It’s always fun to watch display of fireworks on 4th of July, US Independence Day. We usually go to local mall or beach to watch fireworks but this time we thought of going somewhere else. We searched for places around Florida and found about Stone Mountain which is voted one of the best places to enjoy fireworks on Independence Day. So we decided to go on a road trip covering attractions in Atlanta (GA) and extended our plan to include few other popular attractions in Chattanooga(TN).
Attractions in & near Atlanta, GA
- World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, GA
- SkyView Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
- ISKCON Temple Atlanta, GA
- Stone Mountain Park, GA
Attractions in & near Chattanooga, TN
- Ruby Falls, Chattanooga, TN
- Rock City, Lookout Mountain, TN
- Incline Railway, Chattanooga, TN
- Robinson Bridge Fishing Park or Tennessee River Park, Chattanooga, TN
Other Attractions
- F. D. Roosevelt State Park, GA
Day-wise Trip Plan:
Thursday – Leave from Tampa in the Evening and Stay near Atlanta, GA
We had only 3 days to cover most of the places. Hence we started on Thursday evening and reached Atlanta by late night. It was 6 hours 30 mins drive from Tampa to our stay at “Ramada Atlanta Airport East/Forest Park” in Forest Park, GA. First attraction on our list was “World of Coca-Cola” and this was just 30 mins away from the hotel.
Day 1 – Friday – Visit World of Coca-Cola & SkyView Atlanta, Atlanta, GA and Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, GA
World of Coca-Cola is a museum located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a 20 acre complex showcasing history of The Coca-Cola Company. The museum features exhibits about the secret formula of Coca-Cola, a 4D movie and allows visitors to taste 60 different flavors of the product from around the world. It also houses a fully functional bottling line that produced 8-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola for distribution to its guests.
SkyView Atlanta is a 20-story tall Ferris wheel in Centennial Olympic Park. It features 42 climate-controlled gondolas providing a breathtaking panoramic and scenic view of downtown Atlanta.
Stone Mountain Park is Georgia’s most-visited attraction that offers a lot of family activities and fun. Stone Mountain is well-known for the enormous rock relief on its north face, the largest bas-relief in the world. The carving depicts three Confederate figures during the Civil War – Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Day 2 – Saturday – Visit Ruby Falls & Incline Railway in Chattanooga, TN and Rock City in Lookout Mountain, GA
Ruby Falls is 145-foot high underground waterfall located within Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States. It is the nation’s largest and also the deepest waterfall open for public.
Rock City is a popular attraction in Lookout Mountain, Georgia and is located near Ruby Falls. Ancient rock formations, beautiful massive gardens and breathtaking panoramic view of 7 states make this place truly astonishing.
Incline Railway is a hundred years old, mile long single track railway system. Because of a passing loop in the middle, two trains can operate at the same time. One can enjoy the scenic views of the mountains and valleys from the observation windows of this trolley train. In addition to the views from trolley, one can see panoramic view of the surrounding from station top.
Day 3 – Sunday – Visit Robinson Bridge Fishing Park, F.D. Roosevelt State Park, and Back to Tampa
Robinson Bridge Fishing Park is one of the parks that form the Tennessee Riverpark. It is connected to other parks by the 8 mile Tennessee Riverwalk Trail. The park is easily accessible from Amnicola Highway. The park features picnic tables, grills, children playground, fishing pier, boat ramp and plenty of parking space.
F.D. Roosevelt State Park is Georgia’s largest state park and is located on the Pine Mountain Ridge. It offers hiking and backpacking trails, including the 23-mile Pine Mountain Trail. Dowdell’s Knob is the highest point in F. D. Roosevelt State Park.
Links to related posts :
Day#1 : World of Coca-Cola and Stone Mountain Park, Georgia
Day#2 : Ruby Falls, Rock City and Incline Railway, Tennessee
Day#3 : Robinson Bridge Fishing Park and F.D. Roosevelt State Park, US
