You've done all the things. Made the big move. Set up your utilities. Unpacked all of the boxes. Settled into your beautiful new home in metro Atlanta. And boy, could you use a vacation! Of course, your finances are probably tapped out and the thought of traveling a long distance any time soon to get some much needed R&R makes you want to go hide under the bed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a much needed and well-deserved getaway. In fact, thanks to the many options and offerings in Atlanta and its surrounding communities, especially during the gorgeous fall season, your family can create a staycation experience that will entertain you while allowing you to feel like you’ve gotten away from it all. Whatever your family’s personality, there’s an ideal staycation spot (or spots) just for you.

The Mountains are Calling

City living may have drawn you to Atlanta, but it’s always nice to get out there and surround yourself with nature. Fortunately, the mountains are calling each and every day in the ATL, thanks in large part to the metro area’s close proximity to the North Georgia Mountains. Within a couple of hours’ drive, you can be fully immersed in the beauty of the foothills and the majesty of major peaks—which are splashed with spectacular fall colors this time of year. State parks like Tallulah Gorge (whitewater paddling is a must) and Amicalola Falls (home to Georgia’s tallest waterfall) provide the perfect backdrop for hiking, picnicking and more. And as you travel north to explore, you can stop at any number of charming small towns, including Ellijay (known for its apple picking), Dahlonega (for a gold mining adventure) and Helen (which looks and feels just like a Bavarian village).

Lake Living

Did you know that our fair city is less than an hour from Georgia Lake Country? A region in central Georgia that is home to two awe-inspiring man-made lakes (Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair) and four charming towns (Eatonton, Milledgeville, Madison and Greensboro), Georgia Lake Country makes you feel like you’re hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of fast-paced city life when it’s less than 25 miles from the center of it all. Of course, if you enjoy the lake experience and want to be even closer to home, you can head out to Lake Lanier (which spans portions of five northeast Georgia counties and hosts the Lake Lanier Oktoberfest each year) or Lake Allatoona (which mainly sits in Cherokee County but dips into Bartow and Cobb and offers a great way to view the area’s fall foliage) or one of the many smaller community lakes around town. Boat, fish and have some fun during a truly relaxing staycation.

Theater Kids

A theater weekend in NYC should be on everyone’s bucket list, but if you can’t make it to the Big Apple right now, then Atlanta is an excellent alternative. Start at the Fox Theatre, home to some of Broadway’s biggest hits every year; this historic Midtown Atlanta venue is as beautiful as it is entertaining, and there’s no experience like it. Of course, not far away is the Woodruff Arts Center, which features The Alliance Theatre and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. But that’s not all. The Center Stage Theater, the Buckhead Theatre, the Stage Door Theatre, the Rialto Center for the Arts and the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre ensure that you can catch a live performance of nearly every kind all across metro Atlanta. You can even hit the Center for Puppetry Arts for a kid-centric show. And with so many of these venues also welcoming some of today’s most popular bands and musical acts, music lovers can expect to have a great time at these performing arts locales as well.

Museum Aficionados

Culture comes alive in metro Atlanta thanks to a significant contingent of history, art and science museums. Art enthusiasts can’t miss a stop at the High Museum of Art in Midtown, while history buffs will want to find their way to the Atlanta History Center, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park & Preservation District and the Margaret Mitchell House, among many others. The Fernbank Science Center brings the past into the present with exhibits dedicated to dinosaurs and the outdoor world, and it is home to an observatory and planetarium. The Tellus Science Museum is also a must-see for science enthusiasts. And there are so many more, from the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to the Delta Flight Museum. You can step into another era, another culture or another land with so many options in the metro area.

True-Blue Tourists

Who says you can’t be a tourist in your own town? Not anyone who lives in metro Atlanta. That’s because the city is home to an array of remarkable tourist attractions that draw not only local visitors, but also travelers from far and wide. And many of them are right in Downtown Atlanta. Plan a weekend and hit everything from the Georgia Aquarium (don’t miss the world-famous whale sharks and the dolphin show) and the World of Coca-Cola (where you can taste more than 100 flavors from around the world) to Centennial Olympic Park (the Gold Medal Garden is a quiet, hidden gem) and the College Football Hall of Fame (the three-story helmet wall is a great selfie spot)—all of which are mere blocks from each other. And if you still have time, head south to Zoo Atlanta or north to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, both of which are less than 15 minutes away from Downtown