If one word was used to describe the majority of Georgians, it might be hospitable. And there's  even a designated highway to prove it.

It doesn’t matter who you are, some kind of adventure awaits you along the “Hospitality Highway.”

Scenic GA 400 — which begins just north of the city in Buckhead and runs up to Dahlonega in the north Georgia mountains — has become more than just your everyday thoroughfare. In 2007 the state legislature selected the road to be the state’s “Hospitality Highway,” since it represents some of the best Georgia has to offer in geographic diversity and interest. Communities are conntected by the highway include Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming/Forsyth, Dawsonville and Dahlonega.

The highway is a virtual smorgasbord of adventure; from the cultural refinement of award-winning restaurants, museums and boutiques to the natural beauty of parks, lakes, rivers, forests, waterfalls, campgrounds and vineyards. You’ll find no end of things to do, see, eat and experience.

In Buckhead, you can shop till you drop at the upscale Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls. Once the sun goes down, the music gets turned up at several area bars and lounges.

Tackle some outdoor adventure on the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs. Roswell’s historic district is a well-preserved peek into the past, and if you’re really brave, go on a ghost hunt at the infamous mill.

In Alpharetta antique lovers will thrill at the finds, and wannabe chefs might run into Paula Deen at Publix Apron’s Cooking School. Go boating on Lake Sidney Lanier or take in the Atlanta skyline from the Indian Seats at the Sawnee Mountain Preserve in Cumming/Forsyth.

In Dawsonville you might want to visit the kangaroo preserve or see the highest falls east of the Mississippi. Finally, wind down with some merlot in Dahlonega, Georgia’s very own wine country.

The region's chambers of commerce and visitor’s bureaus coordinate events throughout the year by the year, including 2009’s first Hospitality Highway Century bike race, which is set to be an annual event.

 

- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Christine Foster

Christine is a freelance writer currently living in North Atlanta. She has worked as a reporter for numerous newspaper, magazine and online media companies, including the Florida Keys Keynoter and The Sunday Paper in Atlanta. When she's not working Christine enjoys baking and antiquing.