Georgia

Trains still roar past the Kennesaw House located between the city square and the railroad tracks a block away. Turn back the clock 145 years to April 12, 1862, and the Kennesaw House was the stepping off point for one of the more intriguing episodes of the Civil War.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated Athens, Ga., one of its Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2009.

On the whole, road food doesn’t have the same flair that it once did. Fast food restaurants have moved to a middle-of-the-road conformity, seemingly content with a bland approach to design, food and charm.