What are the must sees in Atlanta and where to stay?

We could be more helpful if you gave us a little idea about the kinds of things you like to do, and what your hotel budget is.

If you go to the destinations section of this website, you can find sample three, five and seven day itineraries.

Stone Mountain!! We went there not expecting much and were blown away by it.

Georgia Aquarium, Stone Mountain (if you close your eyes when going past all the "amusement park" junk, CNN, Cyclorama. Avoid the World of Coke and Atlanta Underground. Enjoy some of the excellent restaurants Atlanta has to offer; it doesn't take much money to have some great dining in this city.

1. Georgia Aquarium (unbelieveable!)
2. Centennial Olympic Park / CNN Center
3. Stone Mountain Park (more than a big rock!)
4. High Museum of Art-Louvre Exchange
5. Midtown / Piedmont Park / Va-High / L5P (the "real" Atlanta)
6. City of Decatur (very hip, young, popular suburb on the east MARTA subway line with an awesome downtown square scene)
7. Driving tours of Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead or Ponce de Leon Avenue in Druid Hills / Emory U. area to see the city's most lavish residential neighborhoods and palatial mansions.
8. For shopping, Atlantic Station in West Midtown, a hugely successful urban renewal project that turned a decript steel mill into another "downtown" home to 20,000 residents and the southeast's only IKEA. And of course, the Lenox Square-Phipps Plaza, Permimeter Mall and Mall of Georgia shopping districts remain huge draws.
9. For Old South charm and Civil War lore, visit the thriving and historic town squares in Marietta and Roswell.
10. For peace and quiet in the midst of a booming metropolis of nearly 5 million people, discover the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, accessible along the Cobb-Fulton County border from Vinings north to Roswell. The din of the city is drowned out by the gentle rush of the river along 20-plus miles of falls and shoals, most of it accessible by running and walking trails.