Perfect 3 Day Itinerary-Atlanta

We recently had the opportunity to spend 3 days in Atlanta. If you know me, you know that I like to see and do as much as I can when we visit places. That is exactly what we did on this trip! There was so much more to see and do too, just not enough time!

Day 1 – Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain

Our first stop was to check out Stone Mountain. I had no idea this even existed until I started researching Georgia! It is a massive carving of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Stone Mountain Park has so many different things to offer. In front of the carving, there is a huge grassy field to play in or sit on to view the laser shows. We had hoped to stick around for the laser show, but our crew was pretty grumpy and running on fumes. Attractions to see include a skyride, farmyard, water towers to climb on, miniature golf, train to ride, Megabugs, Rockin’ Land and Lake Tour, Skyhike, camping and lodging! There is also a mile long hike up the back side of the mountain. This park is gigantic – 3200 acres! There are also playgrounds, hiking/running trails, and a multitude of seasonal activites. If you visit, be sure to check out the park attraction passes to get the most bang for your buck. Parking is free. Even if you are on a strict budget, there is plenty to do and see here without buying an attraction pass.

Day 2 – World of Coke, Georgia Aquarium, Civil Rights Museum

World of Coca-Cola Museum

I’m going to be honest here and tell you that I wasn’t sure how much my kids would actually enjoy the museum part of the World of Coca-Cola Museum. We had told them that there was more than 100 different flavors of sodas they were going to be able to try and they were very excited for that. Once we got into the museum, I knew they would love it! The first stop into the museum is where everyone gets there own can of Coke! The boys were ecstatic over this, we don’t usually allow much soda around the house. There is a secret vault where you try and figure out the right combination of the elements that go into the recipe. We got to meet and take a picture with the Coca-Cola Bear. This museum was very hands on with tons of activities for the kids. We could’ve honestly spent the entire day here. We watched a 4D movie and sampled more than I can count out of the 100+ beverages! Come thirsty! The gift shop was huge and had a variety of fun souvenirs!

We parked in the parking garage that gives access to this museum, the Civil Rights Museum, and the World of Coca-Cola Museum. We had read that if you get your parking ticket stamped in the Aquarium there was a discount on parking, but of course we forgot until it was too late! There is also a Georgia City Pass if you are looking at doing multiple attractions, we didn’t find we would save any money with it since we were only there for a short time. Also, important note … we chose to visit this museum and the aquarium on a Monday so it wasn’t very busy at all. I had read that the museum especially gets very busy on the weekends.

Georgia Aquarium

This aquarium is by far our favorite! And we have been to quite a few museums. We didn’t even get a chance to see everything it had to offer. If you go, make sure you do at least these three things:

1. Sit in awe and amazement watching the Whale Sharks and gigantic manta rays swim by. Make sure you pick up the chart that shows pictures and names all the animals in the huge tank.

2. See the Dolphin Show-by far the best dolphin show I’ve ever seen!

3. See the Sea Lion Show. It is such a funny show! My kids were laughing and entertained the entire time!

The Georgia Aquarium has so much to offer. There are interactive places to get your hands wet. There are plenty of exhibits to keep you busy. We would definitely visit again next time we are in Atlanta!

Civil Rights Museum

We didn’t stop at this museum since we felt our kids were maybe too young for this (and we didn’t have time). But, I wanted you to know that it is in the same center as the Aquarium and the Coca-Cola Museum if you wanted to make time to visit.

Lunch Places

In between the Aquarium and the Museum, we walked over to Johnny Rockets nearby for lunch. Our boys loved the food and had so much fun playing songs on the Juke box. If Johnny Rockets isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other choices to stop at like Baja Fresh, Waffle House, Subway, and Chick Fil’a all within walking distance.

The aquarium and museum are located just across the street from Centennial Olympic Park. We would have made this a priority to stop at if we had more time.

Day 3 – Toccoa Falls, Minnehaha Falls

Toccoa Falls

We knew we wanted to visit a waterfall or two when we visited Atlanta since there were so many so close to the city. We started researching which waterfalls are best for kids and which were closest to Atlanta. We decided to visit Toccoa Falls first, but swimming isn’t allowed at the base of these falls. These falls are located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. These falls are 186 feet tall. There is a small admission fee, our family cost $6 to get in. Parking is free. From the parking lot to the waterfalls, it is just a short walk along a small creek.

After Toccoa Falls, we picked up some food in Toccoa and drove to a nearby park to eat lunch. Turns out the park had a small creek running through it and a small waterfalls as well! We stopped at Henderson Falls Park to eat.

Minnehaha Falls

Because swimming wasn’t allowed at Toccoa Falls and our boys are very much get in the water kind of boys, we knew we needed to find another set of waterfalls that they could actually play in. We chose Minnehaha Falls. These waterfalls did not disappoint at all! It was an interesting 5 mile drive off the main road on a dirt road that was winding through the hills. Once we got near the falls, we drove alongside Lake Raybun. Parts of the road were so narrow that two cars barely could fit! Luckily it isn’t very busy, but just be cautious and drive slow. Parking is also pretty limited. There is a set up stairs that you climb up to start the hike to the falls. It really isn’t a long hike to these falls either. Make sure you pack some watershoes if you plan on going in the water. The rocks were very slippery in places. It didn’t stop the boys from climbing around the falls, but it did make me nervous! If you read on other websites, they don’t recommend getting into the water here. I really think it depends on the time of year you visit. We visited in September at the end of summer and the falls were not nearly as full and fast flowing as other pictures I have seen.

If you continue on the hiking path, it actually takes you to the top of the waterfalls. The water is a bit chilly, but as you can see the boys didn’t mind that either! I would pack some more towels if we visited again.

Atlanta is an amazing city that I fell in love with over this weekend. I had no idea it was so beautiful and so close to the mountains, lakes, and waterfalls! If you haven’t visited this city, put it on your bucket list and visit sometime!