 |
|
| Photo: Callaway Gardens | |
Attractions, events and milestones make Georgia the place to be in 2010
“Spring is one of the best times of the year ... Georgia is not only a great place to live, it’s a great place to visit, too.”
Across the state of Georgia, from the Chattahoochee National Forest in the north, to bustling Metro Atlanta, and down to historic Savannah along the Atlantic Coast, 2010 is shaping up to be a year filled with excitement. The year will bring significant additions to some local destinations and important historic milestones to others. Whether you’re looking for a place to visit for a week, a day or just a few hours, consider the Peach State first.
If you have young ones around the house—or count yourself among the young-at-heart and haven’t given up on a favorite pastime of your youth—a great way to welcome the warmer weather is to make your inaugural 2010 visit to a favorite Georgia theme park.
At Six Flags Over Georgia—it’s “over” Georgia but “near” Atlanta—you can get the adrenaline rush you’ve been missing on one of the park’s 10 thrill rides (such as the superhero-themed Batman: The Ride and Superman: Ultimate Flight roller coasters), or you can keep your heart rate under control and take things a little slower on one of Six Flags’ two-dozen less stress-inducing rides. Be sure to mark your calendar, as Six Flags Over Georgia opens for the season on March 6.
 |
| Six Flags White Water will open on May 22. Photo: Six Flags, Michael Warren |
Like any superhero worth his cape, many theme parks have a sidekick…water park, that is. And Six Flags Over Georgia is no exception. Just down the road, Six Flags White Water will open for its 2010 season on May 22, ready to cool guests from Georgia’s steamy summer weather. New this year will be North America’s first Wiggles Water World. It will boast five interactive sections inspired by the Beatles of the preschool set, Australia’s music and education group the Wiggles. A highlight of this soggy area for kids will be the S.S. Feathersword, a 25-foot-tall interactive play ship featuring cannons, telescopes, net climbs, secret crawl-throughs, portholes and slippery slides.
Wild Adventures in Valdosta opens for the season on March 6, and gives you a reason to head to the southern part of Georgia this year as it introduces three new thrill rides in 2010 to join its collection of 30-plus rides, coasters and other attractions. The park is famous for its big-name concert series, and this year will be no exception as it brings in Billy Ray Cyrus, Styx, George Thorogood, Chicago, the Backstreet Boys and many more to perform in the park.
Getting a Polynesian makeover this winter, Splash Island is Wild Adventures’ water park, and will open on April 3. Every corner of the park will be changed into a tropical paradise, with an exotic bird experience, more shade, and renovated dining and retail areas to go along with its popular water rides
Even though it’s not a theme park, per se, Stone Mountain Park—just east of Atlanta—is a family-friendly attraction that focuses on outdoor and historic activities. Different seasons offer different experiences, so no matter when you visit there will be new things to do and see.
From April 2-10, kids can burn off the energy they built up throughout winter at the Spring FUN Break, a nine-day festival. They can climb high up in the trees on the Sky Hike, the nation’s largest adventure ropes course, and there will be arts and crafts, storytelling and much more. Georgia Frontier Days will be held at the park April 29 through May 2, as guests journey through hundreds of years of history with live demonstrations of pre-Revolutionary times, the pioneer era and the Civil War.
Across the state of Georgia, from the Chattahoochee National Forest in the north, to bustling Metro Atlanta, and down to historic Savannah along the Atlantic Coast, 2010 is shaping up to be a year filled with excitement. The year will bring significant additions to some local destinations and important historic milestones to others. Whether you’re looking for a place to visit for a week, a day or just a few hours, consider the Peach State first.
 |
|
| Photo: Callaway Gardens | |
Parents, have you ever felt like you’re raising wildlife when your kids have a sleepover? Messes, howls (of laughter), ravenous appetites…These people couldn’t possibly share your genes—let alone your DNA—could they? Well how about really spending the night with wildlife…at Zoo Atlanta. On select nights throughout the year, Zoo Atlanta’s Family NightCrawler lets you and your family go behind the scenes to see what really happens in the zoo after hours! Guests at this unique event receive a private tour of the zoo, plus animal encounters, themed games and activities, comfortable accommodations, breakfast the following morning, and free admission to the zoo the next day.
Whether you spend the night or not, Zoo Atlanta is a fantastic destination for families. It is home to more than 1,000 animals, including Xi Lan, the only giant panda cub born in the U.S. in 2008. The zoo is best known for its leadership in the movement to provide naturalistic habitats for zoo animals.
With more than 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water, and more aquatic life than found in any other aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta promises wonder and excitement around every corner. And if you are among those who are fascinated by sharks, be sure to pay a visit to the aquarium before November 2010 to see “Planet Shark: Predator or Prey,” a stand-alone special exhibition that explores the unique relationships humans have forged with one of the world’s most feared ocean predators. The exhibition features full-scale shark models cast from real specimens; an extensive collection of real shark jaws, teeth and fossils; captivating high-definition displays and hands-on experiences that demonstrate the behaviors and relationships of sharks; and much more.
 |
| Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development and the State of Georgia |
Honoring those who’ve helped forge Georgia’s rich music heritage through exhibitions, education and performance, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon documents the lives, times and accomplishments of nearly 400 great Georgia artists. An exhibit at the hall running through June 6, 2010, “Johnny Mercer: Too Marvelous for Words” pays tribute to the renowned singer, songwriter and lyricist, a Savannah native who would have turned 100 years old in 2009.
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame’s permanent exhibits are encompassed in a 12,000-square-foot area designed to look like a small Georgia town. Each of the buildings in this “Tune Town” represents a different genre of music. Audio landscapes play overhead and CD listening stations are located throughout, so visitors can experience a variety of the state’s musical styles.
 |
| Photo: Georgia Museum of Art |
Art lovers unite!…And celebrate! As a collaboration of five museums from across the state, the newly created Georgia Art Museum Partnership initiative will allow for the sharing of resources and collections among museums throughout the state. The partnering museums—Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, the Albany Museum of Art, the Columbus Museum, the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, and the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens—will draw on each other’s resources for exhibitions and loans of individual objects, professional development workshops, and consultations and collection storage.
What this means for Georgians is that they’ll have a wider exposure to exhibits and workshops from museums in other areas of the state that they might not otherwise be able to visit. For the participating museums, this partnership will create opportunities for colleagues to share ideas, build relationships and foster collegiality, ultimately strengthening Georgia’s entire art community.
Sure, Georgia sports only 200 miles of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, but the state sure makes the most of it! As a gateway to the state’s coastline, Savannah is rich in history, beauty and the arts. It’s an excellent walking city—and there is so much you can see on foot—but to experience the whole city and learn about its history, take a trolley tour. One of the best is provided by Old Savannah Tours, the only locally owned and operated trolley tour company in town.
 |
| Visitors can take a carriage tour through Savannah’s Historic District. Photo: www.SavannahVisit.com |
Georgia’s largest musical arts festival—and one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world—is the Savannah Music Festival, held this year from March 18 through April 3 in numerous venues located across this historic city. Headliners scheduled to perform at this year’s festival include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Patty Loveless, Wynton Marsalis, She & Him, the Emerson String Quartet and Wilco, as well as many others.
The world’s best-known brand, Coca-Cola is woven into the fabric of nearly every culture in the world, so it’s only natural that there should be a place to gather and celebrate this iconic beverage. The World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta does just that, tracing the company’s rich heritage through its multi-sensory 4-D theater, a marvelously restored 1880’s soda fountain, thousands of examples of Coke-related memorabilia, a fully functioning bottling line, and an opportunity to sample over 60 different beverages from around the world.
As a refreshing treat for visitors through May 2010, the World of Coca-Cola is home to “Celebrating an Icon,” an art exhibit focusing on the famous Coca-Cola bottle through the interpretations of five contemporary artists.
 |
| Photo: Chattahoochee Nature Center |
If you’re looking for a resort in Georgia that’s perfect for an Atlanta day trip or a memorable family vacation, Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain is a feast for the eyes, with the mesmerizing beauty of its expansive natural surroundings. Nature-lovers, sports enthusiasts and adventurers of all ages are fascinated by its award-winning gardens and butterfly center, two of the top golf courses in Georgia, and special events throughout the year.
Spring is one of the best times of the year to visit, as the gardens’ landscape transforms into an explosion of vibrant color. You’ll be awestruck by the spectacular collection of azaleas (more than 20,000!), mountain laurel, dogwoods, daffodils and daisies. Other events taking place throughout the year include gardening seminars (naturally), performances (the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform on April 25), athletic events, a balloon festival and much more. All in a setting boasting some of Mother Nature’s finest work.
To the east of Atlanta, about halfway to Augusta, lies Lake Country, an area encompassing parts of four counties where activities such as golf, horseback riding and strolling charming small towns will keep you occupied for days as you enjoy the great outdoors.
Along Georgia’s northern border with Tennessee you’ll find a vast natural resource covering almost 750,000 acres across 18 north Georgia counties. The Chattahoochee National Forest encompasses Georgia’s highest point, Brasstown Bald (elevation 4,784 feet), the headwaters of every major north Georgia river, hundreds of waterfalls, abundant flora and fauna, and some of the best outdoor recreation in the United States.
 |
| Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development and the State of Georgia |
A mecca for hikers and cyclists, the forest includes more than 430 miles of trails. And its 2,200 miles of rivers and streams are great for whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking. For anglers, “1,300 miles of trout streams” is probably all they need to hear. But the forest’s lakes, rivers and streams are home to walleye, bluegill, bass and muskellunge, too.
Although it shares a name with the forest, the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, just north of Atlanta but south of the Chattahoochee National Forest, is located on the Chattahoochee River on a beautiful 127-acre site filled with native plants and gardens that showcase the beauty of Georgia while teaching young and old alike the importance of preserving our natural resources. At the annual Earth Day Kids Fest, held this year on April 17, families learn about ways to connect to nature as well as fun new ways to help the planet through various activities.
Georgia is not only a great place to live, it’s a great place to visit, too. With so much to do, and with events and attractions to please every member of the family, the vacation of a lifetime starts right at home.
Your AAA Travel counselor can create a personalized TripTik to help you plan your Georgia getaway. Call your local AAA office or visit AAA.com.