Atlanta

I think Centenial Park is a must. Make sure to put the kids in a bathing suit. They have water fountains that come out of the ground which was a fun way to cool off on a hot day. Also not really in downtown Atlanta but is a short drive is Stone Mountain. They have a gondola that takes you to the top of the mountain and you can either walk down the mountain or take the gondola back down. At dark they have a laser light show to music projected on the side of the mountain. So bring a blanket and a picnic and have fun at a show. Also the kids are young but they have a kiddie place, there is always Six Flags. You can get to it using the MARTA and a bus. Hope you have a fun trip.

Kitty-corner to the aquarium is the children's museum of atlanta http://www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org/

Do the children's museum early b/c by the end of the day (when we went), well, it looked like 100s of kids had had a blast all day!

Depending on the ages of your kids, and if you like shopping, and if you want want a couple of hours of free child care, go to IKEA. They have a play place for kids while parents shop (no purchase necessary & if you've never been to the store - it rocks) AND their cafeteria is very reasonably priced and YUMMY (best, cheapest coffee around & Lingon Berry juice is out of this world tasty) - the Swedes can do food!

Don't forget to take MARTA at least once if your kids have never been on a subway. They really dig it & it's good as a filler when the itinerary goes wonkily.

Have fun!!

We visited the aquarium last summer and loved it. We stayed at Embassy Suites which is almost across the street. We had an excellent experience - in fact my kids still talk about the hotel more than the aquarium! The suite was nice since we have 3 kids and we had more room and we could walk to the attractions. We also enjoyed the Olympic area with the water area. The ES also had a breakfast buffet included and it was great food. Everyone could get what they wanted so no whining! Enjoy your trip!

hi there! We were just in Atlanta last weekend and stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown. We walked across the street to the aquarium, Centennial Park etc. several times every day--close enough to go back to the hotel for lunch/nap and return easily. Hotel staff was VERY friendly and helpful and we agreed we will stay there again on our next trip.

We have family we always stay with when we are there, so I don't know about the hotels... but try to catch a laser show at stone mountain (in the evenings) if you can. If I remember right it is free except for parking. Everyone sits on a sloped grass meadow and you can see the show from anywhere on the slope. People bring coolers and blankets (folding chairs if you are so inclined) and kick back and enjoy.. last year after we went and it was over, and most of the people were gone, my kids (they are older though) chased each other and had "roll races" down the hill! Just laid down in the grass and rolled! it was great!