Pittsburgh Summer Travel destination #59

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Those lakes are a pretty long drive to the north. Not sure how one vacations on those lakes. You'd have to drive even further to get to Georgia's mountains. I think the point is more of what to do in the city and immediate area. Not a vacation spot in my opinion.

From downtown Atlanta, it's 15 miles to Stone Mountain, 20 miles to Kennesaw Mountain, 30 miles to Lake Allatoona, 35 miles to Lake Lanier, 40 miles to Atlanta Motor Speedway, 65 miles to Dahlonega, 70 miles to Amicalola Falls, 70 miles to Athens, 70 miles to Lake Oconee, 75 miles to the head of the Appalachian Trail, 80 miles to Lake Sinclair, 80 miles to West Point Lake, 90 miles to Helen, 90 miles to Toccoa, 95 miles to Lake Hartwell, 95 miles to Tallulah Gorge, 100 miles to Brasstown Bald, 110 miles to Auburn, AL; 110 miles to Hiawassee, 115 miles to Rabun Gap, and 120 miles to Talladega Superspeedway. The north Georgia mountains are to Atlanta what the Laurel Highlands are to Pittsburgh. The only difference is that there are only two large lakes near Pittsburgh, and there's no good skiing near Atlanta.

[Geeo]

Dear God, not another "Best of" list based on metrics! These companies have to come out with these lists annually, and they can't all have New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles at the top every year. So they must mix it up and just shuffle all the cities around for a new list every year.

Most of these places are definitely not "vacation destinations," but more like "well, we have family in Atlanta, so we might as well spend a few days down there."

[_Buster]

This list is for the very budget conscious, apparently, or people who want to do accounting to determine where to go on a vacation instead of actually going where they want to. cost factors make up half of the criteria. Poor man's travel list. Actual desire to travel to them based on what we know (surveys or number of visitors) is not really a factor here. Designed to sell clicks and ads, that's pretty much all its good for.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by Craziaskowboi

From downtown Atlanta, it's 15 miles to Stone Mountain, 20 miles to Kennesaw Mountain, 30 miles to Lake Allatoona, 35 miles to Lake Lanier, 40 miles to Atlanta Motor Speedway, 65 miles to Dahlonega, 70 miles to Amicalola Falls, 70 miles to Athens, 70 miles to Lake Oconee, 75 miles to the head of the Appalachian Trail, 80 miles to Lake Sinclair, 80 miles to West Point Lake, 90 miles to Helen, 90 miles to Toccoa, 95 miles to Lake Hartwell, 95 miles to Tallulah Gorge, 100 miles to Brasstown Bald, 110 miles to Auburn, AL; 110 miles to Hiawassee, 115 miles to Rabun Gap, and 120 miles to Talladega Superspeedway. The north Georgia mountains are to Atlanta what the Laurel Highlands are to Pittsburgh. The only difference is that there are only two large lakes near Pittsburgh, and there's no good skiing near Atlanta.

Right, a long way to most things, need to rent a car for a long drive for sure. Stone Mountain is a large exposed rock, but close enough for any visitor. Kennesaw Mountain is probably more interesting as a Civil War site, but not as a mountain. Atlanta won't do well billing itself as nested in the mountains or as being practically by the lake. Might as well brag it's only 250 miles to the ocean and the beach.

Pittsburgh doesn't need lakes, it has three rivers easily in walking distance of downtown as well as a mountain, just overlooking the city.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Pittsburgh doesn't need lakes, it has three rivers easily in walking distance of downtown as well as a mountain, just overlooking the city.

If we count the rivers the way they do in other cities, we really only have two rivers. And Mount Washington is not a mountain. It's the top of a plateau that the river has cut into. The mountains don't start until the far end of Westmoreland County.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

If we count the rivers the way they do in other cities, we really only have two rivers. And Mount Washington is not a mountain. It's the top of a plateau that the river has cut into. The mountains don't start until the far end of Westmoreland County.

Plus, it's not like you can do any skiing or hiking (legally and safely) on Mt. Washington either.

[Boomchee]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

Plus, it's not like you can do any skiing or hiking (legally and safely) on Mt. Washington either.

Actually, yesterday I walked the trail that starts across the street from Montego Bay by the statues. It goes down to the West End Bridge and wraps around to the Woods neighborhhood. It was about 2.5-3 miles. Quite impressive for a city neighborhood.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Boomchee

Actually, yesterday I walked the trail that starts across the street from Montego Bay by the statues. It goes down to the West End Bridge and wraps around to the Woods neighborhhood. Quite impressive for a city neighborhood.

I see that on the map. I didn't know it was there before. It seems like a nice trail, but really short and not connected very well with other trails.

[Boomchee]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I see that on the map. I didn't know it was there before. It seems like a nice trail, but really short and not connected very well with other trails.

Yeah, I actually had to reroute myself a couple of times. There was a leg of it where I came to a restricted access/construction site.