The expression "hiding in plain sight" could have been invented just to describe the local attractions that tourists enjoy but residents take for granted.
Happily, those who tend and promote these unique and wonderful places make them available to the local adventurer. They don't even seem to mind if you claim one as a "find" when it's been waiting patiently along your everyday commute or beside the local big box store for years.
The metro Atlanta suburbs offer a particularly nice mix of these hidden gems, from places that feature very special foods to lovingly curated museums to garden tours for the strollers among us.
And while Atlanta proper will always have the World of Coca-Cola and countless stately historic homes, its suburbs offer a charm all their own. Between Cobb, Gwinnett and North Fulton, you'll find tours you can't match anywhere else in Atlanta, in Georgia, and sometimes in the world! Here are five hidden gems that offer a peek into the Atlanta suburbs:
10 a.m., Saturday, May 5. 12 p.m., Sunday, May 6.
Early Bird tickets $20; $25 day of tour.
Wylde Center, 435 Oakview Road, Decatur. 404-371-1920
Initially a project of the Oakhurst Community Garden to empower neighborhood kids as garden tenders, the Wylde Center now quietly manages two demonstration gardens and wildlife habitats. As an annual fundraiser, the center taps its connections each May to throw open the gates of 13 private area gardens in the greater Decatur area. Some are stately, others cottage style. All are beautiful and promote sustainable gardening practices. Should the tour inspire a spruce-up of your own garden spaces, Wylde also conducts a plant sale daily at the Oakhurst Garden (435 Oakview Road, Decatur) from early spring through June 15. Stop in at will to purchase herbs, fruit trees, native plants and vegetables like heirloom tomatoes, okra and peppers.
Credit: Contributed by Explore Roswell
Credit: Contributed by Explore Roswell
A Southern Trilogy: The Historic Homes of Roswell
10 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
A Trilogy Pass is $18 per adult and $15 students ages 6-18; it allows the holder to visit all three homes and can be used on multiple days for different visits. One day, one house admission: $8 adults, $6 children, $7 seniors.
Barrington Hall, 535 Barrington Dr., Roswell. 770-640-3855.
Bulloch Hall, 180 Bulloch Ave., Roswell. 770-992-1731.
Smith Plantation, 935 Alpharetta St., Roswell. 770-641-3978.
Good luck and beautiful homes goeth by threes, at least in Roswell. It proves Atlanta doesn't have the monopoly on tour-worthy historic homes with its Southern Trilogy tour of three historic homes.
The first is Barrington Hall, once home to Roswell King, the man who co-founded the colony with his son, Barrington. The hall, a peerless example of Greek Revival architecture, rests on the area's highest point and overlooks the town. Not to be outdone in historic significance, Bulloch Hall was the site of the 1853 wedding of Mittie Bulloch, who later gave birth to the future U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt. On a sadder note, the home also includes reconstructed service grounds demonstrating its former slave cabins, dedicated to the legacy of the African Americans who played such a strong role in the history of Roswell, albeit against their will. The third site on display, Smith Plantation, still includes the family's original artifacts.
5-9 p.m, Tuesday-Thursday; 4 p.m.-midnight, Friday; 12 p.m.-midnight, Saturday; 12:30-7:30 p.m., Sunday.
Admission to tour free; beer available for purchase in the taproom and to go.
2855 Marconi Drive, Suite 350, Alpharetta.
Inspired by the spirit of Jekyll Island, the brewery of the same name offers tours of its place without all those city lights (and city parking) involved in brew events inside Atlanta city limits. It's all very casual: You basically show up and sip a beer in the taproom while you wait for the next excursion to begin. Lots of nice amenities involved here: from the free and plentiful parking and an option to bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages into the taproom to the feeling of accomplishment you'll get as you learn the hidden ways of a local brewery and have a night out at the same time.
6:30-9:30 p.m., alternating Wednesdays; 11 a.m.-2 p.m., alternating Saturdays.
$75 per person.
Some of the very best metro ATL restaurants are in the 'burbs, and Marietta has the food tour to prove it. The Marietta Square Supper Tour offers foodies 12 food tastings along with five flavorful beverages at some hot dining establishments along a one-mile walk. Authentic Columbian eats at Kiosco and some cozy spirits at Two Birds Taphouse are just a couple of the choices.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Prices start at $28.
864-517-0688.
Spooky! The much-storied areas of Atlanta suburbs, of course, also have their share of ghosts. Fun and mystery combine on these year round, outdoor walking ghost tours of Roswell hot spots (or should we say chilly?) Experienced paranormal investigators set the pace and the tour covers ghosts from residences and businesses alike. Go to www.roswellghosttour.com to make a reservation, find out where the tour groups meet and get ready for some spine-shivering tales.
Spring Guide OTP edition is a seasonal series from The Atlanta Journal Constitution that highlights some of the best dining and outdoor experiences taking place outside of Atlanta’s perimeter.
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