By Tom Wuckovich

The Peach State is a combination of big cities, small towns, mountains and beaches, and a wealth of historic sites that feature the depth and breadth of Southern living. A unique way to discover the South in Georgia, and a neat driving tour, would be a four-day excursion that begins in Atlanta. It’s a combination of the New South (Atlanta’s De Kalb County); the Old South (Macon) and the Sea Side (the Sea Islands).

On day one, why not drive to downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. CNN Center is across the street as well as Georgia’s World Congress Center, the hub of convention business in the capital city. Take in the World of Coca-Cola, a 45,000-square-foot pavilion where the history of this favorite soft drink—past, present and future—is told through fascinating exhibits. After the tour, lunch at Underground Atlanta.

It’s also time to uncover the treasures at Stone Mountain Park, a 3200-acre playground surrounding the world’s largest granite block with a three-acre carving on its face depicting Civil War heroes Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson.

On day two, drive to Macon and take a tour that should include Hay House, an 1860 mansion featured on A&E’s America’s Castles, the Cannonball House and the Confederate Museum. See Macon’s only casualty of the Civil War, Sidney Lanier Cottage, the 1842 birthplace of the great Southern poet Sidney Lanier.

Explore the ancient past at Ocmulgee National Monument, with 10,000 years of Native American heritage. Later, visit the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, an indoor facility that celebrates Georgiamusicians. When night falls, Lights on Macon showcases 33 private and public mansions, each dramatically illuminated.

The next day, leave for Savannah, Brunswick and the Golden Isles. These areas will take two days to discover. Drive through Savannah and see the largest restored historic district in the U.S. before departing for Brunswick and The Golden Isles. They include St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island.

By late afternoon, you should be able to visit Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation where the evolution of a rice plantation from 1807–1915 comes to life. In the evening, try a “Low Country Boil” dinner and sample some of the nightlife. On your fourth day, you’ll want to start with an early tour back in time to the residences of the ultra-rich as you visit the restored homes of the Rockefellers, Goodyears, Morgans and other elite families who escaped the northern winters. The area is now known as the Jekyll Island Club Historic District.

This is just a sampling of what’s available in the sweet state of Georgia.