Guide to Roswell: Go for the river, stay for the food

Roughly 20 minutes north of Downtown Atlanta lies the city of Roswell. Exiting west off Ga-400N, you encounter the highly populated thoroughfare of Holcomb Bridge Road. The traffic may seem like any other congested, residential community in metro Atlanta. There's a Starbucks, a Walmart and even a Waffle House. What's the big deal? The answer to that requires you to drive a little farther south. Just south of the madness, sandwiched between Northridge and Holcomb Bridge, you'll find a pocket of hidden wonder. Here the Chattahoochee River meanders through neighborhoods, horse farms, park systems, through a nature center, and brings ripples of the past to the modern day.

Here the history of the past has made amends with the future. Galleries, restaurants and museums dot the landscape of the historic downtown. Stop in for a pint of locally brewed beer, search for unique art pieces or shop specialty stores and boutiques.

Where to Play
Roswell's shining, natural feature is the Chattahoochee River. The river serves as a backdrop for 16 miles of trails winding through various environments. Visit ruins of the old mill, walk across the Vickery Creek Covered Pedestrian Bridge or sit by the river as kayaks and canoes drift by. On a hot day, you don't have to get very near the water to realize that the river flows cold here. Roswell's banks lie north of Morgan Falls, the dividing line between cold and warmer Chattahoochee River water temperatures. Canoes, kayaks and tubes are available to rent so that you can explore feature such as rock cliffs and wildlife spotting opportunities that you might otherwise miss. The aptly named Shoot the Hooch, located in Roswell's Azalea Park, is a convenient option for river rentals.
Bring your own or rent a bike to explore more of the trail and park system. Amenities along the river path include playgrounds, wetland views, historical markers and even the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Indigenous species of plants and animals are the spotlight at the Center. Get up close and personal with local birds of prey, fish and reptiles. Gardens, hiking trails, ponds, a river boardwalk and even an indoor interpretive center serve to educate the public about the local watershed, environmental processes and give a glimpse into the homes of some of the local creatures.
Cherokee Indians to President Theodore Roosevelt's mother have called Roswell home. The Southern Trilogy of Homes- Bulloch Hall, Smith Plantation and Barrington Hall - offers daily tours of their grounds. You can access the story and history of each property, built in the 18th century, through free cellphone audio tours on site. If you are ready to see more of Roswell's history, then stop into the Visitor's Center for a self-guided tour booklet of Roswell's Historic District. Other tour options include the Roswell Mill Village and Civil War App and Audio Tour, or nighttime walking ghost tours.

Where to Eat
Roswell's claim to fame is extending past its historical foundations and steering right to its food and restaurant scene. With a density to please any taste bud, Canton Street packs in restaurants like sardines to a can. You can gorge yourself from one end of the street to the other without breaking a sweat (or leaving your cocktail).
Create your own food tour or join the Roswell Food Tour, hosted by Georgia Food Tours, to dive even deeper. Bringing you sampling from the best on Canton Street, the food tour adds the story and heart behind each restaurant experience.

Canton Street's microcosm of food ranges from Mexican to Thai and everything in between. Family-friendly to upscale environments make an appearance on this street. Choose sidewalk seating, when the day and weather permit, to really soak up the atmosphere of this pedestrian haven.