Atlanta

For as long as Atlanta has been a city, its founders have done a bang-up job at promoting the area as a land of opportunity, from the prewar days when it was a bustling rail center to the years after the war, when locals rebuilt Atlanta into a booming metropolitan area and state capital, eventually to become an international hub for all manner of Fortune 500 businesses. The birthplace of 24-hour news giant CNN and headquarters for Delta Airlines has called itself everything from “The Capital of the New South” to “The City Too Busy to Hate.” Billboards—including enormous futuristic video signs—and modern skyscrapers abound in this city where creep-and-crawl traffic is the norm. But if you look past the city’s knack for brassy self-promotion, you’ll find a history-rich destination full of charming neighborhoods, lush green parks, splurge-worthy shopping and major points of civic pride, among them a multimillion-dollar aquarium and stunning buildings designed by world-class architects such as Renzo Piano. Atlanta also has a vibrant, varied restaurant scene. From nationally acclaimed burger joints to authentic ethnic food of all varieties to temples of haute cuisine, this city has it all when it comes to dining. Visitors will want to enjoy a traditional Southern “meat and three” spread (referring to, for instance, a platter of fried chicken with a choice of three sides); for a more international experience, bring those taste buds to the Vietnamese, Korean and Mexican restaurants that line Buford Highway. And if you’re hoping to see tourist attractions such as CNN Center, stay in the heart of Downtown or Midtown. Traffic can be a bear in Atlanta, depending on the time of day, so ditch your car and walk when you can. You might just run across another variety of Atlanta’s most famous attractions: its friendly, charming residents who will be more than happy to show you around. South’s most dynamic city.