Stone Mountain is just outside Atlanta. Nice park

Smoky Mountains is a must!

We always loved going to Gatlinburg. If you are in the park you might stop and walk up to Clingman's Dome. You get a great view of the park

I second all the suggestions given. I had a couple of aunts that lived in Chattanooga and it has some great places to visit. You might consider Asheville, NC too. It has the Vanderbilt Mansion and a number of other places.

depending on how adventurous you are, tailofthedragon.com ; this road is very famous in the motorcycle and sports car worlds -

Thanks for all the great suggestions. They really helped us choose the best activities. We took backroads from Macon on and found the Museum of Appalachia. What a surprise and delight. There were quite a few quilts there...quite a few without any explanation. We went to Oak Ridge and the AMSE museum and had a tour of the "Secret City" of WWII. Then it was on to Gatlinburg. We drove right by Dollywood! Maybe next time! We did the loop through Cade's Cove and went to Clingman's Dome. From there it was off to Chattanooga, The Incline, the Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe (thanks, toverly), and did the park at the top of Lookout Mountain. It was a packed trip, but very pleasant! Now to get ready for the hurricane...which I hope bypasses us.

And can make one quite motion sick! Ask me how I know.

That sounds like a wonderful trip! So glad you tried the Purple Daisy. We loved it too! I'm keeping my fingers crossed it dissipates before it hits Florida too and stays out of the Gulf. Your trip to Oak Ridge sounds like great too. We may have to add that one to our next trip to the mountains.

M. Elizabeth, I'm glad we didn't attempt The Tail of the Dragon if it can make one queasy. The Incline was bad enough.
toverly, be sure to check with the National Park Service and the AMSE for tours. They are trying out new ideas for tours.
It was a good trip. Now we have to prep and plan for the hurricane as we live in a manufactured home. We, too, hope it wobbles away from the coast. It looks like it will get stronger as it moves northward, according to the news this AM.