Visitors can discover the rich heritage of the state in the nostalgic towns that lie between the Appalachian Mountains and the Okefenokee Swamp. Hikers can begin their journey at the beginning point of the Appalachian Trail here in Northeast Georgia near Vogel State Park. Make sure you stop and enjoy the tastes of the region like sweet tea, cornbread, black-eyed peas, barbecue and peach pie, to name just a few. Whatever your reason for coming, you can be assured that Georgians will treat you with their undying Southern hospitality.

Stately old homes, picturesque scenery and a variety of recreational activities draw travelers to the Classic South. For history buffs, the region offers some fascinating attractions, such as the Civil War-era Chennault Plantation in Lincolnton, the Cyclorama depicting scenes from the Civil War in Atlanta, Andersonville Civil War Cemetery in south Georgia and, many more. Sports enthusiasts head for events such as the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Course and River Race Augusta, one of several world-class boating events on the Savannah River.

Come discover the great city of ATLANTA-sprawling, exciting, overflowing with vitality-its incredible skyline inviting travelers to its doorstep. Its culinary offerings range from grits and biscuits to caviar and sushi. Of course, you can still feast on fried chicken and fried green tomatoes, but we also have Thai, Russian and Ethiopian, to name just a few. Most visitors come to Atlanta looking for the white-columned mansions surrounded by magnolia trees owned by the slower-paced folk. Instead, what they find is a lot more cosmopolitan and much more intriguing.

In 1863, General Sherman's Union forces marched across Georgia, burning and destroying nearly everything in sight. But, Atlanta arose from those ashes and hasn't stopped growing since. For over 136 years, the people of this great state have been building the Capital of the New South and the Next Great International City. Economic vitality is now what drives the city's engines. Atlanta is and always has been a city on the move. The spirit of Atlanta is one of working together to get the job done. It is the city of Martin Luther King, Jr., father of one of the country's most important social revolutions and, Ted Turner,Vice-Chairman of AOL-Time/Warner, owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, the founder of CNN and, one of the country's most generous humanitarians who donated more than a billion dollars of his vast fortune to those who actually needed it.

Atlanta's role as host for the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996 has convinced the rest of the world that it is a force to be reckoned with-and a great place to visit or raise a family. In 1988, Atlanta was the host to the Democratic National Convention and in 1994, it hosted the Super Bowl XXVIII.

Consistently ranked as one of the best cities in the world in which to do business, Atlanta is headquarters for hundreds of corporations, including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Holiday Inn, Georgia-Pacific, Home Depot, and Bellsouth and Cox Communications. A major convention city and a crossroads where three interstate highways converge, Atlanta is home to the country's busiest airport, Hartsfield International and, is the shopping capital of the Southeast. With 4.1 million in population and still counting, there seems to be no limit to its growth. But commerce and development are not the only things that characterize this busy metropolis. Its success is due in no small part to its quality of life, which is second to none. Atlanta is often called the City of Trees, and anyone who has ever strolled the streets when the dogwoods and azaleas are in bloom knows that it has a small-town side with dozens of lush and beautiful neighborhoods and parks. A temperate climate makes it desirable for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. As Atlanta has grown in stature, it has attracted residents from across the continent and around the world, further enhancing its social fabric.

There are major art, science, nature and archaeology museums, a vibrant theater community, and outstanding symphony, a well-regarded ballet company, opera, jazz, blues, Broadway musicals, a presidential library, a great zoo( home to the Great Pandas- Lun Lun and Yang Yang), Confederate and African-American heritage sights and, dozens of art galleries. In addition, attractions such as Georgia's Stone Mountain Park, a regional theme park, a botanical garden, and major league sports teams, contribute to the makings of a lively and sophisticated city. So, if you are looking for hoop skirts and plantations, you might as well curl up with a copy of Gone With the Wind.

The natural wonderland of Georgia's Coast, replete with sun-kissed shores, gentle ocean breezes, and purple-hued sunsets, will calm and caress you. For adventure seekers, the Okefenokee Swamp offers a variety of tropical mysteries to explore. For a taste of excitement, enjoy Savannah's architecture and charm; then relax on one of the barrier islands such as St. Simons or unspoiled Cumberland Island, where wild horses roam freely.

City cares take a back seat while visiting the spectacular scenery of the Northeast Georgia mountains. Vivid colors grab your attention to changes of season here, especially during autumn's showy parade. See the stunning beauty of Lake Rabun, the wonder of Tallulah Falls, the gold rush town of Dahlonega, or stand tall upon Brasstown Bald, the highest elevation in the state. These are just a few of Georgia's scenic mountain spots.

Coursed by dual mountain ranges and deep valleys, the rugged terrain of the Historic High Country, northwest Georgia, offers visitors a wonder of scenic beauty, as viewed from Mt. Yonah near Cleveland. Historic trails that span centuries echo the traces of three great Native American civilizations. Whether you tour the Etowah Indian Burial Mounds or experience the exhilaration of rafting on the Ocoee River, you will feel the spirit of this region's momentous past.

The vast estates of gentleman farmers and huntsmen of an earlier day have left an impression in the picturesque Plantation Trace. This region is located in extreme southwestern Georgia. It is a region marked by bountiful woods and waters, agricultural plains and rural towns brimming with Victorian architecture, such as Thomasville's stately Methodist Church. Festivals abound year-round, or explore farm life of the late 1800s at the fascinating Agrirama in Tifton.

Clearly one can see that our wonderful state of Georgia offers to the visitor a world of things to do and see; however, it has been and continues to be an attractive relocation region, especially our world-class city of Atlanta, with mamy corporate headquarters and a myriad of activities, homes, fine dining establishments, museums, and diverse neighborhoods. Georgia, the classic southern state, extends a welcoming "Y'ALL COME."