Local Attractions and Businesses in Suwanee, Georgia - Comfort Inn

Fishing

There's good trout fishing on the Chattahoochee River, in the North Georgia Mountains, about 1 1/2 hours from downtown. Many lakes in the area are good for bass and striper; these include Lake Lanier, a 38,000-acre reservoir about 45 minutes away. Fishing licenses, which can be bought at most sporting-goods stores, Wal-Marts, and Kmarts, are $3.50 for 1 day and $9 for 3 or more days. A trout-fishing stamp is $5, or $13 for non-Georgia residents.

The Fish Hawk, 279 Buckhead Ave. NE, between Peachtree and Piedmont roads (tel. 404/237-3473), has been selling quality tackle for over 25 years. Specializing in fly-fishing, the store carries all kinds of fishing gear and outdoor clothing and can also supply the requisite license. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and can tell you where to find the fish you seek and anything you need to know about applicable state regulations. They also offer a fishing guide service. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

For additional information, serious anglers can contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, License and Boat Registration Unit (tel. 770/414-3333).

Golf

The Stone Mountain Golf Club (tel. 770/879-9900) is a beautiful nationally ranked facility, boasting some areas that are adjacent to the park's lake. Robert Trent Jones, Sr., designed 18 of the 36 holes. A pro shop is on the premises, and lessons are available. For weekends and holidays, reserve the Tuesday prior to the day you want to play; at other times, reserve a week in advance. A restaurant/clubhouse has a large deck overlooking the lake. Greens fees, including cart and taxes, are $47 Monday through Thursday, $55 on Friday, and $62 on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays; prices may be lower in the off season. There is a fee of $8 per car to enter the park. The course is open daily from 7am to dark.

In-Line Skating & Biking

Piedmont Park is the place to skate, and the nearby Skate Escape, 1086 Piedmont Ave. NE, at 12th Street (tel. 404/892-1292), is the place to rent equipment. This establishment offers all kinds of bicycles and skates for rent or sale, plus helmets, bike locks, and accessories. You can also buy skateboards here. Conventional and in-line skates can be rented for $6 per hour, $15 per day; single-speed or children's bikes are $6 per hour, $25 per day. If you have an out-of-state driver's license, a major credit card is required as ID; alternately, you can leave a deposit of $150 for skates, $250 for bikes. Skate Escape is open every day from 11am to 7pm, and the folks here will give you good advice about routes through the park. MARTA: Midtown.

River Rafting/Canoeing/Kayaking

The Nantahala Outdoor Center (tel. 800/232-7238) offers white-water rafting adventures on the scenic Chattooga River in North Georgia (it's the one you saw in the movie Deliverance) and the Ocoee in Tennessee (which was an Olympic venue). Put-in points for both rivers are about a 2-hour drive from Atlanta. Trips vary in length (from a few hours to a few days) and difficulty.

The Chattooga offers Class II and III rapids in Section III, and Class III, IV, and V in Section IV. The roller coaster Ocoee has Class III and IV rapids only. Kids must be at least 10 years old for easy trips, 12 or older for more difficult rapids. The company also offers canoeing and kayaking trips, plus excursions of varying difficulty on other rivers. All of the expeditions are immensely popular, so make reservations as far in advance as possible.

Prices vary depending on the length and difficulty of the trip, and weekends are more expensive than weekdays. Half-day trips begin at about $35, full-day trips at about $75; both rates include equipment, a guide, and transportation from the outpost to the river. Rafting season is April 1 to October 31, with occasional trips in March and November.

The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has several spots where canoers, kayakers, and rafters have access to the cold, slow-moving Chattahoochee River. Call the National Park Service (tel. 678/538-1200) for more information. Watercraft can be rented year-round from the Chattahoochee Outdoor Center (tel. 770/395-6851) at the Johnson Ferry and Powers Island units in the recreation area.

Swimming

Almost every Atlanta hotel features a swimming pool. In addition, there is a sandy lakefront beach (complete with water slides) in Stone Mountain Park.

If you're really serious about getting wet, there's also White Water, Exit 265 off I-75 on North Cobb Parkway in Marietta (tel. 770/424-9283).

Tennis

The City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department operates 12 outdoor hard courts at Piedmont Park (tel. 404/853-3461), all of them lit for night play. No reservations are taken; it's first-come, first-served. There's free parking at the courts, and showers and lockers are available on the premises. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Fees are $2.50 per person per hour during the day, $3 per person per hour when courts are lit.

The city also has 13 outdoor clay courts and 10 outdoor hard courts (16 are lit) at the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, 2125 Northside Dr., between I-75 north and Peachtree Battle Avenue (tel. 404/609-7193). Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no reservations are taken. There are showers and lockers available. The courts are open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 10pm, Friday from 8:30am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm. Hours from Labor Day to April are abbreviated; call ahead for details. Court fees are around $4 per person per hour, depending on the type of court and the hour of play. There's a lot of team tennis played here, so call ahead to check court availability. For information about other city courts, call the Bureau of Recreation (tel. 404/817-6766).

Built as the tennis venue for the Centennial Olympic Games, the Stone Mountain Tennis Center, 5525 Bermuda Rd., Stone Mountain (tel. 770/413-5288), has some of the finest public courts in the state. The 16 lit hard-surface courts are located near Stone Mountain Park, 18 miles east of downtown. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 6pm. Cost is $3.50 per person per hour. Take U.S. 78 to Bermuda Road, one exit past the entrance to Stone Mountain Park.