If You Have 1 Day--Head up to Buckhead and visit the Atlanta History Center. It will give you a good overview of the city's history and make the rest of your visit a richer experience. Especially noteworthy at the center is a tour of the Tullie Smith Farm, once an authentic, antebellum working plantation (and decidedly un-Tara-like) that was moved here from outside Atlanta. Have lunch at one of the many upscale Buckhead restaurants, then take a drive through the lovely surrounding neighborhoods. In the afternoon, head downtown for a tour of the CNN studios, then walk across the street to Centennial Olympic Park, the gathering place during the Olympic Games. Early in the evening, visit the shops and galleries in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood, then have dinner at one of the many restaurants there. Later, have a nightcap in a cafe or bar along North Highland Avenue.

If You Have 2 Days--Follow the suggestions above on the first day. On the second day, get up early, go over to Auburn Avenue (see the walking tour in chapter 8), and visit the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site and surrounding neighborhood. In the afternoon, head over to Grant Park and see Atlanta Cyclorama and/or visit the pandas at Zoo Atlanta. If you have time, head to Underground Atlanta and take a tour of World of Coca-Cola.

If You Have 3 Days--On your first 2 days, see as many of the sights described above as a comfortable pace allows. If the weather is nice on the morning of your last day, nothing could be better than spending a day at Georgia's Stone Mountain Park and its new feature Crossroads, a re-created 1870s Southern town. In summer, be sure to stay late and see the laser show.

If it's cold or rainy, plan a morning tour of the Carter Library and Museum, then take in the Margaret Mitchell House. If you're traveling with kids, spend the day at the Center for Puppetry Arts or the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

If You Have 4 Days or More--Take it easy. Over the first 4 days, juggle the above suggestions as you see fit. On the fifth day, if you have children in tow, tour Turner Field or take them to the children's garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Civil War buffs should take in the Kennesaw Civil War Museum and Kennesaw Mountain/National Battlefield Park (both can be done in 1 day). If none of the above interests you, take in the latest exhibition at the High Museum of Art, then stroll through Oakland Cemetery in the afternoon.