The Hammonds House Galleries & Resource Center of African-American Art
Occupying the 1857 Eastlake Victorian-style former home of Dr. Otis T. Hammonds, a black anesthesiologist and art patron, Hammonds House is a national center for the exhibition, preservation, research, and documentation of African-American art and artists. The permanent collection includes Hammonds' extensive compilation of works by African-American and Haitian artists, as well as his collection of African masks and carvings. These works are complemented by later acquisitions including pieces by Romare Bearden, William H. Johnson, Robert S. Duncanson, and Elizabeth Catlett. The permanent collection is shown on a rotating basis and is supplemented by exhibitions featuring the work of renowned black artists from all over the world. The Resource Center, housing documents on African-American art and artists, is open to the public by appointment.The house is located in the thriving West End neighborhood, which was declared a historic district in 1991. While you're in the area, take a look at the other lovingly restored Victorian bungalows and houses. A short walk away is the Atlanta University Center, the largest historically African-American education complex in the world, home to prestigious Morehouse College. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is Morehouse's most famous alumnus; a chapel was built on the campus to honor his memory.

Yellow River Game Ranch
Bordering the Yellow River, this 24-acre animal preserve offers close encounters of the 4-legged kind -- a chance to view, pet, feed, and generally mingle with some 600 animals (always including quite a few babies) who live in open enclosures or right out in the open, along a 1-mile oak- and hickory-shaded forest trail. Owner Art Rilling knows every animal on the ranch by name and can give you chapter and verse on each one's personality, preferences, and in some cases, romantic history. The animals know they're among friends here and are highly socialized, so you have a unique chance to study them up close. Keep in mind that all these animals smell like, well, animals. If a barnyard atmosphere bothers you, don't visit.Inhabitants include donkeys named Rhett and Scarlett, Georgia black bears that stand up and beg for marshmallows, goats, dozens of rabbits in Bunny Burrows (kids can pet the bunnies), an assortment of interesting-looking chickens, a herd of buffalo, sheep, burros, goats, ponies, a skunk named General Sherman (we are in Atlanta, after all), and a groundhog named General Beauregard Lee who lives in a white colonnaded Southern mansion complete with miniature satellite dish.Consider packing a picnic lunch. There are tables throughout the property, and one especially nice picnic area overlooks the river.

Six Flags Over Georgia
One of the state's major family attractions, Six Flags offers a great day's entertainment. Arrive early (at least 30 min. before opening), note where you've parked in the vast lot, and take 10 minutes or so to plan out your show and ride schedule.The park's 10 areas have themes centered around different regions, from Southern (Cotton States, Confederate, Georgia, Lickskillet, and Promenade), to European (France, Britain, Spain), to American (U.S.A.), to Gotham City (featuring Batman The Ride). Costumed Looney Tune characters (Sylvester, Daffy Duck, and others) roam the park greeting kids (hint: check out the gazebo in the Promenade section to meet that wascally wabbit Bugs Bunny).Thrill rides include several watery options, such as Splashwater Falls (plummet down a soaring 50-ft. waterfall), a log flume, and Thunder River (a simulated whitewater rafting adventure). White-knuckle coasters include the Georgia Scorcher (one of the Southeast's tallest and fastest stand-up roller coasters), the Viper (which goes from 0-60 mph in less than 6 sec. and has a 360-degree loop), Ninja (the "black belt" of roller coasters, turning riders upside down five times and offering thrilling loops, dives, and corkscrew turns), the Georgia Cyclone (a classic wooden roller coaster with 11 dramatic drops, patterned after Coney Island's famous thrill ride), the Great American Scream Machine (another classic wooden coaster), and Mind Bender (a triple-looper). Other highlights are Batman The Ride (a twisting roller coaster with ski-lift-like seats), Great Gasp (a 20-story parachute jump), Riverview Carousel (a merry-go-round from the early 1900s), and Free Fall (ever wonder what it would be like to fall off a 10-story building?). A less dizzying adventure is Monster Plantation, a Disneyesque boat ride through an antebellum mansion haunted by over 100 animated monsters. And there's much, much more.Shows vary from year to year, but they usually include a major musical revue, a country music show, a golden-oldies show, thrill cinema adventures on a 180-degree screen, and an animated character show. In addition, headliners such as SheDaisy and John Michael Montgomery play the 8,072-seat (with lawn seating for 4,000) Southern Star Amphitheatre.There are restaurants and snack bars throughout the park, though you might consider bringing a picnic.

The Westin Atlanta Airport
Nearby Airports: * Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport - 1 Mile Nearby Cities: * College Park - 1 Mile * East Point - 3 Miles * Hapeville - 3 Miles * Atlanta - 8 Miles * Fayetteville - 10 Miles * Riverdale - 10 Miles * Douglasville - 12 Miles * Buckhead - 15 Miles * Jonesboro - 15 Miles * Lenox - 15 Miles * Decatur - 17 Miles * Vinings - 17 Miles * Peachtree City - 18 Miles * Stockbridge - 18 ...

Residence Inn by Marriott Atlanta Historic Midtown
Residence Inn by Marriott is designed to make you feel at home for a day, a week, a month or more. Our suites give you fifty percent more space than most traditional hotel rooms. The Residence Inn Atlanta Historic Midtown is a renovated historic seven story brick building with elegant traditional furnishings. All rooms are single level and come in a variety of floor plans. The hotel is located two miles north of downtown, 1.5 miles from Philips Arena, one mile from the Georgia World Congress ...

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta
Nearby Airport: * Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport - 8 Miles Nearby Cities: * Marietta - 8 Miles * Decatur - 10 Miles * Stone Mountain - 12 Miles * Mableton - 15 Miles * Sanoy Springs - 15 Miles * Conyers - 21 Miles * Douglasville - 22 Miles * Cannollton - 25 Miles * Newnan - 25 Miles * Canton - 25 Miles * Roswell - 25 Miles * Lawrenceville - 28 Miles * Fayetteville - 30 Miles * Dallas - 30 ...