Here are three towns, all with something special to offer, for a summer vacation with the family or a weekend getaway. And most are less than 300 miles from Atlanta.

Southport, N.C.

Bainbridge Mainstreet/Tourism Office (ENLARGE)

Willis Park is a nice place to stretch your legs and enjoy nature. Kids like it, too.

Waycross Tourism Bureau (ENLARGE)

Be prepared to see a gator or two during an Okefenokee Boat Tour in Waycross.

(ENLARGE)

Fort Fisher's Civil War Reinactment in Southport, NC., makes history come alive.

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(population 2,350)

At the mouth of the Cape Fear River on the Intracoastal Waterway, Southport, in Brunswick County, is another fishermen's paradise, with saltwater and freshwater options.

Bring your boat and cast off for deep-sea fishing at the Southport Marina. Or charter a boat locally.

The first Spanish explorers arrived in Brunswick County in 1521, but Southport wasn't founded until 1792. Originally named Smithville, the town changed its name to Southport in 1887.

Hollywood finds this picturesque little village an ideal one for moviemaking. Taped here were scenes from the films "Crimes of the Heart" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and television shows "Dawson's Creek" and "Matlock."

How far: 413 miles

Where to stay

• Lois Jane's Riverview Inn. Summer rates: $126.50-$143 double occupancy, $25 each additional guest. Five-room Victorian inn overlooking Cape Fear River offers full breakfast and afternoon hors d'oeuvres; two-night minimum; no pets. 106 W. Bay St. 1-800-457-1152, 910-457-6701; loisjanes.com.

• Comfort Suites. $139-$179; $20 per night/per pet. 70 one-bedroom units; smoke-free; continental breakfast and Internet access; pets allowed. 4963 Southport-Supply Road. 910-454-7444, comfortsuites.com/hotel/nc351.

• Brunswick Inn Bed & Breakfast. $199 double occupancy, $99 each additional guest in Garden Room. Circa-1896 Federal-style mansion, with private baths, working fireplaces and queen-size beds; home-cooked breakfast; no pets. Credit cards not accepted. 301 E. Bay St. 910-457-5278, brunswickinn.com.

Where to shop

• Lantana's Gallery & Gifts. Features local art and gifts. In summer and fall, attend an art gallery walk 5-7 p.m. the first Friday of each month. 110 E. Nash St. 910-457-0957, lantanasgallery.com.

• Ricky Evans Gallery. Features local self-taught artist Evans, who specializes in painting seashores and lighthouses. 211 N. Howe St. 910-457-1129, rickyevansgallery.com.

• Christmas House. House built in 1885; sells ornaments, decorations, flowers and gifts. 104 W. Moore St. 910-457-5166.

• Cat on a Whisk. Sells gourmet goods and kitchenware. 600C N. Howe St. 910-454-4451, catonawhisk.com.

What to do

• Go deep-sea fishing. Southport Marina, C-Dock, 606 W. West St. 910-457-9900, southport-marina.com.

• Take a downtown walking tour on the Southport Trail. One-mile tour includes 23 historic houses, churches and other sites. Pick up a brochure at the Visitors Center. 113 W. Moore St. 1-800-388-9635, 910-457-7927; cityofsouthport.com.

• Go to the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport. Self-guided tour. Highlights maritime history of the Cape Fear River and southeast North Carolina. Includes popular exhibit on hurricane tracking. 116 N. Howe St. 910-457-0003, www.ncmaritime.org.

• Explore Fort Fisher. Remains of fort that kept Cape Fear River and port of Wilmington open to Confederate blockade runners until it fell on Jan. 15, 1865. Includes museum. 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd., Kure Beach. 910-458-5538, nchistoricsites.org/fisher.

• Climb to the top of "Old Baldy." North Carolina's oldest lighthouse (1817) sits across the river from Southport on Bald Head Island. Ferry across. 101 Lighthouse Wynd, Bald Head Island. 910-457-7481, oldbaldy.org.

Upcoming events

• North Carolina Fourth of July Festival. Includes arts and crafts, live entertainment, food, parade and fireworks. July 1-4. 910-457-6964, nc4thofjuly.com.

• Children's Crab Derby. Kids ages 16 and younger go "crabbing" in the water. Sept. 1. 910-457-7945.

• U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament. Cash prizes, including $25,000 grand prize for largest king mackerel. Attracts about 500 boats each year. Oct. 2-4. 1-800-457-6964, usopenkmt.com.

More information

• Southport Visitors Center, 113 W. Moore St. 910-457-7927, 1-800-388-9635; cityofsouthport.com.

Bainbridge, GA

(population 12,000)

You don't have to leave Georgia to reach Bainbridge, in the state's southwest corner. Bainbridge's residents are proud of their city and enjoy the simple life: A walk or a picnic is just fine with them.

The Flint River runs through town, and many activities are centered on the water, such as the Largest Fireworks Show in Southwest Georgia, held at the Earle May Boat Basin Park on July Fourth. And there are plenty of other activities at the park's new marina.

Named for William Bainbridge, a commodore in the Navy during the War of 1812, the town became known for its lucrative lumber industry after fortune hunters flocked to the area in the early 20th century.

How far: 242 miles

Where to stay

• Commodore Bed & Breakfast. $95-$115. Antebellum, Georgian-style mansion built in 1840; oldest home in the district. Restored/remodeled in 2002. Four guest rooms. No pets; limitations on children. Deposit required. 320 Washington St. 229-248-0081, bedandbreakfast.com/georgia-bainbridge-thecommodorebb.html.

• Jameson Inn. $90. 59 one-bedroom units; Internet, exercise room and complimentary breakfast.1403 Tallahassee Highway. 229-243-7000, jamesoninns.com.

• Days Inn Bainbridge. $65. Complimentary continental breakfast daily. Pets allowed. 1407 Tallahassee Highway. 229-248-6300, daysinn.com.

Where to shop

• Book Nook. New and used books. 110 E. Broughton St. 229-248-0955, bainbridgebooknook.com.

• Curious Collectibles Carries inventory of 300,000 comic books; also card games, sports cards. 110 S. Broad St. 229-246-0700.

• Sharon House Antiques. Sells furniture, gifts, custom floral arrangements, rugs and art. 113 E. Water St. 229-246-8999.

What to do

• Take the Heritage Tour of Homes. Driving tour of more than 50 houses, churches and sites built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Pick up a brochure at the Chamber of Commerce. 100 Boat Basin Circle. 229-246-4774, 1-800-243-4774; bainbridgegachamber.com.

• Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery at Willis Park downtown. Built in 1987, with a gazebo for musical events and a statue of an unnamed Confederate soldier.

• Tour the Firehouse Center & Gallery. Built in 1914, the structure was commissioned in Mission style and originally housed the city's fire and police departments and city hall. 119 W. Water St. 229-243-1010.

• Attend a play at Bainbridge Little Theatre. The group is in its 34th season. Summer performances use teen and youth actors. 220 E. Troupe St. 229-246-8345, bainbridgelittletheater.com.

Upcoming events

• Largest Fireworks Show in Southwest Georgia. Fourth of July on the banks of the Flint River. Concerts, food, refreshments and fireworks. Earle May Boat Basin Park, 229-248-2000.

• Bainbridge BikeFest 2008. Motorcycle rally benefiting national children's charities. Entertainment, vendors, bike shows and field events. Sept. 17-21; different venues. 229-248-0505, bainbridge-bikefest.com.

• 10th annual Georgia Literary Festival. Readings, book signings, children's activities and poetry workshop. Scheduled authors include novelist Mary Kay Andrews (aka Kathy Hogan Trocheck of Avondale Estates; "Itty Bitty Lies," "Savannah Blues") and Jay Barbree (NBC news correspondent and author of "Live From Cape Canaveral: Covering the Space Race, From Sputnik to Today"). Oct. 24-25. 229-248-2590, georgialiteraryfestival.com.

More information

• Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce. 100 Boat Basin Circle. 229-246-4774, 1-800-243-4774; bainbridgegachamber.com.

Waycross, GA

(population 15,000)

Waycross, in Ware County, in Georgia's southeast corner, is on the northern tip of the 425,000-acre Okefenokee Swamp.

The town was founded in 1872 as a center for rail traffic, which it remains today. It's the second-largest computerized yard for CSX in the United States (CSX is the largest railroad in the eastern United States).

It got the name "Waycross" because people referred to the town as "the way of the cross" because of the large number of churches being built in the area at the time.

Waycross' links to famous people include actors Burt Reynolds (birthplace) and Pernell Roberts, Ossie Davis and musician Gram Parsons, whose childhood homes were here.

How far: 239 miles

Where to stay

• Pond View Fine Dining & Inn. $95 plus tax, double occupancy, $10 each additional guest. Four inn rooms; self-serve continental breakfast; Internet access; no pets. 311 Pendleton St. 1-866-582-5149, 912-283-9300; pondviewinn.com.

• Best Western Bradbury Inn & Suites. $85-$95. Remodeled in 2005; no pets. 2570 Memorial Drive. 912-284-0095, bestwestern.com.

• Jameson Inn. $70-$95. 62 one-bedroom units; Internet access, fitness center. 950 City Blvd. 912-283-3800, jamesoninns.com.

Where to shop

• Whistle Stop Pottery. Sells miscellaneous home furnishings; in historic downtown. 420 Elizabeth St. 912-287-1333.

• Lovejoy Kreations. Sells women's clothing and accessories, home accents, consignments. 412 Mary St. 912-287-5680.

• Bennett Book Gift & Card Shop. Offers books, gifts, souvenirs. 2215 Memorial Drive. 912-285-7675.

What to do

• Take a walking tour of the Historic Downtown District. Includes 26 historic houses, churches and sites. Pick up a brochure at the Waycross Visitors Center, housed in a 1900s rail depot. 315-A Plant Ave. 912-283-3744, swampgeorgia.com.

• Explore the Okefenokee Swamp Park. See local swamp wildlife; part of a National Wildlife Refuge. Hiking and boat tours. 5700 Okefenokee Swamp Park Road. 912-283-0583, okeswamp.com.

• Tour the Okefenokee Heritage Center, which highlights the history and art of the Okefenokee area, and the Southern Forest World Museum, dedicated to the history of the area's timber industry. Okefenokee Heritage Center, 1460 N. Augusta Ave. 912-285-4260. Southern Forest World Museum (entrance through Okefenokee Heritage Center building), 912-285-4056.

• Play golf at the Lakes of Laura S. Walker. Steve Burns-designed 18-hole public golf course that sits around a 120-acre lake. 5500 Laura Walker Road. 1-800-434-0982; pro shop 912-285-6154, 1-877-591-5578.

Upcoming events

• Jaycees Fourth of July. Music, food, fireworks. Also parachute team demonstration. July Fourth. 912-283-3714.

• Twin Oaks Bluegrass Convention. Bluegrass music festival. No alcoholic beverages; pets must be on a leash. Sept. 4-6. Twin Oaks Bluegrass Park, Route 1, Hoboken. 912-458-2365, twinoakspark.com.

• Annual Fall Festival. Games, hayrides and refreshments at the park. Oct. 18. Laura S. Walker State Park, 5653 Laura Walker Road. 912-287-4900.

More information

• Waycross Tourism Bureau and Visitors Center, 315-A Plant Ave. 912-283-3744, swampgeorgia.com.