Fall is a great time for a weekend road trip, but with no more than 72 hours to spare, it's best to keep drive time to a minimum. Luckily, there are several thriving cities within three hours from Atlanta -- perfect for a quick getaway.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Direction: North
Drive time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Chattanooga's prime location between the mountains of Southeast Tennessee and the Tennessee River make it a destination ripe for outdoor adventure. On the soft adventure side, there's hiking in Cloundland Canyon State Park, horseback riding or taking advantage of Chattanooga's new bicycle transit system where you can rent bikes for $6 per day and cruise along the 13-mile Riverwalk. True adrenaline junkies can hang glide with Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding (7201 Scenic Highway, Rising Fawn. 706-398-3541, hanglide.com), the no. 1 hang-gliding school in the country, whitewater raft the Ocoee River or mountain bike through Cherokee National Forest.
Not into the great outdoors? Art lovers will enjoy the collection of American art spanning more than 200 years at the Hunter Museum of American Art (10 Bluff View Ave., Chattanooga. 423-267-0968, huntermuseum.org), and the River Gallery Sculpture Garden (400 E. 2nd St., Chattanooga. 423-265-5033, river-gallery.com), the city's first outdoor art museum. Families will love the Tennessee Aquarium (1 Broad St., Chattanooga. 800-262-0695, tnaqua.org), which houses fun-loving otters, colorful reef fish, turtles and an Alligator Bayou exhibit. Foodies can get a taste of Chattanooga on the Southside Eat Sip Walk (204 Sunset Road W, Lookout Mountain. 423-708-5328, eatsipwalk.com) food tour that visits four eateries and a winery.
Columbus, Georgia
Directon: South
Drive Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
There's no better place to get a feel for Georgia's history than in Columbus. The Columbus Museum (1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus. 706-748-2562, columbusmuseum.com) features exhibits about regional history of the Chattahoochee Valley, as well as American and modern art. Historical exhibits include a closer look at the founding of the city, as well as its role in the Trail of Tears, slavery, the Civil War and the textile industry. At the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus (1002 Victory Drive, Columbus. 706-327-9798, portcolumbus.org), visit the nation's only full-size ironclad Civil War combat simulator, and the remains of two Confederate navy ships. Finally, pay your respects at the National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center (1775 Legacy Way, Columbus. 706-685-5800, nationalinfantrymuseum.org), where American Infantrymen are honored through interactive exhibits and thousands of artifacts, monuments and video presentations.
Birmingham, Alabama
Directon: West
Drive Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Over the past few years, Birmingham, aka Magic City, has built a reputation for being one of the most vibrant cities in the South. Award-winning restaurants like Hot & Hot Fish Club (2180 11th Ct. S, Birmingham. 205-933-5474, hotandhotfishclub.com) and Highlands Bar and Grill (2011 11th Ave. S, Birmingham. 205-939-1400, highlandsbarandgrill.com) have cemented its role as a culinary destination, and live music venues like The Nick Rocks (2514 10th Ave. S, Birmingham. 205-252-3831, thenickrocks.com), Tin Roof (2709 7th Ave. S, Birmingham. 205-323-4356, tinroofbirmingham.com) and The Lyric Theatre (1800 3rd Ave. N, Birmingham. 205-252-2262, lyricbham.com) bring bands and singers to town from all over the country.
On the cultural side, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (520 16th St. N, Birmingham. 205-328-9696, bcri.org) is the premier Civil Rights museum in the country, featuring many exhibits that honor moments that took place right in Birmingham in the 1950s and 1960s. Take little ones to the McWane Science Center (200 19th St. N, Birmingham. 205-714-8376, mcwane.org), where four floors of hands-on exhibits and an IMAX theater will spark wonder, or to the Birmingham Zoo (2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham. 205-879-0409, birminghamzoo.com), one of the most popular attractions in all of Alabama.
Augusta, Georgia
Directon: East
Drive Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Although it's often overshadowed by the Masters golf tournament each April, Augusta is so much more than legendary golfers in green jackets. As the second oldest city in Georgia, and one of the few major Confederate cities to survive the Civil War, Augusta has some of the oldest architecture in the region in its downtown historic district. Broad Street is a historic corridor with local restaurants like Frog Hollow Tavern (1282 Broad St., Augusta. 706-364-6906, froghollowtavern.com) serving New American cuisine, and entertainment venues like the nearly 100-year-old Imperial Theatre (749 Broad St., Augusta. 706-722-8341, imperialtheatre.com).
Over on James Brown Boulevard, don't miss the statue of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, who called Augusta home until his death in 2006. As you continue to explore downtown Augusta, you'll notice plenty of canals thanks to Augusta's industrial past. The Augusta Riverwalk (706-821-1754, augustariverwalk.com) is one of the best ways to have a close look at the historic textile mill buildings, and enjoy views of the Savannah River from multi-level walkways.
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