So you’ve taken the family on a whirlwind tour of the southeast and find yourself in the lovely metropolis of Atlanta. There are plenty of enticing Atlanta attractions that appeal to adults, but what can you do to entertain the kids?

Although I’m not sure why a landlocked city owns bragging rights to the world’s largest aquarium, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is flush with 8,000,000 gallons of water and the creatures needed to make it come alive. There are five themed galleries-Cold Water Quest, Tropical Diver, River Scout Georgia Explorer and Ocean Voyager and you’ll want to see them all. This place is highly interactive with touch pools, a giant see through underwater tunnel and an educational 4D Wondershow. Set aside a whole day for this attraction and be sure to buy your tickets online before you go.

Atlanta’s also home to one of the country’s oldest zoos, Zoo Atlanta, In addition to the expected, there are plenty of baby animals, a playground, the Wild Like Me interactive play area, an endangered species carousel and a miniature train ride. There are also special programs you can take part in if you’re timing’s right, like the very hands-on Keeper for a Day and Family Nightcrawler overnights.

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If you’re visiting the Atlanta area and want to escape the city,  relax with a  scenic drive through the rural farmlands southwest of the city. The drive itself is a loop of about 30 miles that takes an hour.

The route will take you through the Cochran Mill Park, complete with hiking trails, waterfalls and a nature center, if you’d like to picnic along the way or just can’t bear to go back to the rat race. This lightly traveled route that sports a canopy of trees through rolling hills and shows it’s best side in Spring and Autumn.

Take Interstate 20 to Exit 49 and go south on Fulton Industrial Blvd. to it’s intersection with State Route 92 to the start of the designated scenic route.

Jekyll Island, just off the coast of Georgia near Brunswick, is another of those great beach resorts that the southerners have managed to keep to themselves. I can’t blame them one bit.

The entire 5,700 acre barrier island is an historic area and nature preserve. Combine these attractions with the Atlantic seashore, a mild climate, tennis and golf and you have an ideal vacation destination for the whole family.

The Villas By The Sea, on the northern end of Jekyll, offers a wide choice of modern accommodations, all the desirable resort amenities and some of the best Jekyll Island Golf Packages. Choose between 10 great coastal Georgia golf courses, including the 3 located right on the island.

There are plenty of opportunities to relish the long, varied lore of the island - an interesting mix of colonial settlement, slavery, wealth, privilege and politics - in the National Historic Landmark District, which includes the famous Jekyll Island Club, a haunt of the rich and famous.

Children will enjoy the sense of freedom afforded by the bike paths that lace the island, the magnolia and live oak lined nature trails and the boardwalks that transport them over the protective dunes to natural beach areas. The highlight of any trip is a night time Turtle Walk to view the nesting sea turtles who come ashore every summer to lay their eggs.

If you’re looking for a active, yet relaxing family beach vacation, be sure to check out Jekyll Island - a destination everyone will enjoy.