The Face of a Mountain Over half a century in the making, Stone Mountain's neoclassic carving--feet high and 190 feet wide--is the world's largest bas-relief sculpture. Originally conceived by Gutzon Borglum, it depicts Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson galloping on horseback throughout eternity. Borglum started work on the mountain sculpture in 1923; after 10 years he abandoned it, due to insurmountable technical problems and rifts with its sponsors. (He went on to South Dakota, where he gained fame carving Mount Rushmore.) No sign of his work remains at Stone Mountain, but it was his vision that inspired the project. Augustus Lukeman took over in 1925, but three years later, with the work still far from complete, the family that owned the mountain lost patiencpatience and reclaimed the property. It wasn't until 1963, after the state purchased the mountain and surrounding property for a park, that work resumed under Walter Kirtland Hancock and Roy Faulkner. It was completed in 1970.

Although the best view of the mountain is from below, the vistas from the top are spectacular. Visitors who are part mountain goat can take a walking trail up and down its moss-covered slopes, especially lovely in spring when they're blanketed in wildflowers. From the top, which you can also reach by Swiss cable car, you have an incredible view of Atlanta and the Appalachian Mountains. (The best plan is to take the cable car up, then walk back down.) A highlight at Stone Mountain is Lasershow, a spectacular display of laser lights and fireworks with animation and music. The brilliant laser beams are projected on the mountain's north face, a natural one million-square-foot screen. The show begins in April, Friday and Saturday at 9pm; it can be seen Friday to Sunday in early May; late May through Labor Day it can be seen nightly at 9:30pm; then it resumes its Friday-to-Saturday schedule through October. Bring a picnic supper and arrive early to get a good spot on the lawn at the base of the mountain. New to the park is theDiscovering Stone Mountain Museum, and it's a good idea to stop here first to get some perspective on the mountain's history. Exhibits take you through an intriguing chronological journey from the area's past into its present.

Other major park attractions include the Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad, which chugs around the 5-mile base of Stone Mountain. The ride takes 25 minutes. Trains depart from Railroad Depot, an old-fashioned train station. There's a restaurant at the depot with all the fixings for a fried chicken picnic, just in case you forgot to bring your own.

The Scarlett O'Hara, a paddlewheel riverboat, cruises the 363-acre Stone Mountain Lake.

The Antique Car and Treasure Museum is a jumble of old radios, jukeboxes, working nickelodeons, pianos, Lionel trains, carousel horses, and clocks along with classic cars.

Wildlife enthusiasts might enjoy the Wildlife Preserve and Petting Zoo, managed by Zoo Atlanta. Animals native to Georgia, such as cougar, otter, elk, bobcat, coyote, fox, and prairie dogs live in the 20-acre preserve. The petting zoo allows kids to get up close and personal with domesticated animals, including pigs and goats.

The 19-building Antebellum Plantation offers self-guided tours assisted by hosts in period dress at each structure. Highlights include an authentic 1830s country store; the 1845 Kingston House (it represents a typical overseer's house); the clapboard slave cabins; the 1790s Thornton House, elegant home of a large landowner; the smokehouse and well; a doctor's office; a barn, a coach house, and crop-storage cribs; a necessary; a cook house; and the 1850 neoclassical Tara-like Dickey House. The grounds also contain formal gardens and a kitchen garden. It takes at least an hour to tour the entire complex. Often (especially in summer), there are crafts and cooking demonstrations, medicine shows, storytellers, and balladeers on the premises. You can even take a 20-minute horse-drawn carriage ride around the area ($5 for adults, $3 for children 3 to 11; free for children under 3).

Additional activities: golf (on a top-rated 36-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones and John LaFoy), miniature golf, 15 tennis courts, a sizable stretch of sandy lakefront beach with wonderful water slides, carillon concerts, boating (rowboats, canoes, sailboats, and paddleboats), bicycle rental, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and more.

Stone Mountain is one of the most beautiful parks in the nation. Consider spending a few days of your trip here; it's a great place for a romantic getaway or a family vacation. If you can only spare a day, it's an easy drive (about 30 minutes) from downtown.