A Few Georgia Cities
- Northwest -- Ridge and Valley
- Rome
- Located where the Etowah and Oostanaula
Rivers join to form the Coosa River, Rome seems to
have attained an awkward age and size. It's too big
for a country town, but too small for a big city.
Rome hosts Berry and Shorter Colleges. Lying among
wooded ridges, Rome has well-preserved old houses
and scenic neighborhoods, but with a
paper mill close by it's not a fragrant place when
wind is from the west. Romans call it "the smell of
money."
- Dalton
- The Carpet Capital
- Cartersville
- In danger of being suburbanized by Atlanta.
- Northeast and Central -- Blue Ridge and Piedmont
- Atlanta
- Georgia's capital and largest city. Venue of the 1996
Summer Olympics.
A relentlessly commercial place,
Atlanta long promoted itself as the New York City of
the South, demonstrating the adage that you should be
careful what you ask for because you might get it!
Atlanta still has gorgeous spring flowers,
lovely neighborhoods (if they haven't been paved,
strip-malled, or condo-ed), and an engorgement of
restaurants. Founded in the 1830's near the
Chattahoochee River at
a major trail junction, Atlanta grew on transportation and
commerce. I-75, I-85, and I-20 intersect in Atlanta; the
airport is one of the nation's busiest.
Atlanta is home to Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines. I have heard that
"It doesn't matter whether you're going to Heaven or Hell;
either way, you'll have to change planes in Atlanta!"
- Athens
- About 70 miles east-northeast of Atlanta, Athens is the
home of the University of Georgia, the Georgia Botanical
Garden, numerous bars, and R.E.M.
- South -- Coastal Plain
- Columbus
- Located at the natural northward limit of navigation
on the Chattahoochee River, Columbus is one of three
major Georgia Cities that grew where the Fall Line
interrupts river travel. Home of Fort Benning,
site of U.S. Army Airborne training.
- Macon
- Located where the Ocmulgee River crosses the Fall Line,
Macon also sits astride I-75, a main route to Florida.
Famous for cherry trees and Mercer University.
- Augusta
- Georgia's third major Fall Line city, Augusta grew
where the Savannah River crosses the Fall Line.
Home of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National.
- Savannah
- Georgia's largest port, Savannah has some of the state's
oldest houses, largest oak trees, best restaurants, and
poorest residents.
Sharing an 18th-century seedy elegance with
Charleston and New Orleans, Savannah has found recent
national fame through John Berendt's Midnight
in the Garden of Good and Evil.