Atlanta can be a daunting city to visit.
For starters, it’s enormous, especially when considering the entire metropolitan region. Visitors will likely need a car, and the summers can be hot.
As a result, for many people, Atlanta is merely a connection point on a flight, rather than a destination. Not surprising, considering transportation led to the creation of Atlanta, a city not situated on a river or a significant body of water.
The city’s location was selected because it was at the end of a major rail line (hence the city’s original name: Terminus). But the city has a great history.
From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement to the 1996 Summer Olympics, the “Gate City” has always found itself at the forefront of global events. Despite its size and geographic footprint, it is possible to take in the city’s must-see attractions over a long weekend or a few short days, but visitors can explore it for as long as they would like.
Perhaps best of all, it’s home to incredible food.
- The results are being filtered by the character: 4
4 Way Lunch
Fred Garrison established 4 Way Lunch in 1931 when he took a sack full of meat and packages of buns to an empty old saloon at the corner of Main Street (GA 61/113) and Gilmer Street in downtown Cartersville. There, he started cooking burgers.
At the time, the Dixie Highway was a popular route, and both visitors and residents frequently stopped by for breakfast and lunch. Garrison’s son, Ernest, who grew up in the business, took over in 1972 and continued its operation until he died in 2004.
The restaurant survived racial tensions during the Civil Rights Era and a destructive fire in 1993. 4 Way Lunch is open between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. It only accepts cash.
- Deep history covering the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement
- Relatively decent weather yearround
- Some of the best restaurant options in the country
- Marietta Museum of History (Marietta)
- Southern Museum of Civil Way & Locomotive History (Kennesaw)