From Andrea Cueny’s blog:
Atlanta has a strong variety of things to do, especially to do in the outdoors in the spring time. We are so fortunate to have lovely gardens, outdoor venues, parks and other recreation sources. Whether you live in metro Atlanta or are considering relocating to Atlanta, this list will certainly peak your interest in our lovely city.
1. Atlanta Botanical Garden – Midtown Atlanta
- Atlanta Botanical Gardens
An Atlanta favorite, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens continue to delight visitors with art exhibits, dazzling flora and fauna and a delightful way to be outside. The annual tradition of the Orchid Daze happens in the spring and is an amazing display of some the world’s most rare and beautiful species of orchids.
2. The Royal Wedding at Piedmont Park – Midtown Atlanta
Friday, April 29 2011 – The Royal Wedding at Piedmont Park will celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton under a grand tent overlooking the brand new Legacy Fountain in Piedmont Park. The affair will feature live coverage of the royal nuptials from our media sponsor, WXIA.
3. Outdoor Improved Trails –Silver Comet Trail – Smyrna, GA to the Alabama state line
The Silver Comet Trail is located 13 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s free of charge, and travels west through Cobb, Paulding, and Polk counties. This quiet, non-motorized trail is for walkers, hikers, bicyclists, rollerbladers, horses, dog walkers, and is wheelchair accessible.
The Big Creek Greenway – Alpharetta
The Greenway is a 6.1-mile-long, 12-foot-wide concrete path that meanders through the woods along Big Creek, offering a place to walk, jog, inline skate and bike. The path includes additional mountain bike trails.
4. Alpharetta Children’s Festival – Alpharetta
Bring your children to the 9th Annual Alpharetta Chlidren’s Festival sponsored by the City of Alpharetta Recreation and Parks Department. Activites include arts & crafts, food, educational activities, safety tips from the Alpharetta Fire and Police Departments, demonstrations, perfomances, face painting, and more.
The festival will be held Saturday, March 26th from 11am to 3:30pm. Parking and admission are free; some activities require a nominal fee.
5. Atlanta Steeplechase – Kingston Downs
Mark your calendars for April 16, 2011 and buy a really nice (and really large) hat….check out Atlanta’s Steeplechase benefitting Camp Southern Ground and the University of Georgia Veterinary Medicine School. An Atlanta tradition since 1966, Steeplechase is a fun day full of parties, a variety of races and contests. 6. Braves Baseball Game – Downtown Atlanta
Fun for the baseball enthusiast or for the first-time attendee, watching the Braves live in person at Turner Field is a must-do in Atlanta. Opening day for the Atlanta Braves is Friday, April 8, 2011.
7. Take a Garden Tour – metro Atlanta
There are many home and garden tours in metro Atlanta every spring. Check out these if you get the chance:
Kennesaw Mountain Spring Wildflower Walk in Kennesaw – March 30, April 2, April 9
Buckhead in Bloom Garden Tour in Buckhead- April 15, 2011
Decorator’s Show House & Gardens in Buckhead – April 16 – May 8, 2011
Druid Hills Home & Garden Tour in Druid Hills (Atlanta) – April 29 – May 1
Peachtree Battle House and Garden Tour in Buckhead – May 4, 2011
Keep Smyrna Beautiful Garden Tour in Smyrna- May 14
Artful Garden Tour usually in Buckhead and Midtown – sponsored by the High Museum of Art – usually the third weekend in May
American Hydrangea Society Garden Tour – June 11
8. Take a tour of Historic Oakland Cemetery – Downtown Atlanta
During the 19th Century, the “rural garden” cemetery movement emerged as an alternative to crowded graveyards. Oakland exemplifies this movement. In the Victorian spirit, the garden cemetery featured winding paths, large shade trees, flowers, and shrubs, and appealing vistas.Impressive art and architecture can be seen in many styles: Victorian, Greek Revival, Gothic, Neo-classical, Egyptian and Exotic Revival.
Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African American mayor, and Ivan Allen, Jr. became the 26th and 27th mayors of the city to be buried at Oakland, joining six Georgia governors. Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind, is also buried here. So are golf great Robert T. (Bobby) Jones; Joel Hurt, one of the city’s leading developers and entrepreneurs; Atlanta historian Franklin Garrett, Bishop Wesley John Gaines, founder of Morris Brown College and many more noteworthy citizens are buried in Oakland Cemetery.
9. Canoe the Chattahoochee – Sandy Springs and other places
The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) consists of a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River and 14 land units along its corridor. It begins at Lake Lanier’s Buford Dam, near Buford, Georgia, and continues downstream through four counties to Peachtree Creek near downtown Atlanta. CRNRA provides outdoor recreation for more than 3 million visitors a year.
There are many hiking trails, running paths and nature centers along the Chattahoochee. A fun thing to do in metro Atlanta is to rent a kayak or canoe in Sandy Springs and row around a bit on the river. In North Georgia, there are many outfitter companies that rent tubes and other rafts so you can “Shoot the Hooch”.
10. Fernbank Science Center Forest – Decatur
Visitors to Fernbank Forest can observe firsthand the beauty of forest land as early explorers and southern Native Americans would have done hundreds of years ago. Trees, shrubs, wildflowers and ferns are labeled so these plants can readily be identified. Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, birds, turtles and snakes live undisturbed in their natural environment. A small pond teems with aquatic life.