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Atlanta is one big, sprawling, Grande Dame of a city, including all or parts of Campbell, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Milton and Rockdale counties. This is one place that was never destined to remain small. Founded in 1837, the city thrived as a major Southern arsenal, a center of domestic and military transportation - which made it a primary target of the federal government during the Civil War. Most of the city was burned - only about 400 of nearly 4,000 buildings survived Sherman's assault - and over 10,000 people were killed in the Battle of Atlanta. This city, however, could not be kept down. It became the center for southern restoration as well as the meeting place of several railroads (and later, airlines). In 1868 Atlanta became the capital of the State of Georgia.

Margaret Mitchell's epic novel, Gone With the Wind, was set in Atlanta, capturing the essence of the Antebellum South. You'll encounter frequent references to Wind all over town, so you might want to brush up a bit before you arrive. Mitchell's house is open for tours.

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was a native son, born here in 1929. Sweet Auburn is now a National Historic Site, and includes his birthplace, church, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Other unique sites of interest are the CNN Studios and the birthplace of Coca-Cola, "the World's most popular product." Along with several other Fortune 500 companies, nearly 400,000 people call Atlanta home. Why don't y'all come on down and visit this sweet-as-a-peach Southern Belle?