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| Atlanta About 55 streets have the word Peachtree in their names, and other telling signposts like Peachtree Plaza, Peachtree School and Peachtree Playhouse relentlessly remind you you're driving through Atlanta. It may be the core of the Deep South, but Atlanta doesn't fit the mold, gleaming with skyscrapers and animated by rushing - not leisurely - kings and queens of industry navigating the downtown business district. Georgia's fast-growing state capital is undeniably the New South. The world headquarters of CNN and a global transportation hub, Atlanta is as up-to-date as a city gets. Suggested Driving Tour
DAY 1 High Museum of Art Georgian Terrace Hotel DAY 2 Little Five Points Paradise Gardens Park & Museum
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High Museum of Art Nostalgic Gone with the Wind fans may fancy the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum, but modern thinkers will prefer architect Richard Meier's stunningly designed High Museum of Art. In midtown Atlanta on (what else?) Peachtree Street, it's easy to find, just off I-85. A new High will debut in 2005, when an expansion project is completed to accommodate the escalating collection of contemporary art, decorative art and European paintings dating back to the Renaissance. Current highlights include a Monet, a bizarre Howard Finster and a Chuck Close portrait of Elton John. 1280 Peachtree Street, (407) 733-4550. CLICK HERE FOR A MAP 
Georgian Terrace Hotel Breaks are compulsory after a museum visit, and there's no better place to take one than one mile south (on Peachtree Street) at the Georgian Terrace. After lunch, light fare is served all afternoon at the Savoy Bar & Grill in the plush lobby. Circa 1911 and on the National Register of Historic Places, the Georgian Terrace recently got a deluxe facelift. As opulent now as when Charles Lindbergh, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Rudolph Valentino graced the premises, the landmark's modern amenities include in-room data ports, microwave ovens and a state-of-the-art fitness club. You may be tempted to bed here for the night since it's also near the amazing Botanical Gardens and bucolic Piedmont Park. 659 Peachtree Street NE, (404) 897-1991. CLICK HERE FOR A MAP
Little Five Points A cross between Greenwich Village and the French Quarter, Little Five Points is a colorful mix of art, shopping, live music, theater and commerce. Midtown Atlanta is heavily built up, so this is an off-the-beaten path alternative that is still within easy reach, about three miles east of downtown at the intersection of Moreland, Euclid and McLendon. Cool cats are moving in and embarking on loft conversions, always a sign of revitalization. Services like auto repair and organic markets are close at hand, as is a bit of history, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. Called "L5P" by locals, it's a magnet for punk, funk and indie types, with a thriving nightlife and good eats galore. CLICK HERE FOR A MAP
Paradise Gardens Park & Museum For a fascinating day trip, take Highway 75 north to Summerville, roughly 90 miles from downtown Atlanta, to explore the whimsical gardens created by Howard Finster, Georgia's most famous folk artist. The idiosyncratic, four-acre environment—where he worked until his death in 2001—is a maze of mosaic walkways and sculptures built of bicycle chains, mirrors, broken glass, ceramics, antiques, marbles and hubcaps. Finster had an ingenious imagination and distinctive eye for decoration, and gained widespread fame for his R.E.M. and Talking Heads album covers. The property also features a folk art chapel and art gallery, and a little house built of bottles. 42 Knox Street, Summerville, GA. CLICK HERE FOR A MAP
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