Oakland Cemetery
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this outstanding 88-acre Victorian cemetery was founded in 1850. It survived the Civil War and remained the only cemetery in Atlanta for 34 years. Among the more than 48,000 people buried here are Confederate and Union soldiers (including five Southern generals), prominent families, paupers, governors and mayors, golfing great Bobby Jones, and Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell. There's a Jewish section (consecrated by a temple), a black section (dating from segregation days), and a potter's field (a section for unknown or poor people). Two monuments honor the Confederate war dead. Standing at the marker that commemorates the Great Locomotive Chase, you can see the trees from which the Yankee raiders were hanged; the Confederate train conductor Captain William Fuller is buried nearby. The cemetery is not only famous for historical reasons, but also because it is a virtual outdoor museum of Gothic and classical-revival mausolea, bronze urns, stained glass, and Victorian statuary.Almost every grave has a story. Real-estate tycoon Jasper Newton Smith had a life-size statue of himself erected on his grave so he could watch the city's goings-on into eternity. (The sculptor originally gave Smith a tie, but Smith, who never wore one, refused to pay for the piece until the tie was chiseled off.) Dr. James Nissen, Oakland's first burial, feared being buried alive; his will asked that his jugular vein be severed prior to interment. And John Morgan Dye was a baby who died during the siege of Atlanta; his mother walked through the raging battle to the cemetery carrying the small corpse. The smallest grave, however, is that of "Tweet," a pet mockingbird buried in his family's lot.A 5-year $15 million restoration aimed at reviving the cemetery as a park got underway in early 2003, and Atlanta residents certainly seem to be taking to the idea -- dozens of people jog and walk on the rolling terrain every day, and picnickers are a common sight. Leashed pets are welcome.Though you can visit whenever the cemetery is open, try to come when you can take a guided tour. It's a fascinating way to learn about the history of the graveyard and about graveyard symbolism (a lopped-tree-trunk marker indicates a life cut short or goals unachieved, rocks on a grave denote a life built on a solid foundation, a shell means resurrection, and so on). Every October, there's a celebration to commemorate the cemetery's founding, with turn-of-the-century music, food, and storytelling.

Fernbank Science Center
Owned and funded by the DeKalb County School System, this museum/planetarium/observatory, located adjacent to the 65-acre Fernbank Forest, is an educational partner of the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Plan to visit the entire complex on the same day. There's a 1 1/2-mile forest trail here, with trees, shrubs, ferns, wildflowers, mosses, and other plants marked for identification. An extensive rose garden is located next door to the museum.The indoor facility houses exhibits such as a video display on geological phenomena (volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain formation, and so on); a gem collection; an exhibit tracing the development of life in Georgia from 500 million years ago to a million years ago; a complete weather station; fossilized trees; the original Apollo 6 space capsule and space suit (on loan from the Smithsonian); computer games; a replica of the Okefenokee Swamp, complete with sound effects; and models of dinosaurs that roamed Atlanta in prehistoric times. There are planetarium shows, and, at the Observatory, which contains the largest telescope in the world dedicated to public education, an astronomer gives talks and helps visitors to spot celestial objects.

Château Élan Winery & Resort
Surrounded by verdant countryside, Château Élan is a hilltop winery that replicates a 16th-century French estate. Though its first wines were produced in 1985, the winery has already garnered more than 200 awards.Guided tours are given daily between 11am and 4pm (call ahead for exact times). On view are the crushing and pressing machines, oak barrels used to age and flavor the wines, the cask room, and the bottling area. The tours conclude with a wine tasting. Grapes ripen in July/August, so if you're here during harvesting in August and September, you'll actually see the winemaking procedure. More than 300 tons of grapes are harvested and processed each year. The interior of the château, a stage-set version of a Paris street, has a quarry-stone floor, wrought-iron fences, and street lamps. The building houses an art gallery offering monthly exhibits by regional and national artists, displays of antique European winemaking equipment, and a wine market.There are also three on-premises restaurants, so plan to eat lunch or dinner here. Café Élan, open daily from 11am to 10pm, features sandwiches, salads, and light entrees. It's a charming setting, with seating under a green awning. Paddy's Irish Pub, open Saturday at noon, Sunday at 12:30pm, and the rest of the week at 2pm (closing hours vary), serves traditional Irish fare and spirits. The fancier Le Clos, with pale pink walls, lace-curtained French doors, and tables covered with crisp white linen, is open for dinner only Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with seatings from 6:30 to 9:30pm. A seven- or eight-course prix-fixe meal beginning at $78 or $88 features haute-cuisine entrees; appropriate Château Élan wines are served with each course. Reservations are imperative. Men are required to wear a coat and tie.You might also consider an overnight or longer stay at the 277-room Inn at Château Élan, a luxurious resort where facilities include three golf courses (two 18-hole and one par-3, 9-hole) and seven tennis courts (offering pro shops and instruction), an equestrian center, a full-service European-style health spa and salon ("days of pampering" are an option), an outdoor Olympic-size pool, an indoor heated pool, and a fitness center. Room rates begin at $180 double; call the numbers below for details and to inquire about golf, tennis, spa, and other packages. There are also four restaurants at the adjoining Château Élan resort. If the lovely grounds beckon, you can order a gourmet picnic basket from the kitchen at the hotel.

Sheraton Buckhead Hotel Atlanta
Nearby Airports: * Dekalb-Peachtree Airport - 5 Miles * Hartsfield International Airport - 20 Miles Nearby Cities: * Buckhead - 2 Miles * Dunwoody - 5 Miles * Atlanta - 6 Miles * Decatur - 7 Miles * Smyrna - 7 Miles * Sandy Springs - 8 Miles * Tucker - 8 Miles * East Point - 10 Miles * College Park - 12 Miles * Snellville - 12 Miles * Roswell - 13 Miles * Marietta - 15 Miles * Riverdale - 15 ...

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 ...

Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta North/Johns Creek
FROM HARTSFILED AIRPORT (ATLANTA) Trip distance: Approximately 42 Miles Trip Time: Approximately 1 hour Leave the airport going NORTH on I-85 to I-285 WEST Take I-285 WEST to Exit 31B HWY 141 NORTH / Peachtree Ind. Blvb. After 3 miles HWY 141 and Peachtree Ind Blvb. split. STAY on 141 WHICH BEARS TO THE LEFT. From the split we are 9 miles NORTH on the right side of HWY 141 Turn RIGHT on EAST JOHNS CROSSING and take an immediate left. ...