Georgia

Mountains, Marshes and Everything Between

The Blue Ridge Mountains crown the state's northern edge with misty peaks and waterfall-laced trails perfect for hikers and leaf-peepers alike. Ambling south, the landscape opens into the fertile farmlands that gave Georgia its peachy reputation, before giving way to the extraordinary Okefenokee Swamp -- a blackwater wilderness teeming with alligators, herons, and ancient cypress draped in Spanish moss. Georgia packs more ecological variety into its borders than most travellers expect.

Savannah: A City Frozen Beautifully in Time

No visit to Georgia is complete without lingering in Savannah, one of America's most photogenic cities. Twenty-two verdant squares punctuate a grid of cobblestoned streets lined with antebellum mansions dripping in wisteria. The waterfront Factor's Walk buzzes with restaurants and galleries, while ghost tours weave through centuries of history after dark. Savannah earns its reputation as one of the American South's most captivating destinations entirely on its own merits.

Food, Music and a Culture All Its Own

Georgia's culinary identity runs deep -- from smoky pulled pork and buttery biscuits to the farm-to-table restaurants reinventing Southern cooking in Atlanta's Westside and Ponce City Market. The state gave the world Ray Charles, Otis Redding, and REM, and that musical spirit lingers in juke joints, live music venues, and the storied stages of Athens, Georgia's college-town capital of indie rock. Come hungry, come curious, and come ready to stay longer than planned.