Lithia Springs, GA Outdoor Activities

Since banding together in 1979, the historians at Atlanta Preservation Center have helped ward off packs of angry bulldozers from more than 175 endangered buildings. Working alongside local government, businesses, and community leaders, the preservation team has saved elaborate structures including the Peters House and Winecoff Hotel. In addition, its headquarters—the 1856 Grant Mansion in Grant Park—is one of just two antebellum houses left in Atlanta and the team is currently working to restore the building to its architecturally accurate origins. When it isn’t keeping delicate treasures from crumbling, the Atlanta Preservation Center leads walking tours of historic districts and tells embarrassing stories from the days when the city’s buildings were just a bunch of baby bricks.

It didn't take long for the Atlanta Dream to establish themselves as one of the WNBA's premier organizations. The team played their first game in 2008. The Dream made their first playoff appearance a year later and captured back-to-back conference titles in the following seasons. In establishing that winning tradition, the Dream also instituted a fast-paced style of play that consistently lands them at or near the top of league in scoring and breaking the sound barrier. Of course, it doesn't hurt to feature some of the world's top players, a fact backed up when two Dream players were invited to represent their home countries in London last summer.

Aboard their luxury buses, vans, or motor coaches, the guides at Atlanta Sightseeing Bus Tours immerse locals and visitors alike in the rich history, culture, and architecture of the Greater Atlanta area. As tours trundle past sites including the Atlanta White House, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and the Margaret Mitchell House, tour guides passionate about the region and its myriad anecdotes relay interesting tidbits about historic locales such as the Fox Theatre and Centennial Olympic Park, the site of the three-legged race finals at the 1996 Olympics. During the five-hour voyage, passengers can take pictures, stretch their legs at hand-picked stops, and take in sweeping views of the Atlanta skyline and Appalachian Mountains from 825 feet up in the Skyride swiss cable car at Stone Mountain.

The history of today's Atlanta Braves traces back to 1876 in Boston, where the team played as the Red Stockings. In the more than 100 years since, the club lived like a nomadic tribe, claiming two World Series titles in separate cities before finally landing in Atlanta in 1966. There, they found reason to settle down, winning an unprecedented 14 consecutive division titles, as well as another World Series in 1995. Throughout the years, many of baseball's all-time greats have donned the Braves uniform, including Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Cy Young. Opened in 1997, Turner Field serves as the club's home turf, relaying the action on a 29'x38' BravesVision video board as a 27' neon tomahawk menaces visiting players and vegetables alike.

The Hawks migrated to Atlanta from St. Louis for the 1968–69 season and have since become a venerated local institution. Though the Atlanta club has never claimed an NBA title, they've appeared in the playoffs 27 times since 1969, stamping their punchcard frequently enough to receive free hot dogs for the whole team during their next postseason appearance. Since 1999, the Hawks have perched in the rafters of Philips Arena, where more than 18,000 fans cheer them to victory in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division.

The Atlanta Chef's Expo plates up a citywide taste test, showcasing local culinary artists while raising proceeds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Throughout the event, chefs from area eateries including Baraonda, Thrive, and Clement Catering Co. sling edible specialties from one of four neighborhood-themed divisions, including Restaurant Row, the Sugar Shack, and Catering Alley, where food is delivered hot and garages are built from soup crackers. Emmy-nominated television personality Holly Firfer and food blogger Broderick Smylie dish out awards with a panel of judges, and cooking demos from such celebrity chefs as Scott Serpas and Joe Arvin reveal professional methods and tricks of the trade. The beats of DJ Joel Rabe of Lethal Rhythms Entertainment punctuate the event, adding rhythm to exploratory bites and attempts to translate satisfied "mmm"s into English.