enter the North Fork park which has a beach area for water play, nice picnic areas, a fishing pier, boat ramp, and camping. We picniced and biked around (it's a little small for biking)--it was a nice stop.

Lake Lanier Islands can be entered for a $5/car fee. On the islands, you'll find several resort hotels as well as a water park and places to take sailing lessons. There are also horse and bike rentals.

The southern end of the lake is full of marinas and if you go down Holdiay Rd, you will find several places that rent jet skis and sea doos. We didn't have time to try these places, but we intend to go back!

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