I can’t remember a time in my life that I didnt’ visit Stone Mountain! My family has photos of me there as a baby, and I’ve been going to the laser show for two decades! I attended Girl Scout Day Camp there for years, and was even a counselor’s aide. I had one of my bridal showers there, where we all rode the riverboat.

Stone Mountain may have become more commercial than it was in my childhood, but it’s still wonderful. I love to climb the mountain; my husband and I sometimes climb to the halfway point after dark and bring our telescope. During the day, we’ll visit the grist mill or walk along the trails; I love visiting the carillion, too, to hear the concerts.

If you climb the mountain, be sure to look down at your feet. The path up is literally covered with messages engraved over the last one hundred and fifty years. I don’t like seeing new entries, but the messages from the nineteenth century are often simply beautiful to look at, and an important window into the lives of generations long gone. Don’t miss it.