One-tank trips close to Atlanta

Vacation close to home

Too busy to take a “real” vacation? You don’t need a full week and plenty of dough to enjoy these smaller towns. They’re easy to get to, within a short drive (a tank of gas or less) from Atlanta, and full of undiscovered Southern charm. For instance, in Georgia historic Dahlonega has a pre-gold rush history, wineries and home-style restaurants. The Chattooga River offers beautiful scenery and exciting rafting. In western North Carolina, the city of Asheville beckons with the magnificent Biltmore house. Adventure is only a short drive away.

• List of Southeastern festivals for this weekend and beyond

ALABAMA
• Birmingham, Ala.: for art lovers
• Fort Payne, Ala., offers natural beauty
• Vintage motorcycles in Leeds, Ala.
• Selma's civil rights history
• Tuscaloosa, Ala.: More than football

GEORGIA
• Albany's revived waterfront
• Athens, Ga.: a classic college town
• A James Brown fest in Augusta, Ga.
• Raft and ride in Blue Ridge, Ga.
• Cartersville, Ga., home of Western-theme and cowboy art
• Chateau Elan (Braselton, Ga.) resort/winery | Hoschton, Ga. charms visitors
• Chattooga River rafting
• Golf in Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee (Eatonton, Ga.)
• Dalton, more than the carpet capital of Georgia
• Dahlonega, Ga.: Wine is the new gold | Forrest Hills Resort
• Gainesville, Ga.'s history and trails
• Helen, Ga. is a "little Bavaria"
• Howard Finster Vision House (Pennville, Ga.)
• Turtles among the residents of Jekyll Island, Ga.
• LaGrange, Ga.: Southern heritage, French twist
• Len Foote Hike Inn (Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville, Ga.)
• 19th-century architecture in Madison, Ga.
• Wild animals in Pine Mountain, Ga.
• Plains, Ga. has presidential history
• Better than Rome, Italy? Rome, Ga.
• Food tour of Savannah, Ga. | Three price points
• Pebble Hill estate in Thomasville, Ga., worthy of a movie set
• Union Point, Ga., an art haven
• Vienna, Ga. has cute cotton museum and more
• Don't skip Winder on your way to Athens

NORTH CAROLINA
• Preparing the Biltmore's Christmas decorations in Asheville, N.C., is a year-round affair
• Blowing Rock, N.C.: mountain beauty
• A Turkey Day celebration in Cashiers, N.C.
• DuPont State Forest (Cedar Mountain, N.C.): a once-private territory
• Popular Atlanta getaway: Highlands, N.C.
• Hot Springs, N.C.'s working farm, Briar Rose
• Ski close to home at Maggie Valley, N.C.

TENNESSEE
• Chattanooga, Tenn.: train is a treat | Chattanooga riverfront
• Manchester, Tenn.,may be nicer without the music
• Christmas stands still at Graceland in Memphis