1. Not the usual hike

How about walking along more than 6 miles of trails through 34 acres of 4,500 old cars?

Old Car City USA, 3098 U.S. 411 N.E., White, Ga. Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Admission: $10 per person without a camera; $15 per person if anyone in the party has a camera. 770-382-6141, www.oldcarcityusa.com.

2. Pick up unusual back-to-school snacks

A trip to H Mart in Duluth will yield a school year’s worth of exotic treats and the chance to try that Rosbottom family favorite, the “disappointed fish” ice cream sandwich.

H Mart, 2550 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth. Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. 678-543-4000, www.hmart.com/.

3. Head to the money museum

How about a museum that gives you money for coming? The museum of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta explores the story of money from barter to bullion.

Atlanta Monetary Museum, 1000 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Free. Bags of shredded money available at the lobby kiosk. www.frbatlanta.org/about/tours/museum.cfm.

4. Spend a night under the stars

Georgia offers camping at 41 state parks, with several within an hour's drive of metro Atlanta including Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Newnan, High Falls State Park in Jackson, Indian Springs State Park in Flovilla and Red Top Mountain in Cartersville. Last-minute availability for weekend campsites, cottages and more is posted on the Web every week at http://gastateparks.org/availability.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources State Parks. Reservations: 1-800-864-7275, http://gastateparks.org/.

5. A last-minute “beach” trip

Didn’t get enough of the beach this summer? Robin Lake Beach at Callaway Gardens may not have ocean waves, but it does have a floating playground and old-fashioned summer games like miniature golf and shuffleboard.

The Summer Beach Trip Package starts at $99 per night and is available through Aug. 29. Reservations required. Callaway Gardens, 17800 U.S. 27, Pine Mountain. 1-800-225-5292, www.callawaygardens.com.

6. Go to an old school

Show the kids what life was like pre-Internet with a stop at the Old School History Museum with its restored early-1900s classroom.

Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce and Old School History Museum, 305 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Docent tours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, 2-4 p.m. Sundays. 706-485-7701, www.eatonton.com.

7. Head to Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium offers Imagination Nights through Aug. 17. 6-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. (The offer excludes Aug. 3, 6 and 14.) $19.95 plus tax per person. Children 2 and under, free. www.georgiaaquarium.org/.

8. Take a step back into the past

On Aug. 3, 4, 10 and 11, the Atlanta History Center’s Smith Family Farm will host guests from the past — docents in period clothes playing the part of the Smiths and their neighbors. Hands-on activities include craft demonstrations and a chance to pet the barnyard’s new flock of sheep.

Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta. $16.50 adults, $13 seniors 65+ and students (13-18), $11 youth (4-12). 404-814-4000, www.atlantahistorycenter.com.