Gainesville, Georgia, known as the Queen City of Mountains, is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This city is the tourism and economic center of Northeast Georgia, sitting halfway between the Appalachian Mountains and the urban city center of Atlanta. Gainesville is deemed the “City of Excellence” and the Hospitality Capital of the World. I have been researching the area as one of our summer travel destinations.
Gainesville has a population of about 35,000 and offers visitors unique experiences worth noting. Gainesville is small enough to know your neighbor, yet large enough to offer the services and cultural experiences of a much larger city. From kayaking to rowing to historical tours and more, this is a city on my “to-see” list.
Things to do in Gainesville, Georgia
1. Do you remember the 1996 Olympic games? Some of those games (rowing, canoe and kayak) were held in Gainesville, right in Lake Lanier. The lake offers kayaking, canoeing, boating, camping, fishing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, paddle boarding and swimming.
2. Explore the outdoors at the Elachee Nature Science Center in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. Here, you’ll see an interactive museum, a woodland refuge, hiking trails, animal exhibits and an aviary, to name a few.
3. The first state park on Lake Larnier, Don Carter State Park, is another place to stop. The lake draws visitors to its sandy beach and camping facilities on the on-site campsites or cottages. There, visitors can kayak, fish, swim, get on a boat and hike.
4. The Interactive Neighborhood For Kids, Inc. is a great hands-on, fun, interactive museum with exhibits that include a dentist office, a medical clinic, a grocery store, a post office and more, and perfect for families with young children.
I’m thinking about relocating there for my job. How much time have you spent there ?