If you are dying to take a vacation but do not have a full week, consider a great long weekend getaway with a brief plane ride to one of the numerous destinations Michigan and Georgia must offer. If you drive from Atlanta, Georgia to Grand Rapids, Michigan, it will take you about 12 hours over 800 miles each way, so factor in the price of three meals and possibly a few extra nights in a hotel room when weighing whether to drive or fly.
When flying between these two destinations, you can get a cheap non-stop flight that will take around 2 hours each way, leaving you plenty of time to explore. Whereas Grand Rapids is the gateway to many tourist attractions throughout the Great Lakes region, you can save money flying in and out of Detroit, which is also roughly 2 hours from Atlanta. Both states have much more to do, see, taste, and listen to than you can wrap up in a weekend, but here’s a brief list to get you started.
Attractions Throughout Michigan
While Detroit has become Michigan’s rotating core industrial economy, it also played a central role in the production of the iconic Motown musical. From charming parks and conservatories to museums chronicling some of the movements integral to American history, greater Detroit is host to so many attractions you could easily spend your entire weekend within city limits.
After the numerous accolades for cars that encourage you to drive out of Motor City, there’s plenty to do even further inland via Ann Arbor and Lansing. There is so much to do here, they’ve their own so called wish list LAN150; start your stay by taking in the beauty of the fully restored State Capitol Building or stretching your legs on the scenic Lansing River Trail.
If outdoor adventures are more your style, focus on Western and Northern Michigan, from Grand Rapids to the area beyond Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan boasts hundreds of miles of waterfront scenery along Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior and thousands of acres of state and national parks. Michigan has rich history of Native Americansit’s still home to many federally recognized tribes and holy lands.
Attractions Throughout Georgia
The land that became Georgia also has quite a lot of Native American history, but as one of the 13 original states in the Union, Georgia also full of historic sites and well preserved architecture. Top that off with the amazing mountain views of the Appalachian mountains that crisscross the northwestern counties, and you could easily spend not one but a hundred weekends exploring all that Georgia has to offer.
North Atlanta is a mountain attraction, which is particularly popular in autumn; ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway or drive on one of the area’s many scenic highways. Move south of Atlanta and into the interior, be prepared for that explore Henry County, Georgia as you enter the heart of grape and peach country.
As you head closer to the coast, be sure Savannah is in front of your eyes; from historical sites and architecture to shopping and charming parks, there’s so much to enjoy, you might choose to come back time and time again. Along Georgia’s shoreline, you will find historic lighthouses, pristine breezy beaches and a few charming islands that will steal your heart.
No matter what state you choose to explore, you will find so much to see and do this you will likely start planning your next short trip on the plane home.
