I will be in Atlanta for 2-3 days in early January. We will be staying at an airport hotel ( husband's business trip.) I will have plenty of free time to see the sights. Should I rent a car or does Atlanta have a good metro system? What are Atlanta's highlights (I do not like shopping.)

THANKS

You will want a car. Sites include the Louvre exhibit at the High Museum of Art, the Aquarium, the Auburn Avenue area with the MLK Center and Ebeneezer Church, the Carlos Museum at Emory, the Botanical Garden's indoor areas, CNN Center tour, Atlanta History Center...

You can also visit Martin Luther King's house memorial, Coca-cola center, Olympic Village, Cyclorama, Stone mountain.

I had not a car when I was there, but I took two day tours.

The Margaret Mitchell House is very interesting--not too far a walk from MARTA.

The website for the metro is itsmarta.com. For the trains, there are 30 to 40 miles of track so it does not go everywhere that you might want to go.

There is a new aquarium that is relatively large (if that interests you).

Some relics from the Titanic are on temporary display. There are museums at the High (midtown) and Emory University. Coca-cola is relocating their corporate museum 'the world of coke'. It may not be open yet. There is something called the Atlanta History Center. There are a few small Civil War museums in the metro area.

In all honesty, Atlanta has few if any world class attractions. Does the tallest hotel in the US count?

(Note: according the US government, Atlantans spend more of their time commuting (mostly in their personal cars) than any other city in the country. You might feel it necessary to rent a car but it is up to you.)

Thanks for the replies. What about a scenic drive? My AAA map shows highway 515 all the way up into Tennessee to be a scenic byway. I do not mind spending a whole day of sightseeing driving (if the weather is good.) What about a trip to Athens, is it an interesting college town? Or maybe somewhere along Hwy 20 into Alabama? (A few months ago I was in the Cincinnati area and enjoyed driving south to Lexington along country roads, I do get a kick out of seeing small towns....)

Definitely drive out to Madison, GA - one of the prettiest antebellum towns in the South. If you are lucky, ira (from Europe board) may invite you to a glass of iced tea on his front porch.

If you want to make a real driving trip for a day, continue north to Clayton GA on 441 and enjoy some mountains. Stop by Tallulah Gorge. Then head west on 76 to 197 and then head south to Clarksville. Stop by the Mark of the Potter on the way down. That drive (76W, 197S) is one of the prettiest drives in the state - IMO anyway.

Ga hwy 60 from Dahlonega north to Morganton/Blueridge. There are others (of course).