GEORGIA
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What's New in Georgia?

For more information contact:
Stefanie Paupeck, Communications Specialist
Georgia Department of Economic Development
Spaupeck@georgia.org, (404) 962-4075

A trip to Georgia offers an endless array of options. Georgia’s borders encompass one of the country’s most diverse landscapes, including metropolitan Atlanta, more than 100 miles of pristine coastline, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, unspoiled forests, lakes and rivers and fertile farmlands. Opportunities for adventure abound, from the thrills of white-water rafting on the Chattooga, one of the nation’s best rafting rivers, to the mysteries of the great Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area in South Georgia. Relax on a farm, camp on a creek, or luxuriate at a spa. Georgia offers an abundance of cultural and historic family attractions plus museums, festivals, regional arts and crafts, concerts, tours, and world-class shopping and dining. Name an experience you want and you’ll find it in Georgia.

History

Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains. Atlanta, Georgia's capital and largest city developed as a transportation crossroads and was the heart of the Old South until it was destroyed in 1865 during the Civil War. Today, the city is the transportation gateway and leader of the New South, hosting the Olympics during the summer of 1996. Savannah boasts one of the largest historic districts in the country. The Golden Isles of Georgia have been a vacation destination since the late 1700's.

Significant Attractions

• Historic Savannah
  
• The beaches and resorts of the "Golden Isles"
  
• Okefenokee Swamp Park
  
• Callaway Gardens (Pine Mountain)
  
• Little White House, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Home (Warm Springs)
  
• Carter Presidential Center and Library (Atlanta)
  
• CNN (Atlanta)
  
• Crossroads at Stone Mountain Park (near Atlanta)
  
• Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Change (Atlanta)
  
• World of Coca-Cola (Atlanta)
  
• Georgia's Antebellum Trail
  
• Georgia Music Hall of Fame (Macon)
  
• Gone With the Wind Museums (Marietta, Jonesboro)
  
• Booth Western Art Museum (Cartersville)
  
• Jimmy Carter National Historic Site (Plains)
  
• Georgia's Wine Highway (North Georgia)
  
• Thunderoad (Dawsonville)
  
• Tubman African American Museum (Macon)
  
• The Georgia Aquarium (Atlanta)
  

Climate

Georgia enjoys mild temperatures all year round due to its latitude and proximity to the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. While there is minimal snowfall in the northern part of the state, summer temperatures range from 80 to 95° F (27 – 35° C).

How to Get There

Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia is the busiest airport in the world with a variety of flights from Europe, Asia, Latin and South America.
Domestic airports in Georgia include Albany, Augusta, Brunswick and the Golden Isles; Savannah; Macon, Valdosta and Columbus.

Distances and Times

• Georgia is in the country's Eastern Time Zone
  
• The South observes Daylight Savings Time from late April through October
  
• Greyhound and Trailways bus lines and AMTRAK rail line offer stops throughout Georgia
  
• Atlanta is 153 miles (248 kilometers; 2 1/2 hours by car) from Birmingham, Alabama
  
• 291 miles (471 kilometers; 5 hours by car) from Charleston, South Carolina
  
• 661 miles (1,071 kilometers;11 hours by car) from Miami, Florida
  
• 557 miles (902 kilometers; 9 1/2 hours by car) from Norfolk, Virginia
  

For additional travel information, call 1-800-VISIT-GA (847-4842) or visit www.georgia.org/travel.